[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 96 (Tuesday, June 6, 2017)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E758]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





 RECOGNIZING THE RETIREMENT OF MR. DON MASCH AFTER NEARLY 23 YEARS OF 
                SERVICE WITH ATK AND VISTA OUTDOOR, INC.

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. ROBERT J. WITTMAN

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 6, 2017

  Mr. WITTMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the retirement of 
Mr. Don Masch after nearly 23 years of service with ATK and Vista 
Outdoor, Inc.
   Don was born and raised in Waterbury, Connecticut and graduated from 
Sacred Heart High School in 1966. After high school, he attended the 
University of Connecticut and graduated in 1970 with a degree in 
Political Science.
   As a Distinguished Military Graduate, he was commissioned a Second 
Lieutenant in the U.S. Army. Don served in a variety of command and 
staff positions in the United States and overseas, including 
assignments to Syria, Lebanon, Germany and Israel. He holds a Master of 
Arts in National Security Affairs from the United States Naval 
Postgraduate School, and is a graduate of the Defense Language 
Institute and Army Command and General Staff College. In the Pentagon, 
he served on the Army Staff and in the Secretary of the Army's Office 
of Legislative Liaison, retiring in 1993 as a Lieutenant Colonel.
   Don Masch began his career in industry in February of 1993, 
initially with Short Brothers USA, joining ATK in 1994 as part of the 
corporation's government relations team. There he became a trusted 
lobbyist and advocate on a wide range of defense and aerospace policies 
and programs. He quickly earned a reputation as a reliable and 
effective spokesman in Washington, D.C., helping to establish ATK on 
Capitol Hill. His fact-based approach to issues and commitment to 
integrity made him indispensable to ATK and the people in Washington 
with whom he worked.
   In addition to his role as head of Congressional Relations at ATK, 
Don served as the head of the Ethics Panel at the Association of 
Government Relations Professionals, President of the Washington, D.C. 
Chapter of the National Defense Industrial Association, and in other 
association positions. He also was a guest speaker at numerous seminars 
and panels, including NDIA and Georgetown Law School.
   When ATK acquired Orbital Sciences in 2015, he played a key role in 
the transition of both the OrbitalATK and the newly formed Vista 
Outdoor Government Relations teams, becoming Vista's Vice President for 
Government and Industry Relations. As head of Vista's federal affairs, 
Don has proven to be an effective advocate on conservation, sportsmen's 
issues and 2nd Amendment rights. He is well respected for both his 
knowledge and his consummate professionalism, with a warm sense of 
humor and strong work ethic.
   As Don and his wife Karen head off to future endeavors and more time 
with their sons Don and Brian and five grandchildren, I congratulate 
him on his retirement and thank him for his diligent service to the 
country and to the defense and outdoor industries.

                          ____________________