People Category: Speaker

Julie Van Kleeck

Julie Van Kleeck retired from Aerojet Rocketdyne last year as the  vice president of the Advanced Space and Launch Business Unit

Julie joined the company in 1981 as a systems engineer.  She specialized in system design and system architectures and was the Chief Systems Engineer on a number of first-generation missile defense systems such as the Advanced Liquid Axial Stage (ALAS) and Brilliant Pebbles.  Many of the technologies pioneered on those systems are still in use in today’s missile defense systems.  She was recognized at Aerojet, GenCorp, the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) office for her contributions to first-generation missile defense systems.

Later, in the company’s Space business area, she played pivotal strategy, capture, and program management roles prior to moving into executive management.  She worked on many Satellite, Spacecraft and Launch Vehicle propulsion programs always working to advance the state of the art of propulsion technology while maintaining focus on Mission Success.   Some of her key accomplishments included:  Managing the Atlas V Solid Rocket Motor program that developed and qualified the Solid Rockets that powered the Pluto New Horizons Mission; Leading the Electric Propulsion Development Organization Responsible for developing Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) Electric propulsion that revolutionized Satellite propulsion, Delivery of the nations next generation Human Space  Propulsion systems such as the Orion and RS25 for SLS.

Throughout her career she worked with DOD, NASA and commercial customers on efforts to advance launch and in-space propulsion and materials and manufacturing technologies.  She is widely known in the aerospace community and has held leadership roles in numerous industry organizations, including the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), Coalition for Deep Space Exploration (CDSE), Powerhouse Science Center and the SLS/Orion industry coalition.  She has also been a champion throughout her career for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) and Women in Aerospace (WIA), being a leader, both internally through Women in Network (WIN) and externally, through numerous industry groups such as WIA, California Assembly task force on STEM as well as working with local junior high and high schools.

Marla E. Pérez-Davis

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Dr. Marla E. Pérez-Davis serves as the director of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s John H. Glenn Research Center in Cleveland. In this position, she is responsible for planning, organizing and directing the activities required in accomplishing the missions assigned to the center. The Glenn staff consists of more than 3,200 civil service and support contractor employees and has an annual budget of more than $900 million. Prior to becoming the director, Dr. Pérez-Davis served as Glenn’s deputy director.

From 2014 to June 2016, she was deputy director of the Research and Engineering Directorate. In this position, Pérez-Davis was responsible for leading, planning, coordinating and managing all phases of Glenn’s research and engineering activities to accomplish NASA missions.

Other key leadership positions Pérez-Davis held at Glenn include director of the Aeronautics Research Office from 2010 to 2014, where she served as the focal point for aeronautics research and provided project management, leadership and oversight in support of the Agency’s aeronautics research mission. Prior to that, she served as chief of the Project Liaison and Integration Office from 2007 to 2010, where her leadership resulted in streamlined business processes, improved contract management practices and improved timeliness response to safety assurance activities. She also served as the chief of the Electrochemistry Branch, where her leadership resulted in strengthening the energy storage and power competencies as well as the establishment of new partnerships in support of NASA missions.

Pérez-Davis is the recipient of numerous NASA awards including the NASA Outstanding Leadership Medal and the prestigious Presidential Rank Award for Meritorious Executives.  She was also the recipient of the 2015 Crain’s Women of Note; the Top 25 Elite Business Women, Hispanic Business Magazine; Women of Color Career Achievement; Distinguished Alumni Award, Alumni Association of University of Puerto Rico Mayaguez; Women in Aerospace Award for Aerospace Awareness; Women of Color Technology Award for Career Achievement; and the Hispanic Engineer National Achievement Santiago Rodriguez Diversity Award.  She is also a certified NASA Lean Six Sigma Black Belt.

Pérez-Davis, a native of Puerto Rico, earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Puerto Rico; a Master of Science degree from the University of Toledo and a doctoral degree from Case Western Reserve University in Chemical Engineering. In 2006, she completed NASA’s Senior Executive Service Candidate Development Program and the Office of Personnel Management Program.

