Speakers

Dr. Kanama Bivins is the Acting Associate Director for NASA Langley Research Center. In this role, Dr. Bivins serves as Langley’s chief operating officer managing daily operations of our ~$1 billion research and development Center. She is responsible for aligning Langley’s institutional resources and infrastructure to meet NASA mission needs, optimizing both effectiveness and efficiency.

Prior to this role, Dr. Bivins was the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) responsible for ensuring the financial health of the center, which included managing Langley’s resources towards the achievement of NASA’s strategic plan. She oversaw the center’s budget, financial operations, and project, planning and control functions. Dr. Bivins also co-led the Enterprise Integration Project Team on behalf of the Office of Chief Financial Officer (OCFO) Enterprise where she was responsible for identifying viable options and solutions to solidify OCFO resiliency.

Prior to accepting the Langley CFO position, Dr. Bivins was a civil servant with the Department of Navy where she held several senior financial management positions and was recognized for Meritorious and Superior Civilian Service. She has extensive experience in federal financial management, contracting, and workforce management. She also served in the United States Air Force as a financial manager.

Dr. Bivins holds a Doctorate in Strategic Leadership from Regent University and is an active member of the Association of Government Accountants and the American Society of Military Comptrollers. 

Mr. Shahab Chaudhry serves as the Power and Propulsion Element (PPE) Project Manager for the Gateway Program. In this position, he is responsible for a cross-agency team of 180 personnel and the management/ technical oversight of PPE development and its integration with Habitation and Logistics Outpost (HALO). He has more than 28 years of experience in development, production, test, and operations of large and complex aerospace flight hardware. Prior to joining NASA in 2022, he served as R&D Manager and Head of Propulsion, Ordnance and Explosive Safety for U.S. Navy’s Fleet Ballistic Missile Program. As R&D Manager, he was responsible for overall program management and coordination of Research Development Test and Engineering (RDT&E) programs and projects and development of long-term strategic objectives in support of future system capabilities.  As Head of Propulsion, he was responsible for the design, development, production, deployed system support, aging, systems/explosive safety, and disposal technologies for propulsion, boost propulsion, controls, and ordnance sub-systems of Trident II D5 missile.

He earned his B.S. in chemical engineering from University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore, and his master’s degree in chemical engineering from City University of New York, an MBA from American University, Kogod School of Business, and a graduate certificate in public administration from American University, School of Public Affairs. Shahab is recipient of many awards including Navy Superior Civilian Service Award and holds DoD certifications in Program Management, Test and Evaluation, Life Cycle Logistics, and Systems, Planning, Research and Development Engineering.

Capt. Robert Conway (U.S. Navy, retired) is the deputy director of the NASA Safety Center (NSC), located at NASA Glenn Research Center. In this position, he works with the director to enable more effective and efficient Safety and Mission Assurance support for NASA’s portfolio of programs and projects by managing the NSC’s activities in knowledge sharing and analysis, technical excellence, and assessments and investigations.

Prior to assuming this role, Conway worked in the civilian sector as the manager of Quality Engineering for Worldwide Safety and Health at the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida, from 2012 to 2019. He and his team of 14 multi-disciplined engineers drove the technical safety oversight and auditing of the engineering, maintenance and operations organizations for all Walt Disney World attractions, transportation systems, entertainment venues, facility life-safety systems and resort recreation venues.

Conway was also a member of the NASA Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel from 2012 to 2016; in this role he evaluated various NASA programs and, with his Naval Aviation Safety background, was the lead panel representative to the NASA Aircraft Mission Directorate.

After his commissioning as an ensign, Conway served in the U.S. Navy through his retirement in 2012. Earning his Naval Aviator wings as a helicopter pilot in 1986, he transitioned to the SH-3H Sea King and served with the Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron FIFTEEN Red lions through 1989 when he became an instructor pilot with the Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron ONE Seahorses through 1992. Following this tour, he served on the USS Saratoga (CV -60) as a catapult and arresting gear officer from 1992 to 1994. Conway served as the head of the Safety, Training and Operations departments with the Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron FIFTEEN Red lions from 1997 to 1999 and then served as the officer-in-charge of the Helicopter Anti-Submarine Wing, Pacific Weapons and Tactics School until 2002. Selected for squadron command, he then served as executive officer and commanding officer of the Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron FIVE Nightdippers from 2002 to 2005, when he transferred to the USS Nimitz (CVN-68) and served as navigator until 2007.

From 2007 through 2012, Conway’s Navy career was safety focused. He served as the commander, Naval Air Forces assistant chief of staff (safety) from 2007 to 2009, where he was the senior director and principal advisor to the commander, Naval Air Forces for the Navy’s flight and ground safety management systems to include mishap and near miss analysis and trends, mishap investigation program oversight, industrial hygiene and safety program audits for all Navy aviation and related activities. In 2010, Conway reported as the director of the School of Naval Aviation Safety where he maintained oversight of the operations, research, consulting and curricula of this world-renowned institution that taught safety program management, crew resource management, Root Cause Analysis, accident investigation, organizational culture excellence, Risk Management, ergonomics, Human Factors and safety leadership excellence. In addition to his responsibilities with the schoolhouse, Conway was also an adjunct faculty member of the Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Worldwide Campus in Pensacola, Florida, teaching courses in aviation engineering, Aviation Safety and physics.

Conway earned his Master of Science degree in aeronautical engineering at the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California, in 1994. His military and public service awards include the Navy Achievement Medal, Navy Commendation Medal (three awards), Meritorious Service Medal (two awards), Legion of Merit (two awards) and NASA Exceptional Public Service Award as well as various, U.S. Navy unit excellence and campaign awards.

