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		Podcast/Video Interviews by Stephen Ibaraki A Chat with Vickie Ozburn: 35 years of experience in the Aerospace and Defense Industry; MGA Vice Chair Geographic Unit Operations and Past Region 4 Director This week, Stephen Ibaraki has an exclusive interview with Vickie Ozburn. Ms. Vickie Ozburn has 35 years of experience in the Aerospace and Defense Industry and has held several positions in the IEEE, MGA, Region and Section including Region 4 Director and IEEE Board of Directors (2023 - 2024). The past two years she has served as the MGA Vice Chair of GUOS. In this role she grew her knowledge of the IEEE OUs and MGA Operations. She led activities to update the vTools nomination tool and process as well as election enforcement. As a member of the Board of Directors, Vickie was actively involved in developing the new 2025-2030 IEEE Vision and Mission. She started and led monthly calls with the other US Directors to discuss issues specific to the US membership and provide mentoring for new directors and director-elects. As the Region Membership Development Chair, she worked with the Section Leadership to develop membership plans specific to each Section. She also led several ad hoc committees to focus on membership engagement working with section membership development chairs to achieve the section membership plans. As a Section volunteer she served in all leadership roles, leading the Section Professional Development Conference (ProCon) for 18 years. She was awarded the Cedar Rapids Section Ted A. Hunter Award for outstanding individual service in furthering the purposes and objectives of the Section, and is a founding member of Cedar Rapids Section WIE Affinity Group. She is still an active member of the Cedar Rapids Section and serves on the ExCom as the WIE Chair. She continues to be involved in all levels of IEEE and uses her experience to mentor younger members. IEEE Activities IEEE COMMITTEES/BOARDS: IEEE Board of Directors (2023-2024); IEEE Strategy and Alignment Committee (2026); IEEE MOVE USA Communications Chair (2026); IEEE Humanitarian Technologies Board (2025-Present); IEEE Humanitarian Technologies Board N&A Committee (2026); IEEE MOVE Global Committee (2026); IEEE Sections Congress Committee (2025-2026); IEEE Ad Hoc on One IEEE for Students (2025); IEEE Ad Hoc: Technology for a Sustainable Climate (2024); IEEE Coordinator to D&I Committee (2024); IEEE Ad Hoc: Committee to Coordinate IEEE's Response to Climate Change (CIRCC) (2023); IEEE Tellers Committee Vice-Chair (2018); IEEE Tellers Committee Member (2016-2017); MGA COMMITTEES/BOARDS: MGA Vice Chair Geographical Unit Operation Support Chair (2025-2026); MGA Operations Committee (2023-2026); IEEE MGA Board of Directors (2023-2024); MGA Reaching New Audiences AdHoc (2025-2026); MGA Ad Hoc: Sections Congress 2023 Recommendations (2024); MGA Strategic Planning Committee (2021); MGA Membership Recruitment & Recovery Committee (2013-2020); IEEE USA COMMITTEES/BOARDS: IEEE USA Board of Directors (2023-2024); IEEE MOVE USA Communications Chair (2025-2026);IEEE USA N&A Committee (2025-2026) REGIONS: Past Director, Region 4 (2025-2026); Region 4 Strategic Planning Committee Chair (2025-2026); Region 4 Section Support Chair (2021-2022); Region 4 N&A Chair (2025-2026); Region 4 Bylaws Committee Chair (2025-2026); Director, Region 4 (2023-2024); Director-Elect, Region 4 (2021-2022); Membership Development Region 4 (2013-2020); Region 4 Ad Hoc: Member Retention Chair (2016-2018); SECTIONS/CHAPTERS/AFFINITY GROUPS: Chair, Cedar Rapids Section Climate Change Local Group (2023-present); WIE Affinity Group Member (2011-present); Executive Committee; Cedar Rapids Section (2009-present); Cedar Rapids Strategic Planning Committee (2023-present); Chair, Cedar Rapids Section (2011); Vice- Chair, Cedar Rapids Section (2010); Treasurer, Cedar Rapids Section (2009); Awards & Recognition Chair, Cedar Rapids Section (2012-2014); Nominations & Appointments Chair, Cedar Rapids (2012-2014); WIE Affinity Group Chair, Cedar Rapids Section (2012-present); Cedar Rapids Section Ted A. Hunter Award for outstanding individual service in furthering the purposes and objectives of the Cedar Rapids Section and IEEE. SOCIETY/TECHNICAL COUNCIL: TAB Broadening Participation Committee (TAB BP) Governance and Operations Working Group working group; TAB Broadening Participation Committee (TAB BP) In Reach Working