PALMDALE, Calif. — Chairing the Aerospace Valley’s Civilian Military (Civ/Mil) Support Group into its 34th year of service and support for Edwards Air Force Base will be Matthew Winheim, a leading STEM/STEAM educator and prior active-duty Airman.
Winheim, founding administrator and executive director of the Palmdale Aerospace Academy, will take on his new role in the Civ/Mil 2022 Installation Banquet Nov. 4 in Palmdale’s Hilton Garden Inn, 1309 West Rancho Vista Boulevard in Palmdale.
The 5 to 9 p.m. dinner program will also welcome into leadership the 2025 Class of Civ/Mil officers and directors.
Officers to be installed with presiding officer Winheim will be: Al Hoffman, vice president; David Norris, treasurer, and Tom Weil, secretary.
Directors to be sworn for multi-year terms are: Dennis Anderson, Judy Cooperberg, Scott Cummings, Hoffman, Lisa Moulton, Terry Norris and Julie Swayze.
Winheim chaired and directed the 2019 STEM Expo at the Antelope Valley Fairgrounds on behalf of the Los Angeles County Air Show. In addition to his foundational work for the Aerospace Academy, he was lead STEM administrator for the Antelope Valley Union High School, Eastside Union, and Palmdale School districts where he coordinated participation of more than 200 underprivileged students in the Air Force’s 70th Anniversary event at Edwards.
In recognition of his dedicated prior Air Force service and community contributions in creating STEM educational opportunities for the next generation, the Air Force Thunderbirds honored Winheim a rare supersonic ride in the back seat of a red, white and blue F-16 Thunderbird Fighting Falcon.
Winheim grew up in the Aerospace Valley, graduating from Antelope Valley High School in Lancaster.
Tickets for the installation banquet are $50 per person. For reservations, go to http://www.eafbcivmil.org.
The EAFB Civilian/Military Support Group was established in 1989, under the civilian founding and sustained leadership of businesswoman Aida O’Connor and then Air Force Flight Test Center Commander, Maj. Gen. John Schoeppner. The purpose was to establish a friendly benevolent association of civic leaders and military personnel at Edwards Air Force Base, to act as a host group whenever needed and additionally, to perform annual service projects to benefit Edwards.