Mrs Ecaterina Livia Literat (Background Profile)   Born, raised and highly educated, in very difficult times, Livia Ecateriana, together with her husband Radu Literat were known as the "scientists couple" of Romania, both of them working in the Nuclear Research field.

In 1968, during Czechoslovakia revolution, Livia was an E.E. student at the Polytechnic Institute, Bucharest-Romania and her husband was a Senior Engineer, at Nuclear Research Institute (IFA), where Livia previously also worked, as a laboratory technician, performing shoulder to shoulder tasks with engineers, physicists & chemists: setting up experiments, performed different tests, analyzed data, made calculations and graphs & also did special photography.

Attended special training classes in electronics, theory & practice, given by top engineers. Her work was very much appreciated.

In 1968, Radu was sent to Vienna, Austria, to present & support his research work performed at Nuclear Research Institute, in Bucharest, Romania, and Livia joint him.

After completing his work, unhappy with the communist regime in Romania, and in the view of the international events, after the Czechoslovakia revolution of 1968, Radu and Livia decided to defect in Austria, and from there to apply for political asylum with the intent to immigrate to the United States.

Upon arriving in New York, Livia worked on couple of small jobs to make a living, and after her husband was offered a Civil/Structural Engineering position by Gibbs & Hill, a large Engineering Design Company in New York City, she went back to school and in June 1976, graduating from New York City College, School of Engineering with an E. E. Engineering Degree-Diploma.

Highlights of Qualifications

(1976 - end of 2006)

- After graduation, she accepted an Engineering position offered by Hughes Aircraft Co., El Segundo, CA. Worked as member of Technical Staff on Infrared Detectors and Guidance Systems for A-6 Intruder Navy Planes (1976-1979). Performed all ranges of tasks from design, development, integration & test to the final test & sell-off systems. Developed Specifications and Test Procedures.

Continued Engineering Education: Hands-on experience on major Defense Programs, Extensive Project/Program/& Business Management

- training classes in Program/Systems Engineering, Business and Earn Value Management, and applying the lessons learned in managing the Programs.

- Over 10 years work at Aerojet Co., Auza, CA. as an EE Engineer-Member of Technical Staff in Defense Support Program Satellites (DSP)

Designed, developed by Aerojet Co., Azuza, CA.

Performed as: Program Integrator, Systems Engineer, and Business Manager

15 years work for the Department of Defense (DoD), as a Program Integrator/System Engineer/ & Business Manager, on GPS Programs at Boeing Co.

Vast experience in GPS Satellites: deign, development, integration & tests GPS (Global Positioning Satellites) 3-generations worked very well with Boeing Management, Engineering & Business.

Established a good working relationship, base on professionalism, trust, and coordination she also worked as a Program Integrator and business manager, on National Missile Defense Lead System Integrator (NMD LSI), a very complex System, supporting the Army Strategic Command, Huntsville- Alabama.

For her outstanding support provided to the Program Office, the team, led by the Commander himself, paid a visit to Livia's organization and surprised the organization, specially the leader, AF Colonel, with a written unprecedented award, along with a monetary gift. Army considered her a valuable member of their Strategic Command. In spite of the distances, they had open communications. As the result of her performance and skills, she was elected Customer Focus Representative of the entire Organization, to interface & communicate with all the customers, to address issues and work together to solve them.

Livia worked and communicated successfully in a professional manner, base on trust and respect, with all team members across the organizations. In 1996, she was the only person from that large organization, selected to be enrolled in the Advanced Program Management Course, given by "Defense Systems Management College", at Fort Belvoir, Virginia. It was a very intense and interactive 3-months course in theory & practice, conferring the graduates the DIPLOMA of the highest level of the Program Management classification, Level 3. Most of the students were military Personnel of different services. This was an extremely valuable training class; unfortunately, this kind of training is no longer given these days. Everybody is relying on TV/on line approach.

Religious activities

Since coming in the USA, Radu and Livia became very involved in the spiritual and administrative life of St. Dimitrie Romanian Orthodox Church in New York.

Since they moved to California, Radu & Livia became active members of Holy Trinity Romanian Orthodox Church in Los Angeles, volunteering for various duties such as trustee, member of committees for social activities, etc.

Since passing on of Radu, Livia got even deeper involved in the church life serving as the parish council president, chairwoman of the building committee, ladies auxiliary delegate to ARFORA, member of EOHF.