[DR Coffey]

As the FIRST champion for BAE Systems, I'd like to introduce myself and let readers of this thread know that BAE Systems remains committed to FIRST as our cornerstone STEM program that is part of our strategic approach to developing our future work force. As was noted in a previous entry, there has been a leadership change and an organizational restructuring which provided an appropriate time to look at all of our philanthropic and educational outreach efforts and determine if they were fit for purpose. It has meant changes to our processes and procedures but no change to our support of FIRST. Readers should know that we put a priority on supporting teams that are near our facilities so that our employees can be involved in mentoring. We also look to support teams that are in underserved communities. We had instituted this year a grant application process to streamline and standardize our review of and approval of grants so that next year it should be much more efficient. I hope that answers your questions. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions about BAE System's support for FIRST. We remain committed to FIRST and look forward to seeing you at the regionals or championship. doug