SAN LUIS OBISPO, CA-John Purvis has been named president and CEO of AME Unmanned Air Systems (formerly AeroMech Engineering Inc.). He succeeds Jay McConville, who will now serve as AME UAS's Chairman of the Board and as an Executive Vice President at ChandlerMay. These changes were announced by Jesse May, President and CEO of ChandlerMay.

"Jay has done an excellent job leveraging AME UAS's already industry-leading capabilities to build a mature and strategic operation," says May. "In addition to achieving significant business growth, Jay was successful in bringing in top-quality executives like John Purvis to the AME UAS team. Jay and John will work to ensure that our customers continue to receive the highest-quality support now and into the future."

With new leadership comes a new name for the company. AeroMech Engineering Inc. is now known as AME Unmanned Air Systems (AME UAS).

"AME UAS is a company on the move," adds John Purvis. "I have no doubt we will continue to serve the Warfighter with the best in unmanned systems. Our new name was selected to better represent our true capabilities and value to that Warfighter, including our unique UAS systems, from the Fury special mission UAS to our SharkFin Mission Management software. AME UAS's excellent reputation and unmatched capabilities were key reasons for my desire to join the company. It is an honor to work with such an outstanding group of professionals, and to serve our nation's fighting forces in this new capacity."

Purvis has been AME UAS's Vice President for Small Tactical UAS since last October. Previously, he founded and served as vice president of the Aviation Programs business group with a large ISR Systems Integrator. In that role, he was responsible for $500 million per year in business and led a team of more than 425 people in service of U.S. Special Operations Command and the United States Air Force. He holds both Bachelor and Master of Science degrees in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Colorado.

McConville has been with ChandlerMay and AME UAS since 2007. Prior to 2007, he was a vice president for a major defense firm running over $300 million a year in ISR-related business. He is a U.S. Army Intelligence veteran and holds a Bachelor of Science from George Mason University and a Master of Science in Strategic Intelligence from the Defense Intelligence College, Washington, DC.