Donya Douglas-Bradshaw is a visionary leader and Deputy Director for the Mars Sample Return Program at NASA, renowned for her exceptional project management skills in space exploration and engineering. With over 30 years of dedicated service, she has played pivotal roles in NASA's transformative journey, managing large-scale operations and advancing breakthrough technologies.

Starting with a Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Maryland, Ms. Douglas-Bradshaw's profound expertise in space systems and engineering principles propelled her career within NASA. She has led critical missions like Mars Sample Return Capture, Containment, and Configuration System (CCRS), safeguarding Martian samples and advancing our understanding of Mars.

Notably, Ms. Douglas-Bradshaw served as Project Manager for the Lucy mission, the first to explore Jupiter trojan asteroids, successfully overseeing its development during the pandemic and ensuring on-time, under-budget launch in October 2021. She also managed the Ice, Cloud and land Elevation Satellite 2 (ICESat-2) Advanced Topographic Laser Altimeter System (ATLAS), a pioneering $500 million instrument at GSFC.

Her contributions extend beyond project management to strategic planning and budget execution, notably handling a $500 million annual budget as Deputy Director for Planning and Business Management at Goddard’s Engineering and Technology Directorate (ETD). Through her career, she continues to deliver innovative solutions that drive progress in space exploration and benefit society.

Andre Dress has supported NASA mission through all phases (Phases A-F) and in the role of subsystem engineer, systems engineer, observatory manager, deputy Project Manager and Project Manager.  He has actively supported 10 mission launches and served as the final NASA satellite launch authority for 4 of the 10 missions.  In January 2022, he was assigned as the Project Manager for the JPSS Flight Project and successfully launched JPSS-2 on November 10, 2022.  In December 2014 he was assigned as the Project Manager for the PACE Mission, which launched in February 2024.  In May 2013 he was assigned as the Deputy Project Manager for the JPSS Project to manage the development, launch and checkout of the JPSS-1 mission, which was launched in November 2017.  From October 2012 to May 2013, he served as the Acting Deputy Program Manager for the Earth Systematic Mission Program Office (ESMP).  From October 2011 to February 2013, he served as the Project Manager on the ASTRE Phase A mission proposal for the Goddard Heliophysics Science Division (Proposal was not selected).  From April 2010 to February 2011, he served as the Project Manager for the DESDynI Lidar Mission (Mission was cut from the President’s Budget).  From October 2004 to April 2010, he served as the Deputy Project Manager for the launch of the GOES N, O & P missions in 2005, 2009 and 2010 respectively.  From December 2000 to October 2004, he served as the Observatory Manager for the GOES N, O, & P missions.   From May 1992 to December 2000, he served on the GOES I-M Project in support of the 5 mission launches as the lead attitude control engineer and the lead systems engineer.  From December 1987 to May 1992, he served as an engineer on the Landsat 4/5 operational missions.

Dress has his M.S. in Systems Engineering from John Hopkins University and a B.S. in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Maryland, College Park. He is a Federal Acquisition Certified Program/Project Manager and Certified Contracting Officer’s Technical Representative (COTR)

Dress has lived in the local Maryland area all his life and was born at the Leland Memorial Hospital in Riverdale, Maryland.  Currently he lives in Howard County, Maryland with his wife of 36 years (Jennifer) and has three children (Austin, Holden and Tessa).  In his spare time, he goes camping, works out at the local gym, runs foot races, water skis, rock climbs, bikes, plays the trumpet for the Annapolis Bay Winds Band, makes soap, and brews his own beer.

Mr. Gary A. Fleming has nearly 31 years of experience at NASA Langley Research Center with a career spanning fundamental aeronautics research through space flight project management and leadership.  Most recently, Gary has served as the Project Manager for the CLARREO Pathfinder mission leading a diverse, multi-organizational team to develop the world’s most accurate reflected solar spectrometer for obtaining climate science measurements from the International Space Station.  Prior to CLARREO Pathfinder, Gary served as the Langley Senior Technologist for Measurement Systems serving as the point of contact for the NASA Langley Measurement Systems product line from concept-to-flight.  In this capacity Gary advised Center Leadership on technology trends, opportunities, solutions, and collaborations to advance Langley Center strategy.  Gary served on the Langley Technology Council, contributed to development of the Langley Strategic Technology Investment Plan, and guided Center technology investments.  Gary also previously served as flight project Chief Engineer for the Clouds and the Earth’s Radiant Energy System (CERES) flight models #5 and #6 instruments currently flying on the Suomi-NPP and NOAA-20 satellites, helping to preserve the continuous long-term record of Earth’s energy budget.  Earlier in his career, Gary developed and deployed innovative optical instrumentation systems for use within wind tunnel facilities for measurement of aerodynamic flow properties and wind tunnel model structural deformation.  

Gary received a B.S. and M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from West Virginia University in 1991 and 1993, and a M.S. in Engineering Management from George Washington University in 2008.  Gary has been selected to receive a 2023 NASA Outstanding Leadership Medal, and is a past recipient of the NASA Systems Engineering Technical Excellence Award, the NASA Exceptional Service Medal, and a number of group achievement and individual awards.

Originally from Pittsburgh, PA (Steelers Fan!), Gary resides with his wife in Yorktown, VA and is the very proud father of two adult children.  In his free time Gary enjoys cycling, golfing, fishing, and family activities.

Jim Free is NASA’s associate administrator, its third highest-ranking executive and highest-ranking civil servant. He is the senior advisor to NASA Administrator Bill Nelson and Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy. In his role, Free leads the agency’s 10 center directors as well as the mission directorate associate administrators at NASA Headquarters in Washington. He acts as the agency’s chief operating officer for more than 18,000 employees and an annual budget of more than $25 billion.