Robert Pearce

Mr. Robert A. Pearce is the associate administrator for NASA ARMD. Pearce manages the agency’s aeronautics research portfolio and guides its strategic direction, including research in quiet supersonic flight over land, urban air mobility, autonomy, highly efficient advanced air vehicle concepts, electrified aircraft propulsion, advanced materials, airspace operations and safety, integration and flight demonstrations of aviation systems, and the nurturing and development of transformative concepts for aviation.

Pearce served as acting associate administrator from August 2019. Prior to that he was ARMD’s deputy associate administrator for strategy, where he led aeronautics research mission strategic planning to guide the content, strategic progress and relevance of ARMD’s research portfolio, and led review and evaluation of ARMD’s budget and approval process.

His first position in ARMD was as director for strategy, architecture and analysis, where he established a strategic systems analysis capability focused on understanding the system-level impacts of NASA’s programs, the potential for integrated solutions, and the development of high-leverage options for new investment and partnership.

From 2003 until July 2010, Pearce was the deputy director of the FAA-led Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen) Joint Planning and Development Office (JPDO). The JPDO was an interagency office tasked with developing and facilitating the implementation of a national plan to transform the air transportation system to meet the long-term transportation needs of the nation.

Prior to the JPDO, Pearce held various strategic and program management positions within NASA. In the mid-1990s he led the development of key national policy documents including the National Science and Technology Council’s “Goals for a National Partnership in Aeronautics Research and Technology” and the “Transportation Science and Technology Strategy.” These two documents provided a substantial basis for NASA’s expanded investment in aviation safety and airspace systems.

He began his career as a design engineer at the Grumman Corporation, working on such projects as the Navy’s F-14 Tomcat fighter and DARPA’s X-29 Forward Swept Wing Demonstrator. Pearce also has experience from the Department of Transportation’s Volpe National Transportation Systems Center where he made contributions in the area of advanced concepts for intercity transportation systems.

Pearce has received NASA’s Exceptional Service Medal for sustained excellence in planning and advocating innovative aeronautics programs in conjunction with the White House and other federal agencies. He received NASA’s Exceptional Achievement Medal for outstanding leadership of the JPDO in support of the transformation of the nation’s air transportation system. Pearce has also received NASA’s Cooperative External Achievement Award and several Exceptional Performance and Group Achievement Awards.

He earned a bachelor’s of science degree in mechanical and aerospace engineering from Syracuse University, and a master’s of science degree in technology and policy from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Jenette Ramos

Jenette Ramos is senior vice president of Manufacturing, Supply Chain & Operations at Boeing, the world’s largest aerospace company and leading manufacturer of commercial jetliners, defense, space and security systems, and provider of global services. Appointed in June 2017, Ramos is a member of the Boeing Executive Council.

Ramos oversees all aspects of Boeing manufacturing, the global end-to-end supply chain, and operations functions which include the Environment, Health & Safety and Facilities & Asset Management teams.

Ramos was previously vice president and general manager of Boeing Fabrication. Fabrication is a global manufacturing team with employees in four countries who are dedicated to building world class composite, metal, electrical and interior aerospace parts, tools and assemblies.

She has also held several leadership positions in business operations, facilities engineering, manufacturing, supplier management, and environment, health & safety.

Ramos began her career in 1986 as a student and joined full-time in 1988 as a facilities engineer responsible for managing environmental operations systems in several global facilities.

Ramos completed the Harvard Business School Advanced Management Program, earned a master’s degree in business from Seattle Pacific University and a Bachelor of Science degree from Washington State University.

Ramos is actively involved in the community. She is currently on the board of trustees for The Nature Conservancy of Washington and is a member of the board of directors for the National Organization on Disability (NOD), and serves as a mentor for the Executive Development Institute.

VADM Jon A. Hill, USN

Vice Adm. Jon Hill is a native of Texas, born and raised on Fort Bliss. A Surface Warfare Officer, designated as an engineering duty officer, he is a graduate of Saint Mary’s University. He earned his Master of Science in Applied Physics and Ordnance Engineering from Naval Postgraduate School.

 

Hill’s first flag officer tour was program executive officer for Integrated Warfare Systems (PEO IWS). In this role, he was accountable for developing and certifying the deployment of all surface ship combat control systems, radars, missiles, launchers, electronic warfare, naval gunnery systems, and surface and subsurface anti-submarine warfare mission capabilities within the fleet and joint force.

