Natalya Bailey is an experienced leader and investor in deep tech companies. She founded Accion Systems, an ion engine company, leading it for ten years before it was acquired. Most recently, she ran strategy at Bloom Energy, a company making fuel cells and electrolyzers. Natalya is currently serving as a fractional COO/founder, lending her technical expertise in propulsion, electrochemistry, and semiconductors to stand up early finance and go to market strategy for companies including Curated Innovation, a patent and technology strategy firm. She’s passionate about the people side of deep tech companies and building organizations that will be successful and good places to work for the long term. For the past four years she has also held an investment partner role at XFactor Ventures, where she has focused on deep tech and hardware companies founded by women, and she helps a few other funds with technical diligence in new areas like additive manufacturing, space, and quantum computing.
People Category: Moderator
Amanda Mitskevich
Amanda Mitskevich is the program manager of the Launch Services Program at NASA’s John F. Kennedy Space Center in Florida, where she is responsible for overseeing NASA’s provision and management of domestic commercial launch services for robotic missions. She ensures overall mission success through leading, managing and directing the progress of planning and acquisition of launch services, commercial launch vehicle engineering and analysis, mission integration, launch vehicle production, launch site processing, launch campaigns and launch. Prior to her current position, she served as the program’s deputy program manager. She has been employed with NASA for over 30 years.
Previously, Mitskevich was the chief of the Flight Projects Office in the Launch Services Program. This office provides the mission management of the launch service across NASA’s commercial launch vehicle fleet. During her tenure, the mission managers, under her direction, managed over 30 successful missions through launch and implemented many cross-cutting processes to enable consistent and customer-focused management of the missions. Before becoming the office chief, Mitskevich was a mission manager in the
Launch Services Program, where she successfully led several mission teams for spacecraft that were managed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Marshall Space Flight Center and Goddard Space Flight Center; the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; and private industry. Additionally, in 1998, she was instrumental in transitioning and consolidating major elements of the Launch Services Program from Goddard Space Flight Center and Glenn Research Center to Kennedy Space Center.
Her previous experience includes several Shuttle Operations positions, managing projects, such as implementation of improvements to aid in more efficient orbiter processing operations, optimization of the Orbiter Logistics resources for sparing orbiter hardware, and implementation of new processes for award fee evaluation of the contractors across all logistics elements. Additionally, she served as a management intern to Kennedy Space Center’s director.
Mitskevich has received numerous achievement and performance honors throughout her career. She was awarded a Distinguished Alumni Award from the University of Central Florida, where she received her Master’s degree in Industrial Engineering. She also holds a Bachelor’s degree in Industrial and Systems Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology and was featured in the “Georgia Tech Alumni Magazine.” Mitskevich is a registered professional engineer and holds a Federal Acquisition Certification in
Project management. Her honors also include NASA’s Outstanding Leadership Medal, Distinguished Service Medal, Distinguished Presidential Rank Award, and the Florida National Space Club’s Debus Award.
Brian Brady
Dr. Brian B. Brady is a Principal Scientist at the Aerospace Corporation. Brian received his Ph.D. from Columbia University and his bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from the University of Pennsylvania. Brian is currently investigating hybrid rocket motor testing, methane coking rates, and green propellant properties in a new propulsion research facility. He also investigates small satellite propulsion technologies. He tested flammability of launch vehicle coatings, safety of monopropellant replacements for hydrazine, and explosion generated debris risk for satellites. He is a member of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics where he serves on the Hybrid Rocket Technical Committee, and of the American Chemical Society where he is an ACS Fellow and a councilor for the Southern California Local Section.
Mary F. Wadel
Mary F. Wadel serves as the deputy director of Aeronautics at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s John H. Glenn Research Center in Cleveland. In this capacity, she assists in overseeing the center’s investments in research and development projects under the agency’s Advanced Air Vehicles, Integrated Aviation Systems, Airspace Operations and Safety, and Transformative Aeronautics Concepts Programs.
Immediately prior to her appointment, Wadel was the Formulation Co-lead for NASA’s proposed Electrified Powertrain Flight Demonstration Project, which will advance electrified aircraft propulsion technologies for commercial use. She will continue in this role concurrently until project formulation is complete.
