VST Appoints Marketing and Communications Director

Valence Surface Technologies (VST) welcomes Julie Sims to a full-time role as its director of marketing and communications. This role is responsible for the VST commitment to regular communication and for burnishing the “Flying V” brand in the marketplace. She will report to Patrick O’Connor, VST chief commercial officer, and be based out of Fort Worth, Texas.

Sims is responsible for all Valence marketing, branding and industry events, and managing internal and external communications. Sims served as a contract employee handling marketing and communications for a few months at Valence. She successfully managed the VST face to market at the Farnborough Air Show and NBAA Conference, and worked to build a plan for upgrading the company’s marketing materials and website.

She brings over 20 years of experience in aerospace program management, marketing and promotional experience to support her vision of VST’s branding, marketing and communications.

In recent roles, Sims served as co-founder and leader of her own company, a small business defense contractor working DARPA, Air Force Research Laboratory and Lockheed Martin Skunkworks contracts for flight testing and airworthiness.

Sims is an airworthiness evaluator certified by the United States Air Force Test Center, recognized as an airworthiness subject matter expert. She has worked extensively as a program manager for the development of aerospace technology and the evaluation of experimental aircraft configurations. She has flown over 25 distinct types of experimental, military and civilian aircraft, including current fighter aircraft and legacy warbirds.

She serves on the board of directors of the Southern California Aerospace Club as the director of scholarships and is on the executive board as a committee chair. She has also recently been appointed to the board of directors of Women in Defense Greater Los Angeles, serving as the director of communications.

She devotes her free time to her two children, passion for big game hunting and love of outdoor spaces. Sims is excited to be a part of the VST team and work directly with business development and general management leaders, as well as engage across all operating locations. She will be working to upgrade brand management, trade show engagement, website, internal and external communications, and drive global awareness of the Valence brand.