Michael Cardinale’s professional contributions to aerospace extend throughout his career, beginning as a US Marine Corps electronic countermeasures officer. After leaving active duty he developed and provided training for other ECO’s before working for small firms in a series of increasingly responsible technical roles leading to VP of Engineering. His areas of expertise include infrared focal plane array systems for missile countermeasures, aircraft fire control radars, radar and IR countermeasures, IR Search and Track systems, and electro-optical sensor systems. He retired in 2015.
Mr. Cardinale also made significant contributions as a volunteer with the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. For the Aerospace & Electronics Systems Society he served many years on the Board of Governors, as a Journal of Lightwave Technology Steering Committee Representative, and as AESS Washington/Northern VA Joint Chapter Secretary, Vice-chair, and Chair. He also served as both IEEE Region 2 Membership Chair and Chapter Coordination Chair, and held numerous elected and appointed positions and mentored new leaders in the Northern Virginia Section before moving out of the area in 2017.