Wadel began her NASA career in 1988 performing experimental research in rocket propulsion. She transitioned to working in aeronautics in 1999 as the project manager for aircraft icing. Since then, she has gone on to hold several project management positions, including stints with the Advanced Air Transport Technology Project, Cryogenic Fluid Management Project and Technology Investments in the Aeronautics Test Program. Wadel also spent eight years as the chief of NASA Glenn’s Aircraft Icing Branch.
The Ewa Beach, Hawaii native is the recipient of several individual and group awards, including the NASA Exceptional Service Medal and The Robert J. Collier Trophy as part of the Commercial Aviation Safety Team. She holds a bachelor’s in aerospace engineering from the University of Cincinnati and master’s in aerospace and mechanical engineering from Case Western Reserve University. Wadel and her family reside in Medina, Ohio.
Vernon McDonald
Dr. Vernon McDonald is currently Senior Vice President at KBR, leading their Strategic Solutions Group, a future-focused business unit helping execute long-term strategy and create breakthrough solutions. Strategic Solutions works across technical domains, engaging and connecting subject matter experts, cultivating and integrating technology-enabled capabilities, and executing R&D programs.
Dr. McDonald received his PhD from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and his MBA from The University of Texas at Austin. His career has focused on integrating science, technology and operations at all phases of the project lifecycle to deliver robust solutions in support of space exploration, defense modernization and human health and performance.
Teresa (Teri) M. Finchamp
Teri Finchamp serves as the director of the Future Production System team in Product Development for Boeing Commercial Airplanes. In this role she leads efforts to create and optimize a production system for the company’s next new airplane. Her team emphasizes safety,stability and repeatability. Previously she held the position of director of Production System Engineering on the New Mid-Market Airplane (NMA) program for BCA.
Finchamp earlier served as director of Advanced Operations and Quality of Phantom Works within Boeing Defense, Space & Security (BDS). In this position, she provided functional support by implementing cutting edge affordability initiatives into programs around Phantom Works, a research and development organization that designs, builds, tests and operates prototypes across a variety of environments – from space to seabed.
Prior to this position, Finchamp managed teams on the Joint Strike Fighter program. She led a fabrication team on the X-45C, which later operated under the name Phantom Ray. During her tenure with the program, the team completed a successful flight test program. She also served in a manufacturing leadership role on the Phantom Eye program.
Beginning her management career as a foreman on the F/A-18 program in 1996, Finchamp was promoted within a year to general foreman and moved into Phantom Works.
Her career with Boeing started in 1988, when she hired in as an industrial engineer for the F-18 and C-17, later adding responsibilities for T-45 and AV8B where she gained technical expertise in advanced aircraft and program quality excellence. Prior to her Boeing career, Finchamp worked with Ryerson Steel for three years in fabrication.
Finchamp holds a bachelor’s degree in engineering management from the Missouri University of Science and Technology and a master’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Missouri – St. Louis.
Akbar Sultan
Mr. Sultan is responsible for NASA’s aviation operations and safety research portfolio of more than $120 million across four research centers. AOSP works with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), industry and academic partners to conceive and develop Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen) technologies to further improve the safety of current and future aircraft moving through the National Airspace System.
NextGen activity includes research to enable service oriented architecture and integrated demand management operational efficiencies in the surface, terminal, en route, and oceanic operational domains for traditional aircraft, unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), and future autonomous systems. The program is also responsible for aviation safety research in the areas of aircraft state awareness, prevention of aircraft loss of control, verification and validation of complex systems, prognostic safety through data mining, and real-time system-wide safety assurance. A key focus is on developing and demonstrating enhanced systems that will enable routine access to the airspace by emergent users of UAS, especially in support of evolving urban air mobility concepts.
Sultan is the NASA co-lead on the NASA/FAA Research Transition Teams, which are organized to enable efficient and effective transition of NASA research into FAA implementation roadmaps.
He is also the NASA liaison to the multiagency NextGen Interagency Planning Office, and leads the program’s international collaboration activities.
Sultan has 20 years of professional experience in aerospace and air traffic management research and development.
Previously, Sultan was a NASA liaison to the Joint Planning and Development Office in the ongoing development of NextGen, where he led the development of NextGen operational improvements. He also served as the Software Configuration, Release, and Verification and Validation Manager for the Terminal Radar Approach Control automation system at NASA’s Ames Research Center in California. There he was responsible for gaining FAA certification for NASA prototype systems in operational field trials.