Hill previously served as the deputy director, Missile Defense Agency. Other leadership and acquisition engineering positions include AEGIS Shipbuilding (PMS 400), Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) Dahlgren Division and Port Hueneme Division, PEO Theater Surface Combatants, and on the Assistant Secretary of the Navy staff for Research, Development and Acquisition (ASN RD&A).

He also served on the Joint Staff (J-6), U.S. Army Staff for Missile Systems, and as a senior fellow on the Chief of Naval Operations Strategic Studies Group (CNO SSG XXVII). He served as technical director for AEGIS Ballistic Missile Defense then as AEGIS Combat Systems major program manager responsible for delivering Naval Integrated Fire Control and Counter Air (NIFC-CA) and Integrated Air and Missile Defense (IAMD) capabilities to forces afloat.

In June 2019, Hill became the 11th director of the Missile Defense Agency (MDA). In this capacity, he oversees the MDA’s global mission to develop, deliver, and sustain layered capabilities to defend deployed forces, the United States, allies and friends against ballistic missile attacks in all phases of flight.

Personal awards include the Navy Distinguished Service Medal, Defense Superior Service Medal (two awards), the Legion of Merit (two awards), the Defense Meritorious Service Medal (two awards), Meritorious Service Medal (three awards), Joint Service Commendation Medal, U.S. Army Commendation Medal, Navy & Marine Corps Commendation Medal (two awards) and the Navy Achievement Medal (two awards).

JihFen Lei

Dr. JihFen Lei is the Deputy Director for Research, Technology and Laboratories in the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering at the Pentagon. She is responsible for championing the Department of Defense (DOD) Science and Technology (S&T) Enterprise, establishing and implementing the S&T strategic vision and DOD imperatives by identifying strategic investment areas and influencing the DOD-wide S&T Strategy and Planning Guidance across the Department’s laboratories. Dr. Lei provides oversight over the S&T workforce and laboratory infrastructure policy including for Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs) and University-Affiliated Research Center (UARC’s), leading to strengthen U.S. technological superiority with world class defense laboratories, workforce and technologies. She also oversees a broad portfolio of S&T programs including the Basic Research program, Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR)/Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) and Rapid Innovation Fund (RIF) program/portfolios.

Prior to her current appointment in 2019, Dr. Lei served as the Vice President and General Manager of Teledyne Judson Technologies, a business unit of Teledyne Technologies Inc., holding overall Profit & Loss (P&L) responsibilities. Prior to joining Teledyne in 2015, Dr. Lei was the Director of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) John H. Glenn Research Center and Technology Directorate at Lewis Field Cleveland, Ohio. She was responsible for overseeing overall research and advanced Technology development portfolio (propulsion, power, communication, instrumentation & controls, physical and biological science, and material and structures). She became a member of the Senior Executive Service (SES) in 2003; and served within the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, NASA Headquarters and NASA Marshall Space Flight Center. She was a senior researcher with the Army Research Laboratory and NASA Glenn.

Dr. Lei earned her Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering from Northwestern University. She is a graduate of the Leadership and Public Policy Programs from Harvard, Stanford and Bookings. Dr. Lei has published over 100 technical publications and is patented in her field. Her pioneer research and innovation won her three prestigious R&D 100 Awards, the Army Research Laboratory Honorary Medal for Technical Achievement, NASA Turning Goals into Relativity Awards, and Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)/ The American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Best paper award. Her leadership and public service also were widely recognized, including the Presidential Rank Medal of Meritorious Senior Executive, the NASA Public Service Honor Medal and NASA Equal Employment Opportunity Honor Medal. She was inducted into the Ohio Women’s Hall of Fame.

Lorry Wagner

A leadership professional who has a wide range of experience in: Offshore Wind Development, First of A Kind Solutions, Coaching for Performance, Environmental & Regulatory Engagement, and Avoiding Failures.  Exceptional outcomes have been achieved for organizations such as the U.S. Department of Energy, U.S. Department of Defense, Ford Motor Company, NASA, and Global Asset Management. Each success resulted from embracing organizational goals, building the team, asking the right questions, gathering the facts, and coaching the team to success.  Some of these include: securing $65 million from the U.S. Department of Energy for one of two Advanced Technology Offshore Wind Demonstration Projects; attracting $10 million private investment for the first freshwater offshore wind project in North America; and developing a highly profitable Deep Learning Neural Network for trading 30 Year U.S. Treasury Bonds.

