Photo: U.S. Navy National Museum of Naval Aviation

Robert Warnagieris, Ed.D.

From World War II through the Cold War to today’s global operations, Robert Warnagieris, former executive director of the Pacific Missile Test Center at Point Mugu, will discuss The Navy at Point Mugu From 1945, 1-2:30 p.m., April 10.

The talk, which is part of the Speaking of Ventura County lecture series, will be at the Museum of Ventura County, 100 E. Main St., Ventura.

The facility in Point Mugu started as a U.S. Navy anti-aircraft training center during World War II and was developed in the late 1940s as the Navy’s major missile development and test facility.

This facility was the site where most of the Navy’s missiles were developed and tested during the 1950/60 era, including the AIM-7 Sparrow family and the AIM-54 Phoenix air-to-air, Bullpup air-to-surface, and Regulus surface-to-surface missiles.

In 2000, it merged with nearby Naval Construction Battalion Center Port Hueneme to form Naval Base Ventura County (NBVC).

In addition to a 39-year career with the Department of the Navy in the field of missile test and evaluation, Warnagieris has had a parallel career of 28 years in education and served on school boards in Ventura and Santa Maria.

He was an associate professor for the University of La Verne and West Coast University in the fields of public policy, education, and strategic business management at the masters and doctoral levels.

He also lectured in engineering for Cal State Northridge. Since his retirement in 1996, he has held several leadership positions in Ventura County nonprofits, served on the AARP legislative team and was acting state president in 2009.

Warnagieris is currently a member of the Ventura County Civic Alliance Executive Council and a board member for the Ventura Botanical Gardens Project.

Admission is free to members; $5 for non-members. Free parking available. For information, visit venturamuseum.org or call 653-0323.

— Elena Brokaw for Museum of Ventura County.