President
Aerospace Industry Association of Michigan (AIAM)
For Mr. Tony Vernaci, the opportunity to establish the Aerospace Industry Association of Michigan (AIAM) is a culmination of more than 30 years of experience and passion for aerospace. Mr. Vernaci joined the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) in 2014, as Vice President for Global Business Development. Stepping into this position, he noticed aerospace was not a target industry. He recognized the potential synergies of the automotive and aerospace industries and soon the team discovered there were nearly 600 companies and organizations in Michigan conducting aerospace business. In an effort to draw more attention to Michigan’s strength in aerospace, he led the effort to attract an aerospace conference to the state. In June of that year, Michigan had its first booth at the Paris air show. It is because of these great accomplishments, a vision for future aerospace opportunities and a conversation with Governor Snyder, he decided to launch AIAM to advance Michigan’s place in the industry. Prior to joining the MEDC, he held executive positions at Global Advantages, Doncasters, and Textron. Before Textron, he spent 10 years in the automotive industry at both an OEM and a Tier-1 supplier.