Previously, Free was associate administrator for the Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters. In that role, Free was responsible for the development of NASA’s Moon to Mars architecture, defining and managing the systems development for NASA’s Artemis missions and planning for NASA’s integrated deep space exploration approach.

Prior to his selection as head of Exploration Systems Development, Free spent several years in various private sector roles after he left NASA in 2017. In his previous role at NASA, he served as the agency’s deputy associate administrator for technical in the Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters.  

Prior to joining NASA Headquarters, he worked his way up to center director at NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, where he was responsible for planning, organizing, and directing the activities required to accomplish the missions assigned to the center.  Free has served a variety of roles at NASA centers since beginning his career in 1990 at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. 

A native of Northeast Ohio, Free earned his bachelor’s degree in aeronautics from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, and his master’s degree in space systems engineering from Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands.  

Free is the recipient of the Presidential Rank Award, NASA Distinguished Service Medal, NASA Outstanding Leadership Medal, NASA Exceptional Service Medal, NASA Significant Achievement Medal, and numerous other awards. 

Kevin Gilligan is the Strategic Initiatives Manager for the Chief Program Management Officer (CPMO) in NASA’s Office of the Administrator. Kevin is involved in efforts to strengthen independent assessment, advance the state of PM and acquisition management, improve programmatic outcomes, and communicate progress and challenges with key NASA external stakeholders. Prior to joining CPMO in 2022, Kevin worked in the Office of the Chief Financial Officer’s Strategic Investments Division (SID) at NASA Headquarters for 11 years, leading NASA’s interface with the GAO High Risk and Quick Look engagements and serving as an advisor to the CFO and SID Director on various mission directorate portfolios. Kevin began his career at the Goddard Space Flight Center as a Presidential Management Fellow in 2010. Kevin holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication Studies from The College of New Jersey and a Master of Public Administration degree from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University. Kevin is based in the District of Columbia where he lives with his wife and son and is also involved in his local community, serving as a publicly elected Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner. 

Michelle Green joined NASA’s Commercial Crew Program (CCP) in 2010 to lead development and application of program policy, program strategy, change management, and stakeholder collaboration. In that capacity, she led the planning and tailoring of Agency program management requirements, led the development of NASA’s response to Congress for the Procurement System Review requested by the NASA Authorization Act of 2010, and participated in all phases of the CCP acquisition strategy. Now, she serves as the Deputy Manager of the Program Control & Integration Office and thoroughly enjoys sharing program lessons learned with other NASA programs and through mentorship of new program personnel. 

Michelle began her career as a business and policy specialist, facilitating transactions to privatize international and domestic utilities and other public entities. After working in finance, she provided consulting to and developed proposals for NASA’s use of alternate methods of acquisition and financing to achieve its program objectives. She served as a liaison to international government agencies and industry contributing to the International Space Station (ISS). In that role, she led an international industry team that developed a strategic roadmap and specific initiatives to support NASA’s efforts to privatize operations of the Space Shuttle and commercialize the ISS.

Michelle then joined NASA’s Johnson Space Center in 2002, and led strategic planning, management, and performance reporting activities for the Chief Engineer and the Center Director. Later, she transitioned to the Kennedy Space Center supporting policy and business activities for the Space Shuttle Program, the Constellation Ground Operations Project, and Agency study teams to better enable major transitions in support of NASA’s long-term exploration goals. Michelle received numerous honors for her work in the Commercial Crew Program, including Group Achievement Awards, NASA's Space Flight Awareness Team Award, and NASA’s Outstanding Leadership Medal. She also was recognized in 2011 as Kennedy Space Center’s Employee of the Year and CCP’s Program Employee of the Year.

Michelle has more than twenty years of experience working at NASA, six years of experience working in industry supporting human spaceflight programs, and six years of experience working in the private sector in securities and public finance. She has served as a guest lecturer for the International Space University and as a principal officer of several non-profit organizations. While a native of New York City, she currently resides in Orlando with her husband and two sons.

In 2020, Steven Hirshorn celebrated his 30th anniversary with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).  Presently he resides at NASA HQ in Washington D.C. within the Office of Chief Engineer where he serves as the Chief Engineer for the Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate (ARMD).

After earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Aeronautical Engineering from Embry-Riddle Aeronautics University in 1986, and a Master’s degree in Aerospace Engineering at The University of Texas – Austin in 1989, Mr. Hirshorn began his NASA career at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, TX joining the ranks Space Shuttle flight controllers in the eponymous Mission Control.  Serving as an EGIL, Mr. Hirshorn supported fifty-five Space Shuttle missions on console over the next eleven years, including ten launches and landings, on some of the Space Shuttle Program’s most historic missions.  Working side-by-side with many of the Mission Control veterans of the Apollo Moon landing missions who were approaching retirement, Mr. Hirshorn was able to gain from the experience and wisdom of these space-age greats.     

From 2001-2006 Mr. Hirshorn moved on to technical management responsibilities as the Mission Operations Directorate (MOD) representative to the Space Shuttle’s Orbiter project, and from 2006-2011 as the MOD Lead Engineer for the Constellation Program.  Both roles necessitated representing all of the Shuttle flight operations community to larger and larger elements within NASA.

At the end of both the Shuttle and Constellation Programs in 2011, Mr. Hirshorn moved to NASA HQ, first serving as the Systems Engineering & Integration Manager in one of the ARMD’s aeronautics research programs.  In 2013, Mr. Hirshorn transferred to the Office of Chief Engineer, first serving as Deputy Chief Engineer for both ARMD and the Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD) before becoming ARMD Chief Engineer.  In this capacity Mr. Hirshorn has led efforts to better align NASA’s R&T governance with program and project implementation.  Mr. Hirshorn was also given responsibility for NASA’s Systems Engineering (SE) policies where he manages the NASA Procedural Requirement (NPR) 7123.1C, NASA Systems Engineering Processes and Requirements.

