Virginia Spaceport Authority Holds Memorandum of Understanding Ceremony with Eastern Shore Community College
Photo by Bill LeCato
Melfa, Va. January 23, 2023 - Virginia Spaceport Authority CEO and Executive Director Roosevelt “Ted” Mercer, Jr. and Eastern Shore Community College (ESCC) President Dr. Jim Shaeffer on Monday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) at ESCC’s Melfa campus. This MOU formalizes the preexisting verbal agreement between the two institutions and demonstrates the Virginia Spaceport Authority’s intention to play a more active role within ESCC’s program. Through this agreement, both institutions hope to directly impact the formation of curriculums as well as help them provide the training to create competitive candidates after graduation. Virginia Spaceport Authority has hosted 25 ESCC interns since 2011, with more than half becoming full-time employees at the end of their program. The MOU cements the relationship between the two organizations to give students the opportunity to hone their skills by working side-by-side with engineers and other technical professionals at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport, a relationship both institutions hope to expand further in the near future.
“It’s a true privilege to work with our ESCC student interns,” said Mr. Mercer. “Signing this MOU demonstrates our commitment to our continuing partnership with ESCC to foster valuable learning and employment opportunities that drive economic and educational development on the Eastern Shore.”
This is the Virginia Spaceport Authority’s first MOU with an institution of higher learning. The agreement is a testament to the benefits realized by both organizations during the years of collaboration. The Virginia Spaceport Authority hopes that it will inspire formal collaboration with other institutions of higher learning in the future.
“The signing of this MOU is extremely significant for our two organizations,” said Dr. Shaeffer. “We aim to provide good jobs, particularly in the aerospace industry. This enables students to become job ready as they enter the workforce. Eastern Shore Community College provides residents in underserved areas on the Eastern Shore an opportunity to do well and thrive in their own community.”
The Virginia Spaceport Authority, a political subdivision of the Commonwealth of Virginia, owns and operates the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport, which includes three launch pads, a payload processing facility, and other facilities that enable the launch of small- and mid-size rockets for commercial, government, scientific, and academic users. One of only four spaceports in the United States capable of vertical launches to orbit, the Virginia Spaceport Authority contributes to assured access to space for the United States.
More than 20 percent of the Virginia Spaceport Authority’s workforce is comprised of former interns from ESCC and other universities. The ESCC partnership will continue to bring local students into the STEM and aerospace industry, benefitting and growing the skilled workforce on the Eastern Shore.
Virginia Spaceport Authority Media Contact
Chief of External Relations and CEO Action Group
Lindsay Hurt
Eastern Shore Community College Media Contact
Bill LeCato
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