Our Board

Joseph Pelfrey serves as the senior advisor to the Deputy Associate Administrator, NASA headquarters and is currently on assignment as the senior NASA liaison to the Auburn University Applied Research Institute. Prior to this role, he served as the 15th center director of NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center where he led Marshall’s nearly 6,500 onsite and near-site civil service and contractor employees and managed its annual budget of approximately $5 billion. He helped guide Marshall’s broad portfolio of human spaceflight, science, and technology development efforts, which touches nearly every mission NASA pursues. Pelfrey also served as deputy center director with his appointment in April 2022. A native of Cheraw, South Carolina, Pelfrey received a bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering from Auburn University. He resides in Huntsville with his wife, Nicole, and daughter, Adelyn.

Chris Vrenna is a Grammy-winning musician, producer, engineer, remixer, and composer. He is best known as a former founding member of Nine Inch Nails and was inducted with the group into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2020.

He has been the drummer for international acts including Gnarls Barkley, Marilyn Manson, and Guns N’ Roses. Vrenna has remixed and/or programmed for numerous artists including U2, Rob Zombie, Weezer, Evanescence, and Hole.

Vrenna is also a well-known video game composer whose credits include American McGee’s Alice, Doom 3, Quake 4, Call of Duty: ExoZombies, and Quake: Champions.

Vrenna is an assistant professor of Performing Arts Technology at the University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance.

Margrit von Braun is an environmental engineer, working in the areas of hazardous waste management and risk assessment. She served on the faculty at the University of Idaho (UI) for 31 years, where she directed the Environmental Science and Environmental Engineering programs and served as dean of the College of Graduate Studies. Margrit is a Fellow of the Collegium Ramazzini, an independent, international academy comprised of 180 international experts in the fields of occupational and environmental health.

She and her husband, Ian von Lindern, founded an environmental engineering company focused on remediation of hazardous waste sites, particularly in mining districts. Since retiring from UI and selling their company, Margrit and Ian have flunked retirement spectacularly! They founded a non-profit 501(c)(3), TerraGraphics International Foundation (TIFO), assisting communities in reducing their environmental exposures, often in partnership with Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors without Borders).

Margrit’s engineering degrees include a bachelor’s from the Georgia Institute of Technology, a master’s from the University of Idaho and a doctorate from Washington State University.
Margrit was born in Huntsville, AL and has fond memories of growing up in the town that took us to the Moon.

Matt Milas is responsible for a broad global portfolio with >$7B annual revenue including electronic solutions, navigation and sensors, engines and power systems, mechanical control systems, digital connected and software solutions, radio frequency and electronic warfare systems, microelectronics, satellite systems, human space and launch vehicles for U.S. and international defense and space customers. Matt leads the strategic transformation of the Honeywell Defense & Space business to align new technologies and capacity to meet the growing global demand for next generation defense solutions. Responsibilities also include building a strong performance culture and attracting, developing, and training the key talent needed to continue to meet and exceed customer commitments.

Matt has a bachelor’s degree in industrial and operations engineering from the University of Michigan, and a master’s degree in international economics and development from Eastern Michigan University.

Robert Lightfoot is the president of Lockheed Martin Space and an officer of Lockheed Martin Corporation. In this capacity, he leads the Space business, which is a more than $11 billion enterprise employing more than 22,000 people globally. The Space portfolio provides advanced technology systems for national security, civil and commercial customers. The Space business area includes integrated systems for satellites, human spaceflight, strategic and missile defense, satellite command and control, sensor and data processing including predictive analytics and big data applications, space observatories and interplanetary robotic spacecraft, and a range of sensing, communications, and exploration payloads. 

Previously, Lightfoot served as vice president of Operations for Lockheed Martin Space and was responsible for production operations, including assembly, test and launch operations (ATLO), supply chain, quality, program management and all facilities, logistics, and security services. He also served as vice president of Strategy and Business Development within the business area. In this capacity, he led the growth of the Space business with a comprehensive strategy to develop new markets while maintaining the current portfolio. Lightfoot also led strategic planning, advanced technology development and new business acquisition efforts for all lines of business. Prior to joining Lockheed Martin in 2019, he served as the president of LSINC Corporation. 