Most recently, in 2020, Mr. Hirshorn served a detail in the Science Mission Directorate (SMD) as the Assistant Deputy Associate Administrator for Programs, overseeing SMD’s portfolio of nearly 100 missions either in development or operations.

Lastly, Mr. Hirshorn authored the book Three-Sigma Leadership (Or, the Way of the Chief Engineer):  Leadership Skills for NASA’s Corps of Chief Engineers, published in 2019 (NASA-SP-220374)

Elaine Ho serves as the Associate Administrator for NASA’s Office of Diversity and Equal Opportunity. She is the Agency’s Chief Diversity Officer, providing executive and transformative leadership over diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) policy and programs for the entire NASA workforce. Ho leads the strategy and execution of NASA’s external civil rights programs; NASA’s DEIA Strategic Plan; cross-agency workforce and program data and analytics; Agency-wide anti-harassment, reasonable accommodation, EEO complaints, and conflict resolution programs; and DEIA-related training.

Justin Hornback is currently on detail as a Program Executive within the Chief Program Management Officer team.  When not on detail, Justin is the Deputy Program Manager for Program Planning and Control within the Earth System Science Pathfinder Program.

Justin has leveraged his skills as a programmatic policy expert and analyst to contribute to NASA. He focuses on developing and applying advanced analytical methods, particularly in cost, schedule, and risk management, to empower NASA leaders with informed decision-making and increase the likelihood of mission success.

Justin holds a Bachelor of Science (BS) in Electrical Engineering from the University of Virginia and an MBA from the College of William and Mary.

Jacob Jevec currently serves as Chief of the Program/Project Integration Office in the Space Flight Systems Directorate at GRC, overseeing Project Planning and Control (PP&C) Integration and Contract Management functions for the Directorate.

Prior to this position, Jacob served as Deputy Chief of the Resource Analysis Division in the Office of the Chief Financial Officer at GRC.  Jacob served as Business Integration Manager for the Aeronautics Research Directorate, for which he was recognized with the NASA Exceptional Service Medal.  Jacob has also served as Chief of multiple branches in the Resources Division of the Office of the Chief Financial Officer at GRC.  Jacob has experience as a Program Analyst and Budget Analyst at Glenn Research Center and Kennedy Space Center.  Jacob joined NASA as a Presidential Management Fellow in 2004, completing rotations at GRC and KSC Prior to joining NASA, he served as Resource Manager for the U.S. Air Force General Counsel Office at the Pentagon, and as a Management Intern at the General Services Administration in Washington, DC.  

Jacob holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California, Los Angeles, a Master’s Degree in Education from New York University, and a Master of Business Administration in Finance and Statistics from The George Washington University.  Jacob enjoys playing guitar and bass, attending concerts, snow skiing, playing tennis and golf, and skateboarding.

Julie Levri worked in Advanced Life Support as a System Analyst for several years, followed by serving as a Systems Engineer (SE) for multiple ISS science payloads. Most recently, she has served as dual PM and SE for several small ISS hardware and experiment development efforts at NASA Ames Research Center.

Lisa McCollum currently serves as the Deputy Manager of the MSFC Exploration and Transportation Development Office within the MSFC Human Exploration Development and Operations Directorate. Previously, she served as Deputy Manager for the Commercial Crew Program’s Launch Vehicle System Office and the MSFC manager for CCP support from 2021 to 2024.  Prior to joining HP10 and the Commercial Crew Program, Ms. McCollum led the Maneuvering & In-Space Solid Rocket Motor Systems team in ER62, where she managed support for a diverse set of project and program customers including Space Launch System, Orion, CCP and Mars Ascent Vehicle, as well as several external and inter-agency partnerships. During her NASA career, Ms. McCollum has served in leadership roles within Orion’s Launch Abort System, Europa Lander De-orbit Stage, SLS Booster Element office, and MSFC’s Advanced Concepts Office.

Ms. McCollum received her bachelor’s degree in mechanical and aerospace engineering from the University of Alabama in Huntsville. She is a native of Tennessee, and currently resides in Decatur, Alabama with her husband, Nick.

David F. Mitchell is currently NASA’s Chief Program Management Officer. He reports to Associate Administrator Jim Free and is responsible for strengthening the agency’s oversight, management, and implementation of program management policies, processes, and best practices.

He began his career in 1984 with the U.S. Navy testing rocket motor systems and aircrew escape systems and joined the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in 1987, working on transportation systems for instruments and spacecraft, including the Cosmic Background Explorer, which resulted in Nobel prize-winning science.

In 1990, Mitchell worked on launch vehicle systems, including the Delta II, Scout, and Pegasus launch vehicles. In 1997, he moved to the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) program as chair of the GOES-N series Source Evaluation Board and stayed with the program until 2005 as project manager, when he went on detail assignments to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center and NASA Headquarters. In 2006, he worked as a NASA Congressional Fellow supporting Senator Bill Nelson, focusing on space and science issues.

Mitchell became deputy associate director of Goddard’s Earth Science Projects Division in late 2006 and concurrently served as the project manager for the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) proposal effort. Upon MAVEN’s selection in 2008 for development, he served as project manager through the mission’s Mars orbit Insertion in 2014.

