ASTRO America June 2025 Newsletter

Jul 3, 2025

July 3, 2025

Greetings from ASTRO America! đź‘‹

In this month’s issue:

  • ASTRO America Announces Leadership for GAMMA
  • ASTRO in the News
  • ASTRO in Action
  • Coming Up

ASTRO Announces New Director to Lead Guam-Based GAMMA Initiative 🔧

ASTRO America has named Alex Benham as Director and General Manager of the Guam Advanced Materials & Manufacturing Accelerator (GAMMA) — a groundbreaking effort to establish the island’s first advanced manufacturing hub in support of Navy submarine sustainment.

Backed by the Navy’s Maritime Industrial Base (MIB) Program and BlueForge Alliance, GAMMA will deliver on-island capacity to produce, inspect, and validate mission-critical parts — reducing lead times and boosting naval readiness in the Indo-Pacific.

Benham, a veteran of 3D Systems, Sigma Additive, and Dyndrite, brings decades of experience in defense manufacturing and additive innovation. He’ll oversee the full facility buildout, workforce training, and quality system implementation.

“This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to stand up forward-deployed manufacturing capability right where the Navy needs it most,” said Benham.

Read the full release here.

ASTRO in the News đź“°

Last week’s announcement of Alex’s hire, and the GAMMA initiative more broadly, was covered by Guam’s Pacific Island Times:

“There is virtually no existing advanced manufacturing infrastructure on Guam; under Alex’s leadership, GAMMA will change that. We are going to stand up an industrial base, build up a dedicated workforce and establish testing facilities in accordance with internationally recognized standards.” 

Read the full article here.

 

 

ASTRO in Action 🎤

Senior Advanced Manufacturing Engineer Emma Gallegos represented ASTRO America at the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association’s 2025 Women Makers Series event in the Quad Cities – part of a larger statewide series highlighting dozens of women leaders across manufacturing and business.

Emma joined the panel, “Scaling with Vision: Woman Leaders in Strategy, Risk and Expansion,” alongside Lisa McDowell, co-owner of Revolute Machine, and moderator Chris Caves of the Quad Cities Chamber of Commerce.

Way to go, Emma! 🎉

——–

Our Vice President and General Manager, Dr. Abdalla Nassar, recently addressed teachers from Santa Rosa County, Florida, outlining FSU InSPIRE’s vision to transform the landscape of additive manufacturing across Florida and beyond.

Image Source: FSU InSPIRE Linkedin

His remarks highlighted a bold goal: creating a centralized hub for cutting-edge end-to-end production of commercial, military and aerospace solutions, educational advancement, and strategic industry partnerships, providing essential resources for businesses and institutions seeking to innovate. ⚙️

Read more about InSPIRE here.

Coming Up đź“…