Ball Aerospace's Facktor Lepore Named Fellow by American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics

BOULDER, Colo., May 7, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. Vice President and General Manager for Strategic Operations Debra Facktor Lepore has been selected as a Fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA).  Lepore was inducted on May 6, 2015 with other new fellows and honorary fellows at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center in Washington, D.C.

Lepore is the company's senior executive in the Washington, DC area and leads Washington operations, communications and strategic development. AIAA is the world's largest technical society dedicated to the global aerospace profession. The title of Fellow is the highest distinction conferred by AIAA on individuals who have made notable valuable contributions to the arts, sciences, or technology of aeronautics or astronautics.

"It's an honor to be recognized as an AIAA Fellow," said Lepore. "I have always embraced the ingenuity and collaboration central to the values of AIAA and feel privileged to be part of such an esteemed organization."

With more than 35,000 individual members worldwide, and nearly 100 corporate members, AIAA brings together industry, academia, and government to advance engineering and science in aviation, space, and defense.

Lepore is being recognized for her innovation and leadership in next generation space solutions, entrepreneurial ventures, transformational national and global business practices and mentoring advocacy.  Prior to joining Ball in 2013, she was an industry professor at Stevens Institute of Technology, where she led its master's of engineering in technical leadership program and served as director of strategic programs for the Systems Engineering Research Center (SERC). Lepore has over 25 years of experience in the aerospace industry, including entrepreneurial ventures at DFL Space LLC, AirLaunch LLC and Kistler Aerospace Corporation. Earlier in her career, she was chief of Moscow operations for ANSER's Center for International Aerospace Cooperation where she facilitated joint aerospace partnerships with the former Soviet Union.

Among other distinctions, Lepore was honored with the University of Michigan 2014 Alumni Merit Award for Aerospace Engineering and as the Women in Aerospace (WIA) "Most Outstanding Member" for 2012. She is also an Academician of the International Academy of Astronautics (IAA). She holds a B.S.E. (magna cum laude) and M.S.E. in aerospace engineering, both from the University of Michigan. Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. supports critical missions for national agencies such as the Department of Defense, NASA, NOAA and other U.S. government and commercial entities. The company develops and manufactures spacecraft, advanced instruments and sensors, components, data exploitation systems and RF solutions for strategic, tactical and scientific applications. Ball continues to invest and innovate in affordable, high resolution imaging systems, contributing to the needs of civil, military and commercial customers.  For more information, visit http://www.ballaerospace.com/.

Ball Corporation (NYSE: BLL) supplies innovative, sustainable packaging solutions for beverage, food and household products customers, as well as aerospace and other technologies and services primarily for the U.S. government. Ball Corporation and its subsidiaries employ 14,500 people worldwide and reported 2014 sales of $8.6 billion. For more information, visit www.ball.com, or connect with us on Facebook or Twitter.

Forward-Looking Statements

This release contains "forward-looking" statements concerning future events and financial performance. Words such as "expects," "anticipates," "estimates" and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements. Such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied. The company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Key risks and uncertainties are summarized in filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including Exhibit 99 in our Form 10-K, which are available on our website and at www.sec.gov. Factors that might affect: a) our packaging segments include product demand fluctuations; availability/cost of raw materials; competitive packaging, pricing and substitution; changes in climate and weather; crop yields; competitive activity; failure to achieve productivity improvements or cost  reductions; mandatory deposit or other restrictive packaging laws; customer and supplier consolidation, power and supply chain influence; changes in major customer or supplier contracts or loss of a major customer or supplier; political instability and sanctions; and changes in foreign exchange or tax rates; b) our aerospace segment include funding, authorization, availability and returns of government and commercial contracts; and delays, extensions and technical uncertainties affecting segment contracts; c) the company as a whole include those listed plus: changes in senior management; regulatory action or issues including tax, environmental, health and workplace safety, including U.S. FDA and other actions or public concerns affecting products filled in our containers, or chemicals or substances used in raw materials or in the manufacturing process; technological developments and innovations; litigation; strikes; labor cost changes; rates of return on assets of the company's defined benefit retirement plans; pension changes; uncertainties surrounding the U.S. government budget, sequestration and debt limit; reduced cash flow; ability to achieve cost-out initiatives; interest rates affecting our debt; and successful or unsuccessful acquisitions and divestitures, including, with respect to the proposed Rexam PLC acquisition, the effect of the announcement of the acquisition on our business relationships, operating results and business generally; the occurrence of any event or other circumstances that could give rise to the termination of our definitive agreement with Rexam PLC in respect of the acquisition; the outcome of any legal proceedings that may be instituted against us related to the definitive agreement with Rexam PLC; and the failure to satisfy conditions to completion of the acquisition of Rexam PLC, including the receipt of all required regulatory approvals.

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SOURCE Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp.

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