Lightfoot spent 29 years at NASA, where he served as associate administrator, the agency’s highest-ranking civil service position. He held other critical leadership roles to support space operations, exploration and science missions including director of the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, and director of Propulsion Test at Stennis Space Center in Mississippi. He also focused on strategies for key missions including the Space Shuttle’s return to flight following the Columbia tragedy, then initial transition and retirement efforts for shuttle infrastructure. 

He was inducted into the State of Alabama Engineering Hall of Fame in 2010, and received numerous awards during his NASA career, including the Presidential Rank Award for Distinguished Executives, the highest honor for federal government work, in 2006, 2010, and 2016. 

Lightfoot earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Alabama where he is a Distinguished Departmental Fellow for the Department of Mechanical Engineering, a College of Engineering fellow, and previously served on the Mechanical Engineering Advisory Board. 

Jared “Rook” Isaacman is the 15th Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

Isaacman grew up in New Jersey as the youngest of the four children of Donald and Sandra Marie Isaacman. Fascinated by aviation and space, Isaacman discovered a passion that would define his career.

Sensing an opportunity in the burgeoning world of digital markets, Isaacman left high school at the age of 16 to found United Bank Card, a payment processing company, from his parents’ basement. The company was later renamed Shift4. Shift4 now serves hundreds of thousands of businesses across the globe. In 2020, Shift4 went public, and in 2025, Isaacman left his role as CEO.

Isaacman’s entrepreneurial spirit extended to aerospace. In 2011, Isaacman co-founded Draken International, which provides training to U.S. military pilots. The company currently services and manages one of the world’s largest private fleets of fighter jets. Outsourcing this critical role to the private sector has saved taxpayers billions of dollars. Isaacman sold the company in 2019.

Outside of work, Isaacman is a skilled pilot with over 8,000 flight hours. He is flight-qualified in multiple military jets, has flown in over 100 airshows, an  Honorary Fellow of the Society of Experimental Test Pilots, and has set numerous world speed records in 2009 while raising funds for the Make-A-Wish®.

In 2021, Isaacman commanded Inspiration4, the first all-civilian orbital spaceflight aboard the Dragon spacecraft. The mission was a major milestone in commercial spaceflight. The three-day flight orbited Earth, raising over $250 million for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital®. Three years later, he led another human spaceflight mission, Polaris Dawn. Reaching an altitude of almost 900 miles, this was the farthest humans have traveled from Earth since Apollo 17. Isaacman performed the first commercial spacewalk, and both missions incorporated dozens of science experiments and achieved milestones that advanced the cause of crewed spaceflight.

On Nov. 4, 2025, President Donald J. Trump nominated Isaacman to be the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and he was formally confirmed by the United States Senate on Dec. 17, 2025.

Richard Garriott de Cayeux is a founding father of the videogame industry and the commercial spaceflight industry, a flown astronaut, and the first explorer to have explored pole to pole, orbited the Earth, and reached the deepest point in the Ocean.

Richard has been inducted into the computer gaming hall of fame and received the industry lifetime achievement award. He is credited with creating the now ubiquitous term “avatar” for one’s virtual self and the category of massively multiplayer games (MMORPGs). He authored the acclaimed Ultima Series and has built 3 leading gaming companies including Origin Systems (sold to Electronic Arts), and Destination Games (sold to NCsoft).

As a principal shaper of the commercial spaceflight industry, he co-founded Space Adventures, the only company to arrange space flights for private citizens and is the sixth private astronaut to live aboard the International Space Station. The son of a NASA astronaut, he became the first second-generation astronaut, served on NASA advisory Council, has served as president of the Space Explorers Club, and has been a key leader in civilian and commercial space through institutions such as the Challenger Center for Science Education,  the XPRIZE Foundation, and Space Adventures.

Richard is an avid explorer, having traveled around the globe from the jungles of the Amazon to the South Pole, the deep seas of the Titanic and hydrothermal vents to orbiting the earth aboard the International Space Station, and most recently to Challenger Deep, the deepest point in our Oceans.

