Meet the WHLD Program Fellows

 

The following highly-qualified GS-15 employees have been chosen to participate in the White House Leadership Development Program:

 

MARC ACKIEWICZ  Director, Division of Carbon Capture and Storage Research and Development
U.S. Department of Energy

 

Mark Ackiewicz is the Director for the Division of Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) Research and Development (R&D) at the Department of Energy (DOE).  He is responsible for planning, management, and administration of the division’s $200 million annual budget and its portfolio of R&D activities.  In this role, he leads a team of scientists and engineers that are collaborating and working with industry, national laboratories, and universities on developing advanced and transformational technologies to enhance energy security and reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

Mark also serves as technical lead on several of the Department’s international R&D collaboration efforts, such as the Carbon Sequestration Leadership Forum (CSLF) and the Executive Committee for the International Energy Agency Greenhouse Gas (IEAGHG) R&D Programme. Under his leadership, he has led several multinational task forces and worked cooperatively with partners in standing up the International Carbon Capture Test Center Network.

Prior to his current position, Mr. Ackiewicz also served as DOE’s Carbon Capture Program Manager and Fuels Program Manager. Before joining DOE in 2007, he worked as a consultant, providing technical, analytical, and strategic planning services to the DOE and its technical research programs.  Early in his career, Mark worked in the private sector in various industrial research and engineering positions, where he was responsible for process development and new product scale-up to manufacturing. 

Mark has a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Johns Hopkins University, and a Master’s in Engineering Management from George Washington University. He is married and has two children.

 

BERNADETTE ADAMS  Branch Chief and Senior Policy Advisor
U.S. Department of Education

 

Bernadette Adams is a recognized leader in educational technology policy. As Branch Chief and Senior Policy Advisor for the Office of Educational Technology in the U.S. Department of Education, she has led projects to provide practitioners, policymakers, industry leaders, and other key stakeholders at the federal, state and local level with guidance on: research-based policies and practices implemented by successful Future Ready Leaders; new strategies for evaluating the effectiveness of learning technologies; the role of online communities of practice and social networks in enhancing educator performance; exemplary strategies for district leaders to design, fund, acquire, and maintain technology infrastructure; exemplary strategies, startups and entrepreneurs to leverage technology to solve persistent problems in education; and key considerations for successfully implementing personalized student learning in schools. Prior to joining the Office of Educational Technology, Bernadette worked to advance the use of technology for workforce development at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and the National Partnership for Reinventing Government, and served as a consultant to design an innovative technology-based science curriculum for the Atlanta Public School District.

Bernadette is passionate about serving as a collaborative leader, using social media and cutting edge technology tools to reach a wide audience of diverse stakeholders to create processes for gathering input, building support, and communicating both successes and challenges. She is diligent in all her work to foster a culture of trust and innovation by supporting risk taking, experimenting, and sharing innovative ideas.

Bernadette holds a BS in Biochemistry from UC San Diego, and MA from the Education in Math, Science and Technology Division of the UC Berkeley School of Education. You can follow her on Twitter and LinkedIn.

 

KELLY ALEXANDER   Director, Common Operating Environment (COE)
U.S. Department of the Army
Department of Defense

 

Kelly. Alexander serves as the ASA(ALT) Director, COE for System of Systems
Engineering & Integration (SoSEI) to oversee, direct and guide the Army’s transition to
COE that will enable the Army’s Mission command Network 2020. As the COE Director, she is responsible for the development, implementation, integration, assessment and resource planning of the cross cutting capabilities that are critical enablers to the COE enterprise strategy that synchronizes 11 Program Executive Officers with over 150 programs as they migrate legacy systems to the COE environment. She collaborates with multiple stakeholders to include the Acquisition community, Army Staff, Requirements community, test community and Industry partners to manage the transition and implementation of COE. Ms. Alexander also represents the Executive Director in Army Governance forums such as the LandWarNet General Officer’s Steering Committee and the Army Enterprise Network Council (AENC) General Officer’s Steering Committee.

A member of the Army Acquisition Corps for over 29 years, Ms. Alexander has Senior Level Acquisition Certifications in Program Management from the Industrial College of the Armed Forces (ICAF – now called the Eisenhower School). She also has achieved Level 3 certification in System’s Planning, Research Development & Engineering (SPRDE), and Level 2 certification in Test & Evaluation.

Ms. Alexander has an MS, in National Resource Strategy (ICAF 2006), an MS, in Engineering Management from George Washington University (1996) and a BS, in Industrial Engineering from N.C. State University (1983). She is currently a Doctoral candidate in Systems Engineering at George Washington University.

Recent assignments include Project Director Futures, System of Systems Integration; Associate Director for Brigade Portfolio Management, PEO Integration; Associate Director Technologies, PM FCS; Deputy PM- Combat Support System. PEO CS-CSS; Deputy PM Mobile Electric Power. PEO C3T, and LFT&E Staffing Specialist. OSD DOT&E. Ms. Alexander has been recognized with Performance Awards, to include Superior Civilian Service Award (2011), Commander’s Award for Civilian Service (2005) and Foreign Comparative Test program of the year (1996).

