Melvin (Mel) Richard Prell

Resident Manager of Business Development-
Pacific Rim and South East Asia
Stavatti Aerospace/Stavatti Heavy Industries, Ltd.

Melvin Richard Prell is the Resident Manager of Business Development, Pacific Rim and South East Asia, for Stavatti. Mel has Eleven years experience coordinating major government purchase requirements, agreements, and airborne operations between the U.S., and Pacific Rim/South East Asian governments. A Commissioned Officer in the United States Air Force with 21 years of broad based cross-functional assignments, Mel managed multi-million dollar navigational aides and communications programs for the United States Air Force throughout the Pacific theater. With eighteen years experience in all aspects of ground surveillance radar, from technician level to radar evaluation engineering, and long haul communications: satellite, microwave, both fixed and mobile, Mel holds an FCC 1st Class license with a radar endorsement and a TS-SCI clearance.

From 2006 until 2008, Mel served as the Foreign Military Sales Division Chief for the Office of Defense Cooperation (ODC) at the U.S. Embassy in Jakarta, Indonesia. Responsible for spearheading the initiation of military sales following lifting of over a decade of U.S. sanctions, Mel was directly involved in the 1st Indonesian military purchases of U.S. made defense articles as well as the purchase request for 16 F-16 Block 52 fighter aircraft valued at $1.35 Billion.

Mel served as the Joint Operations Division Air Operations Officer for the Joint United States Military Advisory Group (JUSMAGTHAI) in Thailand from 2003-2006 and the Foreign Military Sales Branch Chief, Air Force Division in Thailand from 1999-2003.

While with JUSMAGTHAI, Mel was and Executive level officer responsible for facilitating U.S. Air Forces' deployments into the Kingdom of Thailand, coordinating air operations and foreign military sales between the U.S. and Royal Thai government offices. Top sales included a $135 Million procurement of F-16 Advance Defense Fighter Aircraft and a total of $1.2 Billion in FMS. Mel was awarded medals for work in foreign military sales, joint air operations, and operations during OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM, and for Tsunami disaster relief assistance in Phuket as the sole U.S. Military Advisor.

From 1995 to 1998 Mel served with the Pacific Air Forces, Communications Directorate holding positions including Branch Chief, Airspace Control Systems (1997-1998) and Section Chief, Communications for Military Exercises (1996-1997). During this time Mel developed an Innovative communication solution for remote performance monitoring of radars eliminated surveillance radar tours on isolated Alaskan mountaintops. Mel was Awarded the United States Air Force Meritorious Service Medal in the field of air traffic control systems and mobile communications applied to Southeast Asia.

Mel was the Lead Electrical Engineer, Tactical Communications Systems in Osan, Korea for the 7th Air Force, 5th Air Operations Group from 1994-1995 and was awarded the USAF Meritorious Service Medal for work in the field of mobile satellite and radio communications. From 1991-1994, Mel was a Satellite Communications Engineer, Test & Evaluation for the USAF Technical Integration Center in Scott, IL where he Conceptualized and assembled a team of engineers to design a commercial of-the-self, low cost low data rate satellite communications for airborne KC-10 aircraft. At this time Mel was Inducted into the Air Force Communications Integration Center Fellowship program and received the USAF Meritorious Service Medal for work in the field of satellite communications.

Mel was the Lead Air Traffic Control Radar Engineer, Evaluation Engineering for the 1866 Facility Checking Squadron from 1985-1989 where he was Competitively selected for the U.S. Air Force MSEE Scholarship program and was awarded the USAF Commendation Medal for work in the field of radar evaluation. From 1975 until 1982 Mel held various assignments in the USAF including service as a Air Traffic Control Radar Technician for Kessler, MS and Shemya, AK and a Air Traffic Control Radar Instructor at Kessler. Mel advanced in rank ahead of peers, being promoted to mid-level supervisor (E-6) in 6 years, and was Competitively selected for the U.S. Air Force Institute of Technology BSEE program.

Mel Has an M.S. in Electrical Engineering with a Communications/Radar emphasis from the Air Force Institute of Technology, School of Engineering, Dayton, OH and a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Mississippi, Starkville, Mississippi, graduating Magna Cum Laude and Phi Kappa Phi. Mel also graduated as a Language Specialist/Honor Graduate in the Thai Language from the Defense Language Institute in Monterey, CA.

Education

Language Specialist, Thai Language, Defense Language Institute, Monterey, CA-1999
M.S., Electrical Engineering (Thesis: Radar Tracking Algorithm), Air Force Institute of Technology, Dayton, OH-1990
B.S., Electrical Engineering (Magna Cum Laude, Phi Kappa Phi), University of Mississippi, Starkville, MS-1990
A.A.S., Electronic Technology, USAF Associates Degree Program, Biloxi, MS -1982

Professional Training

Southeast Asian Studies, U.S. State Department, Washington, DC-2002
Defense International Security Assistance Management, Department of Defense, Dayton OH-1999
Air Command & Staff College, United States Air Force, Maxwell, AL-1998
Advanced Communications Officer Training, United States Air Force, Biloxi, MS-1996
Communications Fellowship, Unites States Air Force, Communications Command, Scott, IL-1993
Basic Network Fundamentals, George Washington University, Reston, VA-1992
Squadron Officer School, United States Air Force, Maxwell, AL- 1991
Radar Evaluation Techniques, United States Air Force, Hill, UT-1987
Officer Training School, United States Air Force, Lackland, TX-1982