He received his Bachelors of Interdisciplinary Engineering, Masters in Nuclear Engineering and his Ph.D. from Purdue University, where he developed several new heat transfer models for Fusion Reactors.  This research included experimental research, theoretical modeling, and empirical simulations to explain and predict liquid metal heat transfer under the influence of a magnetic field.  Over the course of his business career he has led numerous companies including start-ups as well as established businesses. His current role is as Principal of Holt Murphy Advisors, Ltd, a consulting group focused on failure prevention for industrial and offshore wind projects.  Off the clock, he was Team Engineer for KR Powerboat Racing, winner of the 1992 Offshore Profession Tour, as well as Head Coach for two Division I University swimming teams.  He is a lifelong boater and member of Cleveland Underwater Explorers (CLUE), who have discovered more than 30 wrecks in Lake Erie.

James Faist

Recognized expert in advanced technologies in the field of defense

James “Jim” A. Faist is a recognized expert in advanced sensors, weapons, and electronic warfare for space, air, and ground capabilities, with an extensive and distinguished career in industry and government in national defense. He has been recognized through progressive responsibilities and experience in military operations, advanced technologies, system development, engineering leadership, and program management. Jim is a member of the Board of Directors of Trident Systems Inc., Rapid Flight Inc.  and Stratolaunch Systems, Inc. He received the Exceptional Public Service award from the Office of Secretary of Defense in 2021.

Jim is currently the President of Faist Advisory LLC providing consulting services to the US government and the US defense industry.

Jim was the first Director of Defense Research and Engineering for Advanced Capabilities in 2018, reporting directly to the Under Secretary of Defense Research and Engineering within the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) until 2021. Jim directed an organization whose mission is to recognize, explore, and force the development and integration of new technology to maintain U.S. technological superiority. He was responsible for establishing a Department of Defense joint mission engineering capability, oversight of developmental testing and test facilities as well as demonstration and validation of technology prototype and rapid fielding activities.  Jim served as the mission area advisor for warfighter portfolios in hypersonics, space, autonomy, and networked command, control, and communication architectures.  He also provided independent technical risk assessments of all major acquisition programs.

After departing OSD was the Vice President, Chief Technology Officer for Lucent Government Solutions (LGS) Labs part of CACI International leading the development of advanced 5G, artificial intelligence (AI), electronic warfare, cyber, and communications technologies in support of future intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities for the Intelligence Community (IC) and the Department of Defense (DOD) until starting his own firm in 2022.

Previous to his appointment at the Department of Defense, Jim was chief engineer for the Northrop Grumman and Harris Corporations advanced technology developments.  He held senior executive positions at Schafer Corporation, Trident Systems Incorporated, and System Planning Corporation.  Prior to his work in the industry, he served in the United States Air Force as a Weapons Systems Officer and an Electronic Warfare Officer in the F-4D/E Phantom II fighter aircraft.

Jim earned a Bachelor of Science with honors in Electrical Engineering from the Virginia Military Institute in Lexington, Virginia, and a Master of Science in Electrical Engineering from Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, with emphasis on microwave and power systems. During his career he received numerous performance awards and honors from the U.S. Air Force, academia, and industry and is a recognized speaker in his field.

Select awards of particular note include the Exceptional Public Service by the Office of Secretary of Defense and the US Air Force Top Gun, the highest competitive unit award, which he won twice in his specialty.

Anthony J. Calise

While at Georgia Tech, Dr. Calise built a program in Flight Mechanics and Control (FMC).  During his tenure the FMC disciplinary area grew to 5 faculty members, and was considered one of the best in the country.  He also started the UAV lab.  His research program was funded by NASA, the Air Force Office of Scientific Research, the Army Research Office and a variety of Air Force laboratories and corporate sponsors.  Throughout his academic career Dr. Calise served as a consultant to industry in the areas of helicopter, aircraft, launch vehicles, satellites and guided parafoil flight control.  He is a Fellow of AIAA, and nationally and inter-nationally recognized as an expert in the areas of guidance and flight control, and control of flexible systems.