 

DAVID ARMITAGE Chief, European Regional Analysis, Bureau of Intelligence & Research U.S. Department of State

 

Dr. David Armitage heads the European Regional Analysis unit at the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Intelligence and Research (INR).  From 2011- 2013, he was Deputy National Intelligence Officer for Europe at the National Intelligence Council (NIC), where he worked on strategic issues related to Europe and contributed to the NIC’s Global Trends 2030 study. 

Dr. Armitage has also served as the State/INR representative on the President’s Daily Briefing Staff and acting Director of INR’s Office of Cyber Affairs.  From 2004 – 2007, he was an adjunct research fellow at the National Defense University’s Institute for National Strategic Studies, where he focused on the role of the European Union in crisis management and counterterrorism.  Dr. Armitage is the author of A Comparative Analysis of US Policy Toward European Defense Autonomy:  Enduring Dilemmas in Transatlantic Relations (Mellen Press, 2008), and his articles have been published in the United States, Germany, France, and Italy.

 

KATHLEEN CARSON Director, Customer Outreach Division, Office of Customer Accounts & Research U.S. General Services Administration

 

Kathleen Carson currently serves as the Director of the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA), Federal Acquisition Service’s (FAS) Office of Customer Accounts & Research, Customer Outreach Division. In this role, Kathy is responsible for designing and implementing the organization’s corporate marketing and communications program, which encompasses all of the $50B+ markets and stakeholders FAS serves. It is a function that is traditionally viewed as a headquarter ‘Marketing’ function in a commercial Fortune 500 business.

In prior years she has managed the construction of corporate business development tools (such as an enterprise Customer Relationship Management system, and business intelligence tools).  She was a pioneer who led the application of commercial research, analysis, and decision support systems and techniques all aimed to improve FAS customer service support and client engagement activities worldwide. Her efforts set the foundation for strategic and tactical business development activities, customer service planning and feedback systems for the agency- and are all still in use today.  In 1992, she was a galvanizing force that led to the development of GSA Advantage! – the U.S. government’s first commercially open on-line commerce site.

Kathleen began her career as an intern with GSA in 1987.  She is a graduate of Miami University, Oxford Ohio where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration.  She earned a Masters of General Administration from the University of Maryland, University College, College Park, Maryland (1996) and is a graduate of the Harvard University John F. Kennedy School of Government Executive Senior Executive Fellows Program. 

 

CAROLYN FLEMING-WILLIAMS Senior Deputy Director, Office of Communications Business Opportunities (OCBO) Federal Communications Commission

 

Carolyn Fleming-Williams provides leadership in advancing OCBO’s mission to promote competition and innovation in telecommunications ownership and information services.  She also provides support for strategic policy initiatives to promote opportunities for small communications businesses and women-owned and minority-owned communications businesses.  In addition, she represents the office in its role as the principal, small and diverse business policy advisor to the Chairman and Commissioners of the agency.   During her 15-year tenure with the Commission, she has also served as Director, OCBO, and senior attorney with the Media Bureau.  During her tenure as Director, Ms. Fleming-Williams developed recommendations to increase competition, innovation, economic growth, and diversity; coordinated interagency initiatives with the Small Business Administration and the Department of Commerce; and, established an agency-wide small business compliance program. 

Prior to joining the Commission, Ms. Fleming-Williams was corporate counsel with the Communications Satellite Corporation (COMSAT), an international company.  In this position, she advised the CEO and other executives on matters relating to acquisitions, mergers, and joint ventures.  She was also an associate attorney with the law firm now known as K&L Gates LLP, in the Financial Institutions Group, where she represented major financial institutions with regard to negotiations, financial agreements, and transactions.    Prior to joining K&L, she was an Honors Attorney with the U.S. Department of the Treasury where she had the opportunity to have rotations within Treasury’s Office of Legislative Counsel; Office of the Comptroller of the Currency; Office of International Affairs; and, the Chief Counsel’s Office, U.S. Customs Service.  

Ms. Fleming-Williams has been an integral part of many civic and non-profit organizations. She has served as President of DC Habitat for Humanity and had the honor of hosting a “BlitzBuild” with former President Jimmy Carter during which ten houses were constructed during a one-week period in Northeast Washington.  She was appointed by the Fairfax Board of Supervisors to the Civil Service Commission and adjudicated grievances and personnel matters within the first responder community.  She has taught as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Maryland’s School of Business Administration and Management Studies focusing on leadership development.  Currently, she is Chair of the Board of Directors of the Family Crisis Center of Prince George’s County, Inc. which operates a 60-bed residential facility for abuse survivors that provides safe shelter, a 24-hour crisis hotline as well as abuser intervention and anger management programs.  Ms. Fleming-Williams is a graduate of Princeton University and the Georgetown University Law School.  She is also a graduate of the Federal Executive Institute’s Leadership for a Democratic Society program.  She is married to Tony Williams and has one son, Chase.

