ATLANTA - Dec. 29, 2009 - EMS Technologies announced today that its Board of Directors has appointed John B. Mowell, Chairman of the Board, to the additional position of Executive Director.  This appointment responds to requirements of the National Industrial Security Program Operating Manual (NISPOM) with respect to the senior management of companies that perform classified U.S. government work, and was necessary to maintain the Company’s Facility Clearance License for its Defense & Space division.

To hold the Facility Clearance License, the Company is required to have as its most-senior management official an individual who holds a U.S. security clearance.  While the Company’s recently elected President and CEO, Neilson A. Mackay, holds a NATO clearance, he is currently a Canadian citizen and thus is not eligible for a U.S. clearance until he completes the process, currently underway, of becoming a U.S. citizen.
In order to meet the NISPOM requirements in the short term, the Board elected Mr. Mowell as Executive Director, which under the Company’s recently amended Bylaws is its most-senior management position.  Dr. Mackay will continue to hold the titles of President and Chief Executive Officer, and will have primary responsibility for the management of the Company’s commercial businesses.

The Company’s Board has requested, and Mr. Mowell has agreed, to serve as Executive Director on an interim basis only.  For the longer term, the Company is reorganizing the Defense & Space division’s classified work into a separate subsidiary that will be permitted to hold its own Facility Clearance License.  Once that process is completed, it is expected that Mr. Mowell will step down as Executive Director and Dr. Mackay will then become the Company’s most-senior management executive and principal executive officer. 

During the period that Mr. Mowell serves as Executive Director, he will not be considered an “independent” director under NASDAQ rules, and will not serve on the Board’s Audit or Compensation Committees.  The Company anticipates that when Mr. Mowell’s service as Executive Director ends, he will regain his “independent” status, and he will again be eligible to serve on those Committees.

Mr. Mowell stated, “Dr. Mackay has a proven record of success at EMS, and he is eminently qualified to assume the executive management of our Company.  His management approaches to current issues and emerging opportunities are well suited to the growing complexities and demands of our business.  Due to Neil’s Canadian background, EMS has taken this interim measure to comply with federal NISPOM provisions and maintain the required facility security clearance to conduct work on classified programs. Although our classified work currently provides a low percentage of the Company’s overall revenues, the Board believes that this area offers significant long-term market opportunities, and these interim measures will allow EMS to maintain its participation in this important marketplace.”

About EMS Technologies, Inc.

EMS Technologies, Inc. is a leading provider of wireless connectivity solutions over satellite and terrestrial networks. EMS keeps people and systems connected, wherever they are — on land, at sea, in the air or in space.  Serving the aeronautical, asset tracking, defense, and mobile computing industries, EMS products and services enable universal mobility, visibility and intelligence.    EMS has three operating segments:

• Communications & Tracking supplies a broad array of terminals and antennas that enable end-users in aircraft and other mobile platforms to communicate over satellite and air-to-ground links; this segment (formerly Satellite Communications) was renamed in 2009 to reflect recent acquisitions and their highly complementary connectivity products, including aeronautical wi-fi communications and data storage, aeronautical voice and tracking, and satellite-based machine-to-machine mobile communications;

• Defense & Space supplies highly-engineered subsystems for defense electronics and sophisticated satellite applications – from military communications, radar, surveillance and countermeasures to commercial high-definition television, satellite radio, and live TV for innovative airlines; and

• LXE is a leading provider of rugged terminals and wireless data networks used for logistics applications such as distribution centers, warehouses and container ports. LXE’s automatic identification and data capture products serve mobile information users at over 7,500 sites worldwide.

Visit www.ems-t.com for more information.

For further information please contact:

Gary B. Shell
Chief Financial Officer
(770)729-6512