Group; TEMS Board of Governors (2026-2027); TEMS Marketing Committee Chair (2025-Present); TEMS Conference Committee (2025); TEMS N&A Committee (2025); SOCIETY MEMBERSHIP: IEEE Technology & Engineering Management Society (TEMS) (2023-Present); IEEE Electromagnetic Compatibility Society Membership (2025-Present); IEEE Computer Society (2022-Present); IEEE Communications Society (2007-2022). IEEE-HKN/HKN: Professional Member (2021) CONFERENCES: IEEE International Leadership Conference Co-Chair (2026); IEEE Women in Engineering (WIE) Leadership Conference Vice Chair (2025); IEEE WIE International Leadership Summit Finance Chair (2023, 2025-2026); IEEE WIE International Leadership Summit Advisor (2021); Nexus Student & YP Conference Advisor (2023-2026); Cedar Rapids Section, Professional Development Conference (ProCon) Chair (2004-2017). Qualifications Understanding of Issues: Ms. Vickie Ozburn has significant IEEE MGA volunteer experience. Her service ranges from leadership roles at the local level to service on IEEE Committees and Boards. She is recognized as a leader and for making significant contributions in each volunteer role. As Membership Development Chair in Region 4 she gained a good understanding of member needs, membership trends and recruiting. Her experience as the Vice Chair of GUOS and previously on various IEEE Board(s), AdHocs, Committees, and on the Sections Congress 2023 Recommendation Ad Hoc has given her a good insight into what members are looking for and opportunities to better reach our members. Experience at Geographic Unit Level: Ms. Ozburn has served and continues to serve at my Section level includes Section Secretary, Treasurer, Vice Chair, Chair, WIE AG Chair and on various Committees. As Director coming out of COVID she helped get face-to-face meetings restarted across the Region. She recruited new volunteers to bring newer members and YPs into Sections and Region volunteer positions. She successfully conducted many virtual senior elevation events and continues to host quarterly Region elevation events. She has helped revive inactive Chapters and supported the founding of new Student Branches and Chapters. She led a surplus project to build communication between the Sections and Student Branches. One of her focuses has been on member engagement the past two years, conducting Region sponsored virtual and face-to-face events to reach members across the Region. She has provided support to smaller sections or those struggling to find speakers and suggest content for events. Working Relationships: Her experiences on various volunteering positions within the IEEE and her local community has prepared her well to be a team leader with people from diverse backgrounds. She has a good working relationship with IEEE staff and other MGA volunteers. Major Accomplishments As Region Director She served as finance Chair and advisor for three WIE International Leadership Summits; delivering highly rated outcomes, financial results, with an average of a 50% surplus. She increased WIE membership by 22% by putting a program of quarterly WIE Region events in place and partnering with other Regions She continues to host quarterly Senior Elevation events exceeding Region member elevation goals ranging from 116-258% the past 3 years She understands the importance and relevance of member engagement and saw a steady increase of 33% in region events She was instrumental in starting AirVenture engagement, hosting a booth at AirVenture. and talking with over 600 members and non-members. As Region Director, a new Website and social media presence was grown with a focus on reaching members and non-members She believes strongly in the need for IEEE to be engaged in Climate Change and Sustainability and formed a R4 Climate/Sustainability Committee to create and support local groups within R4 Sections As Vice Chair GUOS She led efforts to update and release the nominations tool and provide education and guidance on usage She was a key leader in negotiating and implementing joint chapter support efforts through the merger of MGA and TA Chapter Committees She supported the move of the Local Groups Committee from an Ad Hoc to a formal committee under GUOS As TEMS Chair of Marketing TEMS saw an increase in membership from a focus social media campaigns She formed a new marketing committee to support social media, website and IEEE TEMS TV TO WATCH THE VIDEO INTERVIEW, CLICK ON THIS MP4 file link