From 2015 to January 2021, Mitchell was the director of Goddard’s Flight Projects Directorate, the portfolio of which included more than 80 missions, from small satellites to flagship missions such as the James Webb Space Telescope. At the same time, he served as the formulation project manager for the Comet Astrobiology Exploration SAmple Return (CAESAR) mission, from 2014 to 2019. From 2021 to 2022, Mitchell was director of Goddard’s Engineering & Technology Directorate. From January 2023 to April 2023, he was Goddard’s Acting Center Director.

From 2015 to 2022, Mitchell served as the senior champion for Goddard’s African American Advisory Committee, for which he was awarded NASA’s Equal Employment Opportunity Medal. He was awarded NASA’s Outstanding Leadership Medal twice for his work on the GOES and MAVEN projects and received the Presidential Rank Award twice, in 2015 and 2022.

In recent years Mitchell led or served on the following boards: Acquisition & Program/Project Management Tiger Team; Psyche Independent Review Board; Risk Management Tiger Team; Mars Sample Return IRB Response Team; and currently, the NASA 2040 Process Workstream.

Mitchell graduated with a bachelor’s in Mechanical Engineering from the State University of New York at Buffalo in 1984 and a master’s in Engineering Administration from the George Washington University in 1989. He completed the Council for Excellence in Government program in 2002, is a 2004 graduate of Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government Senior Executive Fellows program and graduated from NASA’s Senior Executive Service Candidate Development Program in 2006.

Dr. Charles D. Norton is the Deputy Chief Technologist at NASA JPL/Caltech responsible for JPL’s technology strategic planning, research, and infusion into flight missions. Across his career has led and performed work in high-performance scientific computing, information and instrument systems technology, and small satellite science and technology mission development. In addition to supporting Aura, MER, Spitzer, and others, he is best known for developing and managing multiple SmallSat flight projects for NASA. Charles has served on numerous committees for the National Academies, co-authoring reports spanning large strategic missions to remote sensing with small satellites. Some of his awards for new technology and innovation include the JPL Lew Allen Award, NASA Exceptional Service Medal, NASA Software of the Year, and the NASA Outstanding Public Leadership Medal. He is a senior member of IEEE and an Associate Fellow of the AIAA.

Diana K. Oglesby was recently welcomed to NASA’s Senior Executive Service in the role of Director of the Strategic Integration and Management Division (SIMD) within the Space Operations Mission Directorate (SOMD) at NASA Headquarters. In this role, she is responsible for programmatic integration, performance measurement, acquisition strategy processes, and stakeholder outreach as well as a broad array of personnel and related administrative functions for the Mission Directorate. 

Oglesby previously served as Manager, Program Control and Integration (PC&I) for NASA's Commercial Crew Program (CCP) where she worked with industry to develop and operate safe, reliable, and cost-effective human spaceflight capabilities for accessing low Earth orbit (LEO). Oglesby aided in the execution of the Agency's goal to facilitate the development and certification of U.S. commercial crew transportation capable of carrying humans to and from the ISS and potentially other destinations in LEO. She oversaw program integration activities, such as budget planning and execution, resources and schedule management, contract management, strategic communication and public engagement, Information Technology (IT) architecture, and configuration/data management. Oglesby also completed a 6-month detail assignment to NASA Headquarters as the Deputy Director of Resources Management Office (RMO) for ESDMD and SOMD helping to oversee the formulation and execution of NASA's $12 billion Exploration and Space Operations budget.

Oglesby began her NASA career as a computer engineer in 2003 supporting the IT and Communications Services Directorate and the KSC Chief Information Officer (CIO) to include leadership positions in the disciplines of IT Security and software development. She served as the KSC Application Portfolio Manager where she championed software initiatives and delivered noteworthy contributions to improve the effectiveness of legacy software applications. Oglesby has also led several strategic acquisition initiatives including the crucial Source Evaluation Board (SEB) for the major IT and communications support at the Center.

NASA has recognized her professional efforts and contributions to the agency with numerous citations and accolades. She is proud to have played a role in returning human spaceflight capability to the United States following the retirement of the Space Shuttle Program in 2011. Oglesby earned a Bachelor of Science from Oklahoma Christian University and a master’s degree in software engineering from Florida Institute of Technology. Oglesby is a native of Texas and currently resides in Orlando with her husband, Bradley, and three children, Lola Jane, Benjamin and Ethan.

Jeremy W. Parsons is the deputy manager of NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems (EGS) Program at the John F. Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Appointed to this position in July 2019, he, along with the program manager, is responsible for leading the government and contractor team that is preparing the ground systems, infrastructure, facilities and processes required to support NASA’s next-generation space launch systems and spacecraft and then processing those same vehicles for launch.

Parsons began his career with NASA in 2002 as a mission operations engineer for the International Space Station and Payload Processing Directorate at Kennedy. There, he was able to serve as the operations engineering lead for several space station missions, as well as payload launch and landing activities. Later, he was able to leverage that experience working for the Constellation Program leading cost and concept of operations assessments for vertical integration planning.

Parsons also spent time at NASA Headquarters supporting cost analysis for the Human Exploration Framework Team (HEFT). HEFT ultimately made many of the recommendations that resulted in the exploration architecture of the Space Launch System (SLS) and Orion vehicles. He was able to use his HEFT experience to serve as the NASA fellow to former U.S. Senator Bill Nelson, the chair of the Senate Science and Space Subcommittee. In this role, he served as the science and space advisor to the senator during a time of major transition at NASA. Upon his return from Washington D.C., Parsons assumed the role of technical manager, and eventually, branch chief of the Operations Integration Office within the Ground Systems Development and Operations Program at Kennedy.