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.

Mike Wicks is a native of Huntsville and deeply committed to the development of this community.  He is a seasoned engineer and entrepreneur whose four decade career spans Army missile R&D, high growth defense technology startups, executive leadership within a major Fortune 500 defense contractor, and now leadership in cancer immunotherapy at Diakonos Oncology.  Wicks graduated Summa Cum Laude in mechanical engineering from Auburn University, graduated Magna Cum Laude with a master’s degree in engineering from The University of Alabama in Huntsville and was recently inducted into the Alabama Engineering Hall of Fame.

After nearly 45 years in aerospace and defense, and following his own experience as a cancer survivor, Wicks shifted his focus to fight cancer, joining a Diakonos in 2022 to lead the development of state of the art cancer immunotherapies. He now serves as CEO and board member of Diakonos, a clinical stage immuno oncology company with multiple U.S. clinical trials in collaboration with Baylor College of Medicine, MD Anderson, and UTHealth Houston as well as an international cancer treatment center in Cancun. His community involvement includes serving on several Boards including Regions Bank, UAH Foundation, and i3, Chairing the Huntsville Classic, and receiving the AHA Heart of the Community award.  Through his Wicks Family Foundation, he has benefited the Wicks Family Field at Joe Davis Stadium and the Wicks Family Garden at the Huntsville Botanical Gardens. A fifth-generation Huntsville native, Wicks is the great-great-grandson of William L. Quick, who built and flew the country’s first monoplane which is displayed in the USSRC Davidson Center.

Avi Turetsky is a Partner and Head of the Quantitative Research Group at Ares Management, a global investment management firm, where he oversees the Quantitative Portfolio Strategies and Research & Data Science teams. Previously, he was COO of the European private equity business of the Riverside Company. He is also a Board Member of the Defined Contribution Alternatives Association.

Academically, Turetsky is an Engaged Management Scholar Research Fellow at the Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University and a member of the Research Council of the Institute for Private Capital at the University of North Carolina. He is also a member of the Advisory Boards of the INSEAD Private Equity Initiative and the EDHEC Infrastructure Institute. He holds a B.S. from Bar-Ilan University in Economics, an M.B.A. from INSEAD and a Ph.D. in Management from Case Western.

He is the proud father of a multi-time space camp alumna and is a frequent visitor to Huntsville.

Kathi Tew serves as the COO and CFO of the Baron Critical Weather Institute (Institute), a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization located in Huntsville, Alabama, that is dedicated to providing world-class weather instrumentation for public safety, educational outreach, and economic development. Recognizing the significance of STEM opportunities for students of all ages, the Institute has developed partnerships with the University of Alabama Huntsville (UAH) and Cullman High School, which offer essential technical support to our innovative Weather Instrumentation Systems as the Institute works to establish a statewide “WeatherNet.”

Kathi is a proud graduate of Momentum and Leadership Greater Huntsville. She actively participates on several community boards and has successfully chaired over fifty fundraisers in the past fifteen years, supporting various organizations in Huntsville that make a positive difference in people’s lives.

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).

Keith Schonrock III is currently a Content Management Consultant at Wolters Kluwer where he has worked since 2011. He has managed developers, overseen the development of major content automation projects, and developed programs and utilities to help healthcare professionals perform their duties. He also has experience with data digitization, migration, organization, and process improvement. Prior to working at Wolters Kluwer, Keith worked at Teledyne Brown Engineering and Intergraph Corporation (now Hexagon). He holds a Bachelor of Science in Aviation Computer Science from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.

Beyond his professional achievements, Keith is deeply committed to community engagement, particularly in advancing recreational and educational initiatives. He has served in leadership roles for multiple organizations, including the Huntsville Ice Sports Center Municipal Board of Control, where he played a pivotal role in expanding and sustaining the facility. As President of the Skating Club of Huntsville, he works to elevate the club’s national presence and enhance its operational effectiveness.