Sultan received two bachelors of science degrees – in mechanical engineering and in aeronautical science and engineering – from the University of California Davis, and a master’s of science degree in aerospace engineering from San José State University.
Chris Hernandez
Chris recently retired from a 42-year career in aerospace and defense. His last position was with Northrop Grumman where he led the Research, Technology, and Engineering organization for their Aerospace Systems Sector.
He had served in many capacities over his career including, Chief Engineer for the B2 Bomber, Chief technology Officer, General Manager of the Unmanned Systems Business and Program management of a variety of programs including fighters, bombers, weapons, radars and ISR platforms.
Prior to Northrop Grumman he worked for Rockwell International on the NASA Space shuttle program and advanced launch vehicle concepts.
Hernandez earned a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from California State University, Long Beach and a master’s degree in management from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
He is a current member and former chair of the CSULB Engineering Dean’s Advisory Council and an active member and former chairman of the Aerospace Industries Association Technical Operations Council. He is also presently on the executive Steering Committee for AIAA Aviation Conference. Since 2001, He has served on the board of directors of the Mexican American Opportunity Foundation one of the largest nonprofit social services organization in the U.S. Lastly, he is the president of “Christopher’s Way”, named after his oldest son, a nonprofit chartered to bring awareness to a learning disability called Dysgraphia.
JD McFarlan III
J.D. McFarlan III has 40 years’ experience in the development of advanced aerospace defense products. He is currently serving as Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Vice President of Air Vehicle Engineering. This team provides engineering support for all programs at Lockheed Martin Aeronautics. He previously served as VP and Chief Engineer for Advanced Development Programs ISR/UAS, and Engineering & Technology Vice President for Functional Engineering. J.D. also served for 10 years as Vice President, F-35 Test & Verification. In this capacity he was responsible for managing the overall flight test program and the contract specification verification for the F-35 program. Mr. McFarlan graduated from Auburn University in 1984 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering. Also in 1984, Mr. McFarlan joined the Fort Worth Division of General Dynamics (which subsequently became part of Lockheed Martin in 1995) as a Propulsion Analysis engineer. J.D. received a Master of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Texas at Arlington in 1991.
J.D. has served in numerous positions of responsibility including F-35 Air Vehicle Development IPT lead; F-35 Air Vehicle Development IPT Deputy; Senior Manager F-35 Propulsion IPT; and Program Manager for the F-16 Diverterless Supersonic Inlet Flight Demonstration program.
J.D. is an AIAA Fellow, serves on the Auburn Alumni Engineering Council, Aerospace Engineering Advisory Council for Auburn University and on the Board of Directors of Junior Achievement of the Chisholm Trail in Fort Worth. He is the executive sponsor for Lockheed Martin engagement with Auburn University and was named the 2021 Outstanding Mechanical Engineering alumnus at Auburn University.
J.D. and his wife Tammy of 38 years live in Fort Worth, TX and have two married daughters and three grandchildren.
Dennis Huff
Dennis L. Huff is a Research Aerospace Engineer in the Acoustics Branch at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) John H. Glenn Research Center at Lewis Field in Cleveland, Ohio. Previously, Huff was Deputy Chief of the Aeropropulsion Division and Chief of the Acoustics Branch, and led teams from NASA, industry, and universities to develop engine-noise-reduction technologies. Projects included chevron nozzles and swept/leaned stators that have been proven to reduce jet and fan noise and are being implemented by industry.
Huff received both Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Akron. After working at Sikorsky Aircraft, Huff began his NASA career in 1985 and was awarded the NASA Exceptional Service Medal in 2002 and the NASA Medal for Outstanding Leadership in 2005 and 2014. Huff was the Chairman of the Aeroacoustics Technical Committee of the AIAA and served on a Naval Research Advisory Committee (NRAC) on jet engine noise reduction. He has written many papers on unsteady aerodynamics and aeroacoustics. He served on two Independent Expert Review Panels for the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and presented recommendations for aircraft noise goals at CAEP/9 in Montreal, Canada. He has also participated in ICAO’s Working Group 1 to evaluate noise for future supersonic aircraft.