Bell Executive Wins 2019 Megellas Award

See all news

 

Fort Worth, TX (14 Sept. 2019) – Bell Executive Vice President Robert T. Hastings Jr. has been named 2019 recipient of the America’s Future Series Megellas Award, presented annually to a distinguished military leader who has gone on to demonstrate continued service to the country.

Hastings, a military leader and business executive with an impressive multifaceted career in military, corporate leadership and public service, was honored Saturday, Sept. 14 at two events: the Salute to Maggie Luncheon hosted by Congressman Pete Sessions, and the 2nd Annual Tribute to Valor Gala. Both events took place at the Sheraton DFW Airport Hotel.

Hastings has more than 30 years of federal and state military experience in the Department of Defense, U.S. Army and state military agencies. His U.S. Army assignments included command tours in Aviation and Cavalry with operational assignments in Germany, Eastern Europe, Central America, Iraq, and Bosnia. In the Texas State Guard, Brigadier General Hastings commands a group comprised of seven civil engineer and civil affairs regiments.

BobMegellaAwards.jpg

Prior to joining Bell as executive vice president of strategic communications, Hastings served in the Bush Administration, appointed by President George W. Bush as Assistant Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs.  As chief communications officer, senior public affairs official and spokesman for the U.S. Department of Defense, he was the principal adviser to the Secretary and Deputy Secretary of Defense and senior Administration officials for strategic communication, public information, and internal information, leading a worldwide public affairs community of 4,000 military and civilian personnel. 

TeamMegellaAwards.jpg

Hastings is a former chairman of the North Texas Commission, and serves on the Board of Directors of the Public Relations Society of America, USO of Metropolitan Washington-Baltimore, and the World Affairs Council of Dallas.  He has previously served on the boards of the National Defense Industrial Association, the Army Aviation Association of America, the Armed Services YMCA, and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Washington, D.C.  He has served as an adviser to the NATO Strategic Communications Office, the Center for New American Security Future Force Initiative, and Roger Staubach’s Allies in Service veteran’s initiative. 

The Megellas Award is named after Lieutenant Colonel James “Maggie” Megellas (born March 11, 1917), a retired U.S. Army officer who is the most-decorated officer in the history of the 82nd Airborne Division. Megellas has received, among other awards, a Distinguished Service Cross, a Silver Star, a Bronze Star, a Purple Heart and a nomination for the Medal of Honor.

The Tribute to Valor Foundation, which sponsors the Megellas Award, was founded in 2018 as an all-volunteer organization focused on influencing, impacting and inspiring students involved in STEM curricula. Its goal is to help these students understand and engage the values of the Medal of Honor: courage, sacrifice, patriotism, citizenship, integrity and commitment. At least 16 Medal of Honor recipients are expected to attend the Sept. 14 luncheon.

For more information about the Megellas Award and Tribute to Valor, visit https://tributetovalor.org/.

 

 

About Bell

Thinking above and beyond is what we do. For more than 85 years, we’ve been reimagining the experience of flight – and where it can take us.

We are pioneers. We were the first to break the sound barrier and to certify a commercial helicopter. We were a part of NASA’s first lunar mission and brought advanced tiltrotor systems to market. Today, we’re defining the future of advanced air mobility.

Headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas – as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Textron Inc., – we have strategic locations around the globe. And with nearly one quarter of our workforce having served, helping our military achieve their missions is a passion of ours.

Above all, our breakthrough innovations deliver exceptional experiences to our customers. Efficiently. Reliably. And always, with safety at the forefront.

About Textron

Textron Inc. is a multi-industry company that leverages its global network of aircraft, defense, industrial and finance businesses to provide customers with innovative solutions and services. Textron is known around the world for its powerful brands such as Bell, Cessna, Beechcraft, Pipistrel, Jacobsen, Kautex, Lycoming, E-Z-GO, Arctic Cat, and Textron Systems. For more information, visit: www.textron.com.

Certain statements in this press release are forward-looking statements which may project revenues or describe strategies, goals, outlook or other non-historical matters; these statements speak only as of the date on which they are made, and we undertake no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements. These statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that may cause our actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, changes in aircraft delivery schedules or cancellations or deferrals of orders; our ability to keep pace with our competitors in the introduction of new products and upgrades with features and technologies desired by our customers; changes in government regulations or policies on the export and import of our products; volatility in the global economy or changes in worldwide political conditions that adversely impact demand for our products; volatility in interest rates or foreign exchange rates; and risks related to our international business, including establishing and maintaining facilities in locations around the world and relying on joint venture partners, subcontractors, suppliers, representatives, consultants and other business partners in connection with international business, including in emerging market countries.

You may also like

See all news