Keith has also been active in the local arts community with organizations including Fantasy Playhouse, Alabama Youth Ballet Theater, and Community Chorus. He was also a founding member of the Rocket City Curling Club in 2018. In his youth, he achieved a fourth-place finish at the 1994 United States Figure Skating National Championships in Novice Ice Dancing and a sixth-place finish at the 1994 United States Olympic Festival Figure Skating Competition in Novice Ice Dancing.  Keith and his family enjoyed the amazing experience of attending Family Space Camp in 2022.

Suzanne Saltz is a director and first assistant director for television. Prior to making her directorial debut on NCIS: Los Angeles, Suzanne worked her way up on a variety of television shows, including Beverly Hills 90210, JAG, NCIS, Six Feet Under, Bones, Pushing Daisies, and NCIS: Los Angeles. Suzanne received her bachelor degree in Political Science from the University of California, Los Angeles. After graduation, she was accepted to the Director’s Guild of America Producer Training Plan. Attending Space Camp in August of 1985 was pivotal because Space Camp the movie was being filmed during her time at the Space and Rocket Center. Suzanne is an active member of the Director’s Guild of America, Alliance of Women Directors and the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Suzanne has two adult children and resides in Bakersfield, California with her husband and two dogs; they spend their holidays in Bella Vista, Arkansas.

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.

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.

Mr. Jim Rogers departed Lockheed Martin in October 2022 after serving over 9 years in the Corporation. He was the Vice President, Army Programs Integration, Government Affairs, in Huntsville, AL for Lockheed Martin Corporation. Mr. Rogers was responsible for leading Lockheed Martin’s Army and SOF efforts to meet critical warfighting and defense capability requirements across a broad portfolio of programs. In this capacity his responsibilities include the integration of all related activities and programs in the Lockheed Martin Field Offices across the United States, as well as the Pentagon and on Capitol Hill.

Mr. Rogers joined Lockheed Martin in January 2013 after completing 34 years of distinguished service in the United States Army. Previously, Mr. Rogers was the Commanding General for the Aviation and Missile Command at Redstone Arsenal, Alabama. Mr. Rogers is a career Ordnance Officer, having served in tactical, operational, and strategic sustainment roles throughout the world. From August 2008 to August 2010, he served as Commanding General of the 1st Theater Sustainment Command, Ft Bragg, NC, with a forward headquarters in Kuwait. During this period, he supported the drawdown in Iraq and the simultaneous buildup of equipment and troops in Afghanistan. Mr. Rogers served as the Commanding General Joint Munitions Command at Rock Island, IL, from September 2005 to July 2008, supporting all Services with conventional ammunition throughout the world.

Mr. Rogers holds a bachelor’s degree from the United States Military Academy, West Point, NY and a master’s degree from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI. Mr. Rogers is also a graduate of the US Army War College.

Wes Kelley serves as President and CEO of Huntsville Utilities, a position he has held since 2017, making him only the fifth CEO in the organization’s seven-decade history. Under his leadership, Huntsville Utilities provides electric service to over 200,000 customers, water to more than 100,000, and natural gas to 56,000 customers in Huntsville and Madison County, making it the 17th largest publicly-owned utility in the nation.

Kelley graduated from Hillsdale College in Michigan. Before joining Huntsville Utilities, he led Columbia Power & Water Systems and Pulaski Electric System in Tennessee. Kelley has received national recognition, including the Mark Crisson Leadership and Managerial Excellence Award from the American Public Power Association, which honors managers who lead their organizations to new levels of excellence. He actively serves his community on the U.S. Space & Rocket Center Commission and on the boards of the Huntsville/Madison County Chamber and Huntsville Botanical Gardens.

Homer Hickam first served on the U.S. Space & Rocket Center Education Foundation board from October 2015-2019 and rejoined the Foundation in November 2022 in his capacity as the Development Chair for the Alabama Space Science Exhibit Commission (ASSEC). Hickam has been a writer since 1969 after his return from Vietnam. While working on his writing career, Hickam was employed as an engineer for the U.S. Army Missile Command from 1971 to 1981 assigned to Huntsville, Alabama, and Germany. He began employment with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) at Marshall Space Flight Center in 1981 as an aerospace engineer. During his NASA career, Hickam worked in spacecraft design and crew training. Prior to his retirement in 1998, Hickam was the Payload Training Manager for the International Space Station Program.