Parsons has served in leadership positions across the EGS program, including deputy division chief of the project management division and senior project manager for launch accessories. In this capacity, he led the final fabrication and testing of the launch umbilicals for SLS and Orion. Later as the chief of the systems engineering and integration, he led the arm of the EGS program that acts as the primary technical integration voice within the program office. In this capacity, he was responsible for all requirements satisfaction, waivers, deviations, processes and coordination across SLS/Orion. He also assumed leadership of the Program Review Board and Joint Integration Control Board (PRB/JICB), which are the senior technical configuration control boards at the program and cross-program level.

Parsons graduated from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor of Science in engineering and later earned a master’s in industrial engineering from the University of Miami in 2010.

Parsons was born in Oakland, Calif., and grew up in Cocoa Beach, Fla. He lives in Merritt Island with his wife, Jessica, and is the father of two daughters. 

Ned Penley is the deputy associate administrator of management for NASA’s Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate (ESDMD). He serves as a key advisor to the associate administrator for ESDMD in charting the future course of NASA’s human space exploration effort. Penley is responsible and accountable for resources and management systems and processes to enable NASA’s exploration spaceflight portfolio including safety, success, and performance of its programs and projects. From December 2021 until March 2023, Penley served in the this role for both ESDMD and the Space Operations Mission Directorate.

Prior to being selected for the deputy associate administrator management roles, Penley was the program planning and control (PP&C) manager for the Orion Program at NASA, managing Orion strategic planning, budget management, program performance analysis, schedule management, configuration management and export control. He previously served as the Orion Program’s deputy PP&C manager.

Penley worked on numerous human spaceflight development and operational programs. As a contractor, he worked at NASA Headquarters with Space Station Freedom research planning, and performed a key role during the space station redesign evaluating the designs from a research perspective. He joined NASA in 1994 at Johnson Space Center in Houston, where he worked as a founding member of the International Space Station program payloads office as the manager of research planning. In this capacity, Penley was responsible for negotiating and allocating resources for the international research community, and for manifesting the research bound for the space station.

Penley was also a founding member of NASA’s Human Research Program, establishing their program integration office and completing the first Human Research Integrated Research Plan. He also managed NASA’s Constellation Program Schedule, Cost Estimating, EVM (Earned Value Management) and Assessments (SCEA) office, and subsequently was the deputy manager of the Constellation Program Planning and Control office.

Dawn M. Schaible is the deputy director of NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland. In this position, she shares with the center director responsibility for planning, organizing, and managing the agency level programs and projects assigned to the center. Glenn has a staff of more than 3,200 civil servants and support service contractors and has an annual budget of approximately $900 million.

Before becoming Glenn’s deputy director, Schaible served as director of the NASA Langley Research Center Engineering Directorate, which provides advanced technology and flight system development in support of the center’s goals. Prior to that, Schaible was appointed as the NASA deputy chief engineer in July 2014. In this role, she helped to lead the Office of the Chief Engineer in providing policy direction, oversight, and assessment for the NASA engineering and program management communities.   

Schaible previously served as the manager of the Systems Engineering Office for the NASA Engineering and Safety Center, which was established in 2003 following the Space Shuttle Columbia accident. As a founding member, she helped to establish the organization and processes to conduct independent assessments of critical, high-risk issues. Schaible began her career with NASA at the Kennedy Space Center in 1987, where she held a number of lead engineering and management positions for the Space Shuttle and International Space Station Programs.

Schaible is an associate fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. She received a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Bradley University, master’s degree in space systems operations from the Florida Institute of Technology, and master’s degree in engineering and management from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. 

Mr. Schultz has been working in the fields of aviation and aeronautics for 40 years.  He Has served as the Deputy Project Manager for the Maxwell X-57 Flight Project and has led the Project’s important efforts to lay the groundwork for certification and regulation acceptance of electric technologies as enablers for the next generation of innovative electric aircraft, working closely with FAA and International Certification offices. He is the NASA lead representative to the ASTM F44 General Aviation (GA) Standards Committee, serving on their Executive Committee.  He coordinates all NASA responses in support of GA standards development, especially in the area of electric propulsion.  He has leveraged the knowledge gained from X-57 to be designated as the Team Leader for Regulations & Standards within NASA’s Electric Powerplant Flight Demonstration (EPFD) Project, further sharing lessons learned and identifying ways forward to help commercial interests move forward in the area of hybrid-electric vehicles.  Both Projects reside within the Integrated Aviation Systems Program (IASP). 

Dr. Mary R. Coan Skow, Ph.D., is the Agency Risk Management Officer. In this role, which she helped formulate and establish, Dr. Skow integrates risks from various boards and forums to achieve perspective on top enterprise risks.

Additionally, she champions risk leadership initiatives through the facilitation of risk communication and clarifies risk posture. Dr. Skow also develops and implements best practices to integrate Enterprise Risk Management processes into day-to-day operations and decision-making, while investigating and developing methods to create and manage top risks for the agency.

Prior to her current position, Dr. Skow served as the strategis evaluation program manager for the Chief Program Management Officer at NASA Headquarters, where she excelled at motivating diverse teams and initiating strategic initiatives. She previously held the role of portfolio analyst and Headquarters of the Office of the Chief Financial Officer, where she was responsible for understanding and working with the Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate for the Human Landing System, Gateway and Spacesuit User Interface Technologies for Students (SUITS).

Dr. Skow began her career at NASA as a graduate student in the co-op program at Kennedy Space Center working on In-Situ Resource Utilization. Following her co-op, she became a project manager at NASA Johnson Space Center for Environmental Control Life Support Systems.

Dr. Skow graduated from the University of Rochester with a Bachelor of Science degree in chemical engineering. She received her Ph.D. in chemical engineering with a focus in microelectronics from Texas A&M University. Dr. Skow actively participates in outreach programs, mentoring underprivileged children and college students and promoting NASA's mission to the next generation of scientists and engineers.

Nicole Smith is the deputy director of technology demonstrations in NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate, where she assists in managing a broad portfolio of key technology advancements for future science and exploration missions for the agency and nation. Prior to that, she managed a group of senior project managers to accomplish work in exploration launch systems, spacecraft development, and landing systems. As a senior project manager herself, she led testing of the Orion spacecraft, the vehicle which will take the first woman and first person of color to the lunar surface as part of NASA’s Artemis Program. She has over 25 years of experience across NASA in engineering, mission operations, and program management, and volunteers regularly with numerous organizations to inspire the next generation of engineers. Nicole has a bachelor’s in Mathematics and Statistics and a bachelor’s in Aeronautics from Miami University, and a master’s in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Cincinnati.

As NASA’s Chief Knowledge Officer (CKO) and Director of the Academy of Program/Project & Engineering Leadership (APPEL), Tiffany Smith leads efforts to ensure that the agency’s technical workforce has access to the critical knowledge needed for mission success.  Ms. Smith is responsible for managing NASA’s APPEL Knowledge Services learning and development program, providing strategic communications and continuous learning to project management and systems engineering personnel, and overseeing knowledge services across the agency in collaboration with the Center and Mission Directorate knowledge community.

Ms. Smith’s research and professional experience is centered in knowledge management, digital collaboration, and social epistemology.  She previously served as the CKO for NASA’s Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate (ARMD).  Prior to joining NASA, Ms. Smith served with the U.S. Department of State in various roles and performed detail assignments with the Office of Management and Budget and the General Services Administration.  She began her federal government career with the U.S. Army at Redstone Arsenal, Alabama.  Ms. Smith earned a B.A. from Fordham University, M.S. in Library and Information Science from the Catholic University of America, and M.S. in Science and Technology Studies from Virginia Tech.

Ed Stanton is the SOFIA Project Manager at NASA Ames Research Center. He started his career at the NASA Johnson Space Center (1990-1997) in Houston, TX working Shuttle Approach and Landing software loads, then Secondary payloads and on the International Space Station’s (ISS) Robotics.  Ed then worked at NASA Ames Research Center (1997-2004) on SOFIA.  On a detail assignment at NASA Headquarters for a year in 2004, Ed worked with a team to define the Exploration Constellation requirements.  In 2005 Ed started working at the NASA Kennedy Space Center in Florida as an ISS Ground Operations Engineer and in 2007 started working in the Orion Production Operations Office.  For the 2015 Fall semester, Ed taught at a class at University of Southern California’s (USC) Engineering department.  In 2016 Ed returned to NASA Ames and SOFIA.

Ed grew up in Connecticut but traveled across the county to earn a Bachelor of Science degree in Aerospace Engineering from USC.  He also obtained a Master of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Houston and a second MS degree in Aerospace Engineering from USC.

Ed received multiple awards over the years at NASA including the Space Flight Awareness Honoree Award, Constellation Program Manager Commendation and multiple NASA Group Achievement Awards.  Ed enjoys kiteboarding, wakeboarding, and snowboarding.

Ms. Ellen Stigberg is a Program Executive working program and project management policy for the Chief Program Management Officer (CPMO) at NASA HQ.  Ms. Stigberg started her career in with NASA in 1990 at Kennedy Space Center Shuttle working in the Space Station Processing Directorate. In 1998 she transferred to NASA Headquarters to work in the Office of Biological and Physical Research which later merged into the ESMD. Ms. Stigberg has experience in NASA systems engineering and integration, project engineering and program executive management spanning Shuttle, Space Station, and Exploration Systems programs. She joined the Office of the Chief Engineer in 2011 and managed the program and project management (PPM) policies for Space Flight (NPR 7120.5) and Research and Technology (NPR 7120.8) and provided guidance in implementing the policies across the agency. In 2022 Ms. Stigberg joined the Office of the Administrator to work for the CPMO where she continues to manage the PPM policies and provide guidance on implementation.  She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from Wayne State University, Detroit Michigan, and a Master’s Degree in Engineering Management from the University of Central Florida, Orlando Florida.

Akosua A. Taylor is currently on detail as a Program Executive at NASA Headquarters within the Chief Program Management Officer team. When not on detail, Akosua serves as the Chief of the Exploration Systems and Development Office at Kennedy Space Center, where she leads a team focused on cutting-edge research and technology development for lunar sustainability. 

Akosua has utilized her extensive engineering and management expertise to enhance NASA's operational and strategic frameworks. She emphasizes the integration of innovative engineering solutions and effective project oversight to optimize performance and drive key initiatives forward.

Akosua holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Smith College, and a Master’s degree in Industrial Engineering from Northeastern University.

Lisa Watson-Morgan stands in a critical role in the United States plan to return people to the Moon, the latest chapter in a career devoted to space flight and advancing scientific and national interests. In being picked to manage NASA’s planned lunar landing system, she is continuing the state’s tradition of leadership in the country’s space flight program.

With more than 30 years of contributions and accomplishments at NASA, Watson-Morgan has proven leadership experience and subject matter expert strengths in NASA systems engineering, project leadership, strategic planning, independent assessment, and management of people, policy, and processes. Her highlights with NASA include reputable and diverse experience in launch vehicles, space vehicle systems, science, operations, and payloads.

As the program manager for NASA’s Human Landing System at Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, she oversees the integrated lunar landing systems, to include vehicles and systems that will transport astronauts to the Moon’s south pole. Working with U.S. industry, her agency-wide team will deliver a sustainable landing system to ferry crew to and from the lunar surface.

Watson-Morgan graduated from The University of Alabama in 1991 with a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering, and the University of Alabama in Huntsville with a master’s degree in industrial and systems engineering in 1994 and a doctorate in engineering management in 2008.

She began working at Marshall while a student at UA and has supported and led a variety of NASA programs and projects, including serving as manager of Marshall’s Chief Engineer’s office from 2011 to 2013 and director of the Spacecraft and Vehicle Systems Department from 2015 to 2018. She was appointed in 2013 to the Senior Executive Service, the personnel system covering top managerial positions in federal agencies.

Watson-Morgan previously was deputy director of Marshall’s Engineering Directorate from 2018 to 2019, helping oversee an organization of more than 2,300 civil service and contractor personnel supporting development, testing and delivery of flight hardware and software associated with space transportation and spacecraft systems, science instruments and payloads under development at Marshall.

Appointed to her current position in July 2019, Watson-Morgan is responsible for the cost, technical, and scheduling of sending the first woman and the first person of color to the south pole of the lunar surface on a rapid schedule. The landing system is a key element of NASA’s bold Artemis Program, which will leverage NASA’s Space Launch System and Orion crew spacecraft to return explorers to the Moon by 2024, and, via the lunar Gateway orbital platform, enable a long-term human presence there by 2026, reigniting America’s leadership in crewed exploration of the solar system and taking the next giant leap toward human exploration of Mars.

She is implementing a new operating model for NASA enabling commercial industry to design the systems with heavy NASA insight creating a truly integrated public private model where both parties benefit.

Her numerous NASA awards include the Exceptional Service Medal in 2001, the Exceptional Achievement Medal in 2010, and a Meritorious Presidential Rank Award in 2018.

Erin Wood is a dedicated Aeyon/MTS Contractor, currently appointed as Deputy Systems Administrator for Earned Value Management Software Administration and Development within NASA HQ's Office of the Chief Financial Officer - Strategic Investments Division. She and her teammates oversee policy development, project planning, Integrated Baseline Reviews, and EVMS Compliance and Surveillance Reviews.

Prior to her role at NASA HQ, Ms. Wood contributed her expertise in PP&C analytics to the Microgravity Research Team at Glenn Research Center, her hometown institution. Her professional background also includes ten years of experience in PP&C implementation and strategic decision-making design across various industries, including utility infrastructure and bio-renewable plastics, where she served multiple Fortune 500 companies.

Erin holds a Bachelor of Science in Organizational Communication and a Master of Science in Project Management from Purdue Global University. An active community participant, she engages in outreach activities to promote science locally and harbors a deep passion for efficiency management and the evolving field of augmented intelligence.

Ms. Wusk joins the NESC team bringing over 30 years of experience working NASA Langley’s complex technology development projects on aircraft, suborbital launch vehicles, low earth orbit satellites and platforms targeting the Moon and beyond. She spent ten years as an Electrical Engineer providing instrumentation systems onboard the B737, F-16XL, and the B757 and ultimately becoming the Chief Electronics Engineer for the Flight Systems Safety Office.

She transitioned to Mission Operations Manager/Ground Segment Manager for an international earth-observing satellite, CALIPSO, from proposal to launch in 2006. She continued as a Project Manager for highly visible flight projects including the public-private partnership with ATK for HyBolt-SOAREX-ALV (HSA) suborbital launch vehicle project which launched in 2008, the Inflatable Reentry Vehicle Experiment II (IRVE-2) which launched in 2009 and the Hypersonic Inflatable Aerodynamic Decelerators (HIAD) project which included the successful launch of IRVE-3 in 2012. Upon completion of these projects, she served four years as the Deputy and ultimately Acting Program Manager for the Game Changing Program Office in the Space Technology Mission Directorate managing an annual budget of over $100 million and 300 FTEs across the agency. Ms. Wusk then transitioned to the Deputy Director for the Office of Strategic Analysis, Communications & Business Development for NASA Langley working closely with the Office of the Director on center strategy, partnerships and communications.

She has served as a panel member and board chairman on multiple cross-agency Standing Review Boards and Independent Review Boards for numerous Science Mission Directorate’s satellite projects. She takes pride in working with both public-private partners (international, industrial and academia) and other government agencies to meet the agency’s strategic goals. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Physics from Longwood College in 1989 and a second bachelor’s in Electrical Engineering from Old Dominion University in 1992. She was awarded a patent for “Lightweight Flexible Thermal Protection System for Fire Protection” in 2019, NASA’s Exceptional Service Medal in 2013 and the Space Flight Awareness award in 2009.

She is dedicated to supporting STEM programs for the development of the next generation. She has also been selected as a “Women of NASA” representing a vibrant community of dedicated women employees who play a vital role in NASA’s mission.

Eddie Zavala is director for Programs and Projects at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California. He is responsible for the advocacy, formulation, and implementation of the center’s flight projects as well as policy and business management of the center's programs.  Prior to his current assignment, Zavala served in several leadership positions that include as the AFRC acting deputy center director, the ARC director of Center Operations, and the ARC acting director of Safety and Mission Assurance.  From 2012 to 2019, Zavala was program manager of the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA). Under his leadership, the program completed the development phase, implemented an improved cross-center organizational construct, became fully operational in May 2014, and completed the five-year prime mission. He oversaw the overall observatory operations (science and aircraft) at both NASA AFRC and ARC.  Zavala first came to NASA in 1989 as a cooperative education student at NASA Ames-Dryden Flight Research Facility. Zavala earned a bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering in 1991 from Texas A&M University. He holds the advanced/expert-level Office of Management and Budget Federal Acquisition Certification for Program and Project Managers.  Zavala is a recipient of the 2011 and 2016 NASA Exceptional Achievement medal and the 2014 NASA Outstanding Leadership medal.