Center of Excellence for Aerospace & Advanced Manufacturing Timeline

Through the Years


2004

The Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges (SBCTC) selected 10 Centers of Excellence to serve as economic development drivers for the state’s leading industries and placed them on college campuses through a competitive application process.

2009

The Washington State Centers of Excellence are codified into Washington State statute (HB 1323) making Washington the only state in the country to have Centers designated through legislation.

October 2011

The The Air Washington consortium receives funding from The Department of Labor's first round of the Trade Adjustment Assistance and Community College and Career Training (TAACCCT) Grant Program.

Read the outcome report.

January 2014

Composites Washington consortium is formed.

June 2014

SBCTC awards the COE with state funding for aerospace training and equipment.

August 2014

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) awards funding to the COE under the Standards Services Curricula Development Cooperative Agreement Program.

September 2014

The Washington Integrated Sector Employment (WISE) project receives funding from the fourth and final round of the U.S. Department of Labor’s TAACCCT grant.

2015

The COE publishes its Washington Program & Resource Guide for Education & Careers in Aerospace & Manufacturing.

July 2016

The MechaWA TechHire group is awarded funding from the U.S. Department of Labor's H-1B TechHire Partnership grant.

November 2016

The Boeing Company awards a grant to the COE to create mechatronics internships.

2016

The COE’s 2016 Annual Report is released.

2017

The COE’s 2017 Annual Report is released.

September 2019

The Center of Excellence for Semiconductors & Electronic Manufacturing opens in Vancouver operating under the leadership of the Center of Excellence for Aerospace & Advanced Manufacturing at Everett Community College.

September 2020

The Center of Excellence for Semiconductors & Electronic Manufacturing is placed under the direction of Clark College.

April 2021

Executive Director Mary Kaye Bredeson retires from the COE. Jill Thornton serve as Interim Executive Director.

November 2021

Jason Petrait hired as the new Executive Director for the Center of Excellence for Aerospace & Advanced Manufacturing.

September 2022

Center of Excellence takes over National Science Foundation grant, Building Equity for Aerospace Training. Executive Director Jason Petrait named Principal Investigator.

August 2023

Jason Petrait departs from the COE.