Fatih Özmen

Born in Turkey, the former Turkish National Cycling Champion rode alongside top Turkish cyclists throughout the 1970s including the 1977 Tour de L'avenir in France. Fatih Özmen pursued higher education in the United States receiving a M.S. Degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Nevada, Reno. He went on to obtain a master's degree, with a thesis on navigation and landing systems. ==Career==

Özmen started at Sierra Nevada Corporation as an engineering intern in 1981; during his early years at the company, he helped develop numerous systems and managed several key programs. In 1994, Fatih Özmen and his wife Eren Ozmen acquired Sierra Nevada Corporation. Under the Ozmens, SNC has completed 19 strategic acquisitions, and has expanded to 34 locations in 19 U.S. states, England, Germany and Turkey, with a workforce of over 3,000 personnel Fatih is a member of the National Space Council Users Advisory Group, established in 2018 under Vice President Mike Pence. In 2017, Fatih and Eren Özmen launched Özmen Ventures, a $5 million venture capital fund headquartered in Reno. ==Philanthropy==

In 2014, Fatih and wife Eren donated $5 million to the University of Nevada, Reno’s College of Business to support entrepreneurial programs. ==Awards and recognition==

Personal • Aviation Entrepreneurs of the Year • Living Legends of Aviation • "Ellis Island Medal of Honor" • Top 10 Most Influential Turkish Americans, TurkOfAmerica • Honorary Doctorate of Science – University of Nevada, Reno (2016) • On May 13, 2016, Fatih Özmen delivered the keynote speech at the University of Nevada, Reno commencement ceremony. ==References==