 

ROBERT GREEN Director, Design and Construction, Project Delivery Division General Services Administration

 

Robert Green is currently the director of the GSA Region 5, Design and Construction division overseeing a design and construction program of approximately $575 million in capital construction projects. Robert started with GSA in 2002 as a contract specialist. He earned his unlimited contracting warrant in 2007 and has been responsible for contracts ranging from $25,000 to over $100 million. Before being named director in 2011, he held increasing levels of responsibility with GSA from contracting team lead to contracting branch manager. As branch manager, he was responsible for the successful execution of Region 5’s Recovery Act capital construction contracts - a program of approximately $750 million.

Prior to GSA, Robert Green served in the U.S. Navy. A 1990 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, he entered Navy flight school in 1991 and was designated a Naval Aviator in 1993. As an F-14 pilot, Robert flew with Fighter Squadron 14. Deploying with Carrier Air Wing 8, he flew in support of Operation Deliberate Guard and Operation Southern Watch. He served as an F-14 instructor pilot with Fighter Squadron 101 before leaving active duty in 2001. He served for 9 years in the Navy Reserve and held numerous assignments with reserve components including Naval Forces Europe Joint Task Force, 6th Fleet Maritime Partnership Program, Strike Force Training Atlantic and as Executive Officer in charge of units in support of Naval Station Rota. Robert retired from the Navy Reserve in 2010 with the rank of Commander.

Robert has a Bachelor of Science in Systems Engineering from the U.S. Naval Academy and an MBA from the University of Illinois – Chicago. He currently resides in Chicago with his wife, Cheryl, and their three children.

 

NOREEN HECMANCZUK Director, Succession Planning and Employee Engagement Mine Safety and Health Administration Department of Labor

 

Noreen M. Hecmanczuk is the Director of the Office of Succession Planning and Employee Engagement at the U.S. Department of Labor’s Mine Safety and Health Administration.  She identifies strategies to reduce succession risk, fosters and promotes the continual development and engagement of the workforce, and positions the agency to have a deep bench of talent in the pipeline to meet future needs.

Previously she served as a Communications Officer at the National Science Foundation where she established an integrated internal communications program to reach a workforce of 2,400 employees and a visitor population of 60,000 per year; managed NSF’s crowdsourcing ideation tool, known as IdeaShare, where employees  could build, rate, and comment on ideas to improve agency and government policies, programs, and operations; and served as the Foundation’s Emergency Communications Officer interfacing with federal, state, and local law enforcement to provide real-time information to staff and visitors. 

Noreen began her federal career with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service where she served in a variety of roles in the Offices of Congressional Relations; International Policy; Executive Management; Public Affairs, Education, and Outreach; and Field Operations.  Her USDA career began at a time when foodborne illnesses related to E. coli and Salmonella were not well-known and spanned high-profile food safety emergencies including the Jack in the Box E. coli outbreak, mad cow disease, bird flu, and numerous large-scale nationwide recalls of food products.  She is proud to have been part of the team that modernized the nation’s meat and poultry inspection system to ensure it is based on science and has safeguards in place to protect public health.

Noreen earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Public Service and a Minor in Business Administration from Penn State University.  She lives in Arlington, Virginia, with her husband Dave, their three smart, strong, and beautiful daughters, and her loveable mutt, Hudson.

 

EMILY KILCREASE Coordinator for the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States Department of Commerce

 

Emily Kilcrease is an international trade and investment expert, specializing in national security investment reviews, trade agreement negotiation and compliance, and trade capacity building. 

Ms. Kilcrease serves as the Department of Commerce’s Coordinator for the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), an interagency body that reviews cross-border transactions that could result in control of a U.S. business by a foreign person, in order to determine the effects of such transactions on the national security of the United States. 

Prior to joining Commerce, Ms. Kilcrease was a Policy Advisor in the Office of International Affairs at the Department of the Interior.  In this capacity, she represented Interior’s interests in Free Trade Agreement negotiations, including the TransPacific Partnership and the TransAtlantic Trade and Investment Partnership.  She also served in a short-term detail at the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative’s Office of Environment and Natural Resources, working on issues related to Peru’s implementation of international trade obligations related to preventing illegal timber trade. 

Previously at Interior, Ms. Kilcrease managed international technical assistance programs designed to help partners in the Middle East and North Africa more effectively manage natural resources, with a focus on combatting illegal wildlife trafficking and managing national parks.  Ms. Kilcrease began her Federal career as a member of Interior’s Office of the Secretary Management Intern Program.

Ms. Kilcrease received a M.A. in International Relations, specializing in International Economics and Development from Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies.  She received her B.A. in Government from Georgetown University, where she was a member of the Government Honors Program.    

 

KEVIN McGHAW Deputy Director, Office of Strategic Analysis and Communications National Aeronautics and Space Administration

 

Kevin McGhaw is an expert in the fields of strategic communications and external affairs with over 22 years of experience in congressional relations, legislative strategy, stakeholder engagement, and public communications.  Named to his current position as the Deputy Director of the Office of Strategic Analysis and Communications in 2015, he is charged with overseeing Marshall Space Flight Center’s (MSFC) strategic development, public and employee communications, external relations, performance and capabilities management, and engineering cost estimating. 

Mr. McGhaw previously served as the manager of the External Relations Office, where he led