Hickam has received many awards and honors. Among them are the prestigious University of Alabama’s Clarence Cason Award and the Appalachian Heritage Writer’s Award for his memoirs and fiction. He also received an honorary Doctorate of Literature from Marshall University. In 2025, he was inducted into the Space Camp Hall of Fame.

In addition to serving on boards at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center, Hickam volunteers many hours at the Center speaking to teachers who continue to be inspired by his book Rocket Boys, a story of the teacher who encouraged his love of rockets and space exploration.

Virginia Davies was born and raised in Toronto, Canada, before relocating to New York City.

Her career spans government, banking, law, and defense. Currently, she works as a consultant for American Fuel Resources LLC, co-founded USPredistics, and has previously served on several not for profit boards, including Solar One NYC.

With an impressive background in banking, currency, supply chain management, and law, she has held numerous notable positions. Virginia’s achievements demonstrate her breadth and ability to develop and implement “white paper” strategic solutions.

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.

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.

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.

Dr. Gretchen Green is a radiologist and educator who flew to space aboard Blue Origin’s New Shepard as part of the NS-32 mission in 2025, becoming the first commercial woman physician astronaut.

A four-time Space Camp graduate and recipient of both the Right Stuff and Outstanding Camper awards, Dr. Green began her teaching journey as a Space Camp crew trainer while attending Brown University, leading high school students through simulated shuttle missions. She is now a proud parent of two Space Camp alumni—one of whom also completed Aviation Challenge—and remains a passionate advocate for STEM and history education.

A lifelong explorer with a commitment to service, she bicycled across the United States at age 16 to raise awareness for world hunger, and in 2022, journeyed to the North Pole. She completed medical training at Harvard, Yale, and Brown, and now teaches, coaches, and speaks full time to help others pursue their highest purpose and personal excellence.

She has served on the U.S. Space & Rocket Center Education Foundation board since 2023 and previously served as Chair of the Space Camp Alumni Board.

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.

George has spent his career solving problems. Over the past 20 years, he helped lead NASA to new heights, created hundreds of quality jobs in the Antelope Valley, and supported front-line responders and public health through his work on the wildfire crisis.

George began his career in the space sector, where he served as executive director of the National Space Society from 2004 to 2008. He served as Chairman of the Reusable Launch Vehicle Working Group for the FAA’s Commercial Space Transportation Advisory Committee, on the board of Astronomers Without Borders and the Space Generation Foundation, as well as the Advisory Committee of the Secure World Foundation. He also co-founded Yuri’s Night, an annual celebration of human spaceflight, alongside his wife Loretta Hidalgo Whitesides.

George worked on President Obama’s transition team in 2008, and then served as Chief of Staff for NASA for the Obama administration. George led reform of NASA to enable current U.S. space leadership, and was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal, the agency’s highest honor. He then became first CEO of Virgin Galactic, the human spaceflight company founded by Richard Branson. He grew the company over a decade from a small team to the global aerospace firm it is today, creating 700 jobs in the Antelope Valley and flying the first woman to space on a commercial space vehicle.

Now, he’s serving his first term in Congress, representing the Antelope Valley, Santa Clarita Valley, and San Fernando Valley in Washington. As Vice Ranking Member of the Science, Space, and Technology Committee, he oversees NASA’s annual budget and uses his position to push back against federal attacks on science.

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.

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.

Ryan Brukardt is a nine-time camp Space Camp® graduate and both of his teenage girls have attended Space Camp®. He has been on the board since November 2017.

Ryan leads much of McKinsey’s global work in the Aerospace, Defense, and Space industry. 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.

Before joining McKinsey, Ryan was a Partner at Booz & Company. Prior to starting his consulting career, he was a space- and missile-operations officer in the U.S. Air Force. He retired in 2019 from his last assignment as a Reservist advising senior leaders on nuclear-policy matters at U.S. Air Force Headquarters at the Pentagon.