Boeing names leader of its Ridley Twp. site

The Boeing Co. yesterday named Charles H. Allen, who fought with the Marines in Desert Storm, as vice president and general manager of its Rotorcraft Systems Division in Ridley Township.

Allen is moving here from a Boeing integrated-defense systems assignment in Huntsville, Ala., to succeed Mike Tkach, who has retired.

Allen will direct operations at the Philadelphia suburbs site, which employs 4,800 people, and at Boeing's Apache Helicopter program in Mesa, Ariz.

Rotorcraft Systems is part of Boeing Precision Engagement and Mobility Systems, based in St. Louis.

The Boeing operation here includes two military programs - the CH-47, twin-rotor Chinook helicopter and Boeing's partnership with Bell Helicopter, a unit of Textron Inc., on the V-22 Osprey, which takes off like a helicopter then flies like an airplane.

Allen previously was vice president and program manager for space-exploration systems and was vice president and program director for Boeing's joint venture with Sikorsky Aircraft Corp. on the RAH-66 Comanche helicopter.

He has a bachelor's degree from Rice University in Houston and a master's from UCLA. He joined Boeing in 1987 after 14 years in the U.S. Marine Corps.

He was called back to active duty during Operation Desert Storm in 1990. He retired in 2000 at the rank of colonel.