Marilyn is an avid aviation and aerospace enthusiast and on most weekends, can be found at an airport. She has had the great fortune of flying in open-cockpit biplanes for over 15 years as weekend playmates. She has also made the cross-country trek from Los Angeles to Oshkosh for the annual EAA AirVenture Oskhosh, in a variety of airplanes including a YMF-5 Super Waco biplane, a Great Lakes biplane, TBM 750 & 800, and a Pilatus PC-12. And she has co-piloted the only two-place British Supermarine Spitfire Mk.9 in the U.S.

With over twenty years in aviation, both professionally and personally, Marilyn’s background includes a wide variety of successes at producing never-been-done-before events such as:

• The first XPRIZE Air & Space Expo at Holloman Air Force Base with both “fire & fly” activities – rocket launches, lunar lander vehicle competitions and air show performances.
• The very first over-the-water airshow at the Huntington Beach Pier with a myriad of military and civilian performances including Bob Hoover, Wayne Handley, the Royal Canadian Air Force, and more.
• Record-breaking air shows in Hawaii, with the U.S. Navy Blue Angels Jet Performance Team, which attracted more than 250,000 spectators.

Her professional career has piloted her into holding such positions as Senior Director of Operations for the X PRIZE, Director of Programs for the Museum of Flying in Santa Monica, Executive Producer for the Pierfest Sea and Air Show, and Marketing Director for U.S. Naval Air Station Barbers Point, HI.

Throughout her career, she has had the great fortune to work closely with many distinguished aviators including Bob Hoover, Donald Douglas Jr., Airshow Performers – Sean D. Tucker, and Wayne Handley, the Tuskegee Airmen, the WASPS, members of the original Flying Tigers, and a myriad of Astronauts including Buzz Aldrin and Gene Cernan.

Additionally, Marilyn brings nearly two decades of experience in the planning and implementation of large and small-scale corporate events. Her commitment to excellence has led to her personal success in a variety of industries including aviation, space exploration, government, advertising, economic development, and higher education.

Marilyn worked for the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation, and was responsible for overseeing the LAEDC’s key events including the annual Eddy Awards, which during her tenure, honored such organizations as SpaceX and Los Angeles World Airport.

Currently Marilyn holds the position of Director of Events at California State University, Dominguez Hills. In this role, she oversees a department that manages in excess of 60 annual events including the annual South Bay Economic Forecast that she shaped and is attended by more than 200 leading industry professionals. She is also involved in creating a documentary on the Dominguez Hills 1910 Air Meet.

Marilyn has served on Boards for the American Marketing Association, the Association of Western States Aviation Museums, and for the Association of Fundraising Professionals, and currently participates as Treasurer on the board for the LA-LV AIAA Section.