Longtime engineering executive John Thornquist has been chosen to head up Washington state’s Office of Aerospace, just as the state’s $70 billion-plus industry sector is heading into a time of transition.
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee announced the selection today, and Thornquist takes over the director’s reins on Tuesday.
Thornquist was managing director, CEO and co-founder of Carbon Aerospace, an Everett-based consulting firm specializing in carbon composite structures. Before his time at Carbon, he was a co-founder of Global Aerosystems in Everett, which later became Kaman Engineering Services.
Under Thornquist’s leadership, Kaman earnedBoeing supplier of the year honors in 2013.
