By TOM MARINER //
The title of the film “Everything Everywhere All at Once” accurately describes a treasure of Long Island, Anne Shybunko-Moore, CEO and owner of an important 52-year-old defense firm.
The “everything” illustrates her work/life balance, which mixes stewardship of Hauppauge-based GSE Dynamics with four sons and a busy third element: civic leadership, which Anne takes to remarkably energetic levels.
Anne’s father, Daniel Shybunko, formed GSE Dynamics in 1971 with the blessing of his employer, Grumman, which recognized his talent and experience working with suppliers. Daniel had bent, joined and finished metal that was a part of pretty much everything flying to and from aircraft carriers, and even the Lunar Excursion Modules.
Anne had older siblings, and neither her bachelor’s degree in biology nor her master’s degree in physical therapy screamed “defense technology!”
Tom Mariner: Anne fan.
But her father had watched her for years, haunting the shop floor as a curious teenager with obvious STEM talents. She’d quickly worked her way up to director at Genesis Eldercare Rehabilitation Services in Maryland when Daniel finally asked, “Why don’t you interview with us?”
Anne decided to give the family business two years and joined as vice president in 2001. Two years later, she was CEO and, officially, the company’s owner – a term that’s stretched past 20 years and counting.
It’s fair to say it’s been a good couple of decades for GSE Dynamics. “When I first came to GSE, we had under $10 million in Defense Department contracts and employed about 23 people,” Anne notes. “Today, we have close to $100 million in DoD contracts and have 81 employees.”
Anne and I served together on the Long Island Forum for Technology Board of Directors (her husband, Jamie Moore, was LIFT’s director of workforce and economic development). I remember her gentle leadership on important topics like composites – leading directly to the formation of the Composite Prototyping Center in Plainview, as a matter of fact.
She’s also quite shrewd. A 2005 asset-purchase agreement with Virginia-based General Dynamics led to a big U.S. navy deal, creating large composite structures for submarines. Initially, GSE Dynamics’ composite facility was in Georgia, but in 2012 Anne moved it to a 57,000-square-foot building – the GSE Composite Center – in what’s now known as Long Island Innovation Park at Hauppauge.
Among the equipment in the Hauppauge facility is a huge composite-curing oven and sophisticated test equipment, which Anne purchased from LIFT when the Composite Prototyping Center ran into financial trouble. Like I said, shrewd.
Anne’s immense contributions to the regional economy and employment would be citizenship enough, but she also has the passion and drive to help lead important social organizations.
She’s a director of the HIA-LI, which shepherds that massive Hauppauge industrial park and has a steadily growing voice in Long Island economics. She serves on the Long Island Regional Economic Development Council, helping to shape much of the state’s economic investment in this region.
Also putting her “everywhere:” a seat on the Executive Committee of the powerful Aerospace Industries Association and her frequent visits with Long Island’s federal representatives as she lobbies for new DoD contracts – both of which give her a national voice.
Runs in the family: Late, great GSE Dynamics Founder Daniel Shybunko (left) knew his daughter had the goods.
But Anne’s most important role may be as founder and chairwoman of Ignite LI, the manufacturing consortium of Long Island, which advocates for the regional manufacturing industry.
“Long Island needs to not only maintain the strength of manufacturing,” she notes, “but grow with technology and advanced manufacturing, to ensure we continue to be relevant as leaders in this sector.”
If you can pry her Anne away from her business, her family and her tireless civic efforts, even for a minute, you’ll see she really is “all at once.” At all times, our ASM is bursting with ideas for innovating her enterprises, our Island and our state.
She’s one of the most important leaders we’ve got.
Tom Mariner is the executive director of Bayport-based Long Island Bio.
