Pacific Northwest Mission Acceleration Center

05/12/2026

The Pacific Northwest Defense Coalition (PNDC) today announced the appointment of Keith Swenson as its incoming President and Chief Executive Officer. Swenson will assume the role upon the planned retirement of current President and CEO Denise Ryser, who will continue leading the organization through the end of 2026. During that period, Swenson will work alongside Ryser in a planned leadership transition designed to ensure continuity for PNDC's members, partners, and stakeholders.

Swenson joins PNDC from the Washington State Department of Commerce, where he served as Deputy Assistant Director of the Office of Economic Development and Competitiveness. In that role, he has worked to strengthen regional business development and economic growth initiatives. Swenson’s background reflects a sustained commitment to building institutional capacity and connecting organizations to the communities they serve. He brings direct familiarity with PNDC's mission, having previously served on the PNDC Advisory Board.

PNDC serves as the Pacific Northwest's primary voice on defense industrial base policy, federal contracting access, and supply chain development. Boasting 300 members of the Defense Industrial base, PNDC serves the states of Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and Montana.

Ryser, who built PNDC into one of the nation's most active regional defense trade associations, will remain at the helm through the end of 2026. The structured transition ensures continuity of leadership as Swenson prepares to guide the organization into its next chapter.

"Following a highly competitive search, we are delighted to welcome Keith to the Pacific Northwest Defense Coalition," said Eric Yates, PNDC Board Chair and Chief Business Development Officer at Gladiator Technologies. "Keith brings leadership that will continue PNDC's mission to strengthen our members, grow business development opportunities, and support the region's defense and security supply chain. He is the right leader to guide PNDC's future and strengthen the value we deliver to our members, partners, and stakeholders."

05/11/2026

Last week, Congressman Baumgartner met with PNDC members in Spokane. Members discussed challenges they are facing with rising material costs, workforce development, and competitiveness in the global market. They also shared the important advancements our region is making across the defense spectrum.

Thank you to The Spokesman-Review and Emry Dinman for your article and for putting the spotlight on the vital Pacific Northwest defense industry.

In the midst of a 12-county tour in which Rep. Michael Baumgartner, R-Spokane, made a mix of public appearances and private meetings with constituent groups, the congressman met Wednesday with two very different industry groups that each want different things from D.C.

05/10/2026

The PNDC team is heading to the 2026 Xponential Show in Detroit, Michigan, to explore the future of autonomy, today's research, and tomorrow's innovations. We have exciting news! Chris Groves is scheduled to speak on Monday, May 11, from 3:00pm to 3:20pm. His talk, "Vertically Align an Autonomous Ecosystem to Empower the Warfighter," will be in room 142B. You will not want to miss it.

If you are headed to the show, Chris and Sam would love to meet up. Reach out to [email protected].

05/07/2026

Congressman Michael Baumgartner of Washington's 5th District met with PNDC members for our first Congressional Roundtable of 2026. Members discussed the opportunities and challenges facing our industry, focusing on ways to streamline and strengthen federal procurement processes.

We look forward to working with Congressman Baumgartner and continuing to highlight the amazing work our members are doing in the Pacific Northwest.

04/16/2026

The Pacific Northwest Defense Coalition (PNDC)'s popular Pints and Professionals networking event opened this month's Supply Chain Opportunities Conference with an enjoyable evening at the PNW MAC office. Attendees had the chance to connect and socialize with other defense industry professionals. Thank you to our event sponsor, Convergence Networks.

04/08/2026

This hard-working crew took an afternoon to relax, enjoy the sunshine, and even squeeze in some team building at Topgolf. There might have even been some friendly competition. Congratulations to Todd Woods, the day's PNDC Topgolf champ.

04/03/2026

Last night, Senior Executive members attended our annual Senior Executive Dinner at the Riverside Golf & Country Club. Denise Ryser welcomed guests and introduced the evening's distinguished speaker, Lieutenant Colonel Isaac G. Lee USMC (Ret.), who served for twenty years as an officer and aviator in the United States Marine Corps and is the author of Hanger 4. Kelly Allen sat down with him for a follow-up fireside chat.

Thank you to Cushman & Wakefield for sponsoring the event.

04/02/2026

Join us on April 16th for the Supply Chain Opportunities Conference, a full day of presentations from supply chain leaders and roundtable discussions with companies in the defense manufacturing community.

Ryan Peoples, partner at Renaissance Strategic Advisors, and Greg Van Dyk, PhD, CEO of Altrusion, will join Michael Shear, from SAFE Boats International, LLC, and BENCHMADE's Petra Polson. Ryan Peoples will discuss how current world events will impact demand for components and how suppliers can capitalize on those opportunities. Greg Van Dyk will speak about the growing fusion economy, its overlaps with defense, and supply chain opportunities. This event aims to help companies gain new knowledge, forge new contacts, and create new business opportunities.

Come early and don't miss the Pints & Professionals networking event on April 15th.

Learn more and register at -
https://pacificnorthwestdefensecoalition.growthzoneapp.com/ap/Events/Register/zBF6ndOFgCACR

A big thank you to our sponsors - Boeing, Baker Tilly, Leewens Corporation, TLR - Total Logistics Resource, Inc., Newell Corporation, Kocer Consulting + Engineering, PLLC, ISI, Cv International, Inc., IBA...The Northwest's Premier Business Brokerage, Integrate, and Convergence Networks.

03/20/2026

Last week, Chris Groves had the honor of attending a US Mission to NATO event on Capitol Hill. Guests included Senator John Boozman; Boris Ruge, Assistant Secretary General of NATO; Scott Oudkirk, Deputy Chief of Mission, US Mission to NATO; and Baláz Géczy, Hungary, Deputy Permanent Representative, Dean of the Deputies Committee.

Chris discussed European efforts to increase UAS system production with NATO representatives, learning information that could benefit manufacturers in the Pacific Northwest.

Thank you to our host Jane Lee, and to the General Catalyst Institute and RTX. Ventures.

03/03/2026

Reserve your seat now for the PNDC Senior Executive Dinner on April 2nd. This will be an event to remember, with senior leaders from the Northwest’s defense and security industries coming together for an intimate evening featuring distinguished speaker Lieutenant Colonel Isaac G. Lee, USMC (Ret.).



Lieutenant Colonel Isaac G. Lee USMC (Ret.) is the author of HANGAR 4, his memoir in which he shares the lessons, the rewards, the losses, and ultimately, the personal cost of serving. Isaac pushed every boundary he encountered as a combat aviator, repeatedly testing his own mettle under harsh wartime conditions. He sets a high standard in HANGAR 4 with his candid accounting of a transformative journey that took place while he endeavored to balance life in the squadron, in the cockpit, in war zones, and at home. You will not want to miss his powerful insights.



This event is reserved for PNDC members who are senior leaders in their company.



To reserve your seat, go to https://pndc.memberclicks.net/2026-senior-executive-dinner #!/

03/02/2026

Last week, Chris Groves served on a panel in NYC to champion the power of veteran founders in defense tech and highlight the PNW’s robust defense tech ecosystem to a group of investors and partners interested in Aerospace and Defense.

It was a pleasure to mention veteran founders developing solutions to specific DoW mission needs, such as Jonathan Pan from Exia Labs and Maren-go Solutions Corporation's Chris Thobaben.

Additionally, it was an honor to cite how PNW startups continue to garner international acclaim, with a nod to both Philip Johnston from Starcloud and Lisa Rich at Xplore, who recently attended the World Economic Forum at Davos.