Our Board

Ryan Brukardt is an eight-time camp graduate having attended both Space Camp® and Aviation Challenge®. He has been on the board since November 2017. Brukardt supports McKinsey’s advanced-industries work (with a focus on global aerospace, defense, and space companies) and leads the firm’s cash and space work. With more than 20 years of military and consulting experience, he specializes in corporate strategy, managing major business and operational transformations, working-capital improvements, building clients’ capabilities, and M&A advisory.

Brukardt has advised senior executives on organic and inorganic growth, cost restructuring, technology and product strategy, improving manufacturing operations and supply chains and reducing risk, and business-to-government program capture excellence. He has also led several large post-merger integration efforts and oversees Radar by McKinsey, the firm’s government market analytics solution.
Before joining McKinsey, Burkardt worked at another global consulting firm. Prior to starting his consulting career, he was a space- and missile-operations officer in the U.S. Air Force. He continues to serve as a reservist, advising senior leaders on nuclear-policy matters at U.S. Air Force headquarters.

Jeff Samz joined the U.S. Space & Rocket Center Education Foundation Board in October 2015.  His hospital administration career spans 28 years, including 12 in Huntsville. Previously, he was employed at Vanderbilt Health, Duke Health, and Mission Health.

Samz is active in community service and sits on the board of the Alabama Hospital Association, serves as the secretary-treasurer of the Huntsville/Madison County Chamber of Commerce board of directors, and is a former member of the United Way board of directors.

Samz graduated from the University of North Carolina and earned his MBA from Wake Forest University.

Robert Mayes joined the U.S. Space & Rocket Center Education Foundation board in September 2019.  He is the Chief Executive Officer of Keel Point and was a founding partner of BlueCreek Investment Partners, prior to that company’s merger with Keel Point.

During his 20 years with the firm, he also worked as a Portfolio Manager and Branch Officer from 1996 to 1999. Robert began his career in financial planning and asset management with Merrill Lynch in 1982.

Dr. Gretchen Green is a four-time Space Camp graduate and has been with the U.S. Space & Rocket Center Education Foundation board since January 2023. Dr.  Green is a radiologist turned expert-educator-explorer who has taught hundreds of physicians and other clinicians how to launch five- and six-figure expert witness businesses. She also teaches radiologists to reduce their mammography malpractice risk and improve clarity and confidence, using lessons she has learned serving as an expert in over 100 breast medical malpractice cases.

She serves as chair of the Space Camp Alumni Board and held her first teaching position as a crew trainer at Space Camp, while attending college at Brown University. At Space Camp, she taught high school students to launch, fly, and land in a simulated space shuttle mission and is a strong supporter of both STEM and history education.

Jo Anne Barnhart has been on the U.S. Space & Rocket Center Education Foundation Board since June 2019. She served as Commissioner of Social Security for the United States from 2001-2007. Prior to her nomination as Commissioner by President George W. Bush, Barnhart served for more than four years as a member of the Social Security Advisory Board. During the same period, she managed her own political and public policy consulting company. 

Other posts include serving in the administration of President George H. Bush as the first Assistant Secretary for Children and Families at the U.S. Department for Health & Social Service. In that position she was responsible for overseeing the nation’s major cash assistance and social services programs including the First Aid to Families with Dependent Children program and as Assistant Secretary for Family Support. Since her departure from Social Security, Barnhart has consulted domestically and internationally on program policy, design and governmental relations. She recently served as an adjunct lecturer at the Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, where she taught a course on Designing Social Security Systems.

Ben Chandler is a 14-time Space Camp graduate and has been with the U.S. Space & Rocket Center Education Foundation board since January 2016. He is a graduate of the University of Tennessee, where he received a BA in Political Science. Today, he has over 600 hours of flight time in 12 different types of aircraft. 

In 2013, Chandler co-led the founding of the official Space Camp Alumni Association, which he served on for four years and chaired for two years.  In 2017, Chandler was the first Space Camp alumni to be elected chair of the U.S. Space and Rocket Center Education Foundation. Chandler recently served on the Tennessee Valley Boys and Girls Club Advisory Board. He is currently the vice-chair of the Cleveland Community Foundation and secretary of the Cleveland Regional Jetport Authority. Chandler is a member of YPO (Young Presidents Organization) and actively participates in forums with other young business leaders.

Dr. Rick Chappell has been with the U.S. Space & Rocket Center Education Foundation board since November 2017. He is a Research Professor of Physics involved in space research and outreach at Vanderbilt University and was executive director of the Vanderbilt Dyer Observatory from 2002-2009. 

Prior to joining Vanderbilt, Chappell served as the Associate Director for Science at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center. In that capacity he was the chief scientist for the Center advising the Center director on all science and university programs while maintaining interaction with leading scientists throughout the world. He has directed research in solar terrestrial physics and has been a principal investigator on several satellite missions. In May 1994, Chappell became special assistant for environmental programs to the NASA administrator. He was assigned to the White House to implement an environmental science/education program for Vice President Al Gore. From 1976 to 1985, Chappell was the mission scientist for Spacelab 1, a joint European/American shuttle mission that conducted investigations in material sciences, life sciences, space physics, earth observations, and astronomy. In December 1985 he was selected to train as an Alternate Payload Specialist for a flight aboard the Space Shuttle. The STS-45 mission took place in March 1992.

Rebecca Torzone Kustom is sector vice president and general manager of the Combat Systems and Mission Readiness division for Northrop Grumman’s Defense Systems sector, a leading global provider of defense solutions to enable decision-making and defeat advanced threats, while supporting military operations and readiness. 

Torzone Kustom has more than 20 years of experience within the aerospace and defense industry, working a broad set of programs across multiple domains and locations. Most recently, she served as the chief growth officer of Defense Systems, where she led the strategy, business development and customer engagement activities across the sector’s global customer and industry partner communities. Prior to that role, Torzone Kustom led the Missile Products business, an industry leader in the development and production of tactical rocket motors for a variety of air, space, sea, and land-based systems, and served as the vice president of engineering and sciences for the Airborne Sensors and Networks division.

Torzone Kustom earned a bachelor’s degree in engineering physics from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, a master’s degree in computer science from Colorado Technical University, and a master’s degree in aeronautical science from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. She is a graduate of Northrop Grumman’s Systems Engineering Associate program and has also completed the University of Chicago Booth School of Business Executive Strategy program.

Peter Marquez, a Space Camp alumnus, is a member of the 2020 class of the Space Camp Hall of Fame.  Marquez is the head of space policy at Amazon Web Services where he oversees global space policy activities for Amazon Web Service’s space products and services.

Marquez previously was the Managing Partner of Andart Global, U.S., the Vice President of Global Engagement for Planetary Resources, and the Vice President for Strategy at Orbital Sciences Corporation. He served at the White House for the three administrations. He was the Director for Space Policy for Presidents Bush and Obama and a Senior Advisor to the National Space Council. Marquez was responsible for the development, implementation, and coordination of the U.S. national space policies. Marquez has worked with foreign governments to establish their own space agencies, assist in the writing of their national space policies, and create the interagency processes to execute national space programs.

Before his time at the White House, Marquez served for a decade in the Pentagon on a variety of space and classified programs for the Air Force and Office of the Secretary of Defense. He served in requirements, acquisition, operations, and policy roles and served as the Director of Special Programs for the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy.

Michele O’Shaughnessy is a two-time Space Camp program alumna who attended Adult Space Academy and Advanced Adult Space Academy. O’Shaughnessy has over 24 years of federal government experience, working at multiple levels at United States Department of Energy (DOE) field locations. Professionally, she is an engineer/project manager for the DOE at the Savannah River Site. She supports multi-appropriation programs, projects, and activities, as well as the effective integration of site planning. O’Shaughnessy has held a wide range of positions in areas such as program/project management, emergency management/preparedness/response, and waste management. 

She earned her B.S. in civil engineering with an environmental focus from Worcester Polytechnic Institute and a M.S. in environmental systems engineering with a nuclear focus from Clemson University. O’Shaughnessy was selected and participated in the NASA Social for the Parker Solar Probe Mission. She is a senior life member of the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) and held key leadership roles at the collegiate and professional sections, region and society levels. She lives in Aiken, SC.

Ian Richardson is Senior Vice President of Operations for Blue Origin where he is responsible for the supply chain, manufacturing engineering, and production across all sites for New Shepherd and New Glenn rockets, engines, in-space systems, and the lunar lander.

Richardson, a Space Camp alumnus and Right Stuff Award recipient began his career at Bechtel Oil Gas & Chemical. He worked for Bechtel Power Corporation and Tri Alpha Energy before joining Space Exploration Technologies (Space X) where he was director of production.  He joined Blue Origin in August 2023.

He holds a Bachelors of Science degree in Organizational Communications from Suffolk University in Boston, MA.

Sasha Sealy and her husband Charlie own and manage a number of apartments in downtown Huntsville and Madison including Belk Hudson Lofts and The Avenue. She is a 1997 graduate of Huntsville High School. She graduated cum laude from Vanderbilt University in 2001, with a bachelor’s degree in economics and received a Doctor of Juris Prudence and Masters in Business Administration from Cumberland Law School and Samford University in 2004. 

She is Vice President of Sealy Property Development where she is involved in all aspects of the company’s projects including design, quality control, and marketing.  Previously, Sealy worked in corporate banking at Regions Bank and with Leadership Huntsville/Madison County. 

She is active in her community and currently serves as the vice chair of the Ice Sports Center Board of Control. She is a past president of the Huntsville Museum of Art Guild and a former member of Huntsville Symphony Board, Village of Promise Board, and HEALS Board. She is a member of the University of Alabama in Birmingham (UAB) Arts Advisory Board and serves on the Permanent Collections Committee for Abroms-Engel Institute for the Visual Arts (AEIVA).

Tim Sheehy is an Aviation Challenge graduate and has been with the U.S. Space & Rocket Center Education Foundation since January 2021. Sheehy has served as the Chief Executive Officer and a Director of Bridger since 2014. From 2008 until 2014, Sheehy served as a Navy SEAL officer and team leader. In 2014, Sheehy left the Navy and co-founded the company and its affiliate, Ascent Vision Technologies LLC (“Ascent”). Sheehy is a recipient of the Bronze Star with Valor and Purple Heart and is an active pilot with Bridger’s Air Attack and Super Scooper fleets. He earned his Bachelor of Science in history from the United States Naval Academy.  

Sheehy, a resident of Belgrade, Montana, has declared his candidacy for the 2024 U.S. Senate race, making him the first Republican to formally announce a challenge to Democratic Senator Sen. Jon Tester.

Kathi Tew has been with the U.S. Space & Rocket Center Education Foundation board since September 2019. She is currently serves as chief operations officer of Baron Critical Weather Institute. 

She is a graduate of Leadership Greater Huntsville, L-27, past chair of alumni education and has served as a Day Chair for the Flagship Program for six years. In addition, Tew has chaired over 25 fundraising events in the last 11 years, benefitting many non-profits across North Alabama. The U.S. Space & Rocket Center Education Foundation’s Mad Scientist Bash grew to be one of Huntsville’s most popular and profitable social events under Tew’s leadership.

In addition to the U.S. Space & Rocket Center Education Foundation, Tew currently serves on the boards of Liberty Learning Foundation, Boys and Girls Club of North Alabama, Huntsville Botanical Garden, Foundation Boards of the Huntsville Museum of Art,  and the Leadership Council of the Women’s Philanthropy Society. She is  Director Emeritus of the Huntsville Symphony Orchestra and serves on their Foundation Board.  She is also an Ambassador to HudsonAlpha.

Tony Zana was the first Space Camp alumnus appointed to the Alabama Space Science Exhibit Commission, serving on the Rocket Center’s governing board from 2013 to 2021. He also served on the Center’s Finance Authority from 2018-2021.

Zana, Hexagon’s general counsel and chief compliance officer, joined that company in 2008. He serves on the company’s executive team and oversees all legal matters, including corporate governance, intellectual property, litigation, M&A, securities, compliance, and privacy. His prior roles within the company include deputy general counsel, as well as vice president, general counsel, and corporate secretary for Intergraph. Prior to joining Hexagon, Zana advised technology companies while in private practice with a national, Am Law 200 law firm. Earlier in his career, he served as a law clerk for a United States federal district court judge. Zana holds a Juris Doctor degree and a Bachelor of Science degree in management information systems.

Ed Buckbee has been with the U.S. Space & Rocket Center board since October 2016. Buckbee, an author, lecturer, space expert and director emeritus, has been associated with the U.S. space program for four decades. Buckbee began his NASA career in 1959 when America’s first Mercury astronauts were selected. He attended the launches of Alan Shepard and John Glenn and was present when the Apollo astronauts lifted-off for the moon landings.

In 1970, he was selected by Von Braun to be the first director of the U.S. Space & Rocket Center. Buckbee is the visionary who assembled and managed the world’s largest space and rocket exhibition and founder of the highly successful U.S. Space Camp and Aviation Challenge programs.

Retiring from the U.S. Space & Rocker Center in 1994, Buckbee continues to work as an advisor and consultant to NASA. He has produced and hosted numerous space anniversary events acknowledging famous firsts in human space flight, honoring astronaut John Glenn and moon walkers Alan Shepard, Alan Bean and Gene Cernan. He organized and hosted the 30th anniversary celebration of the astronauts who flew on Amercia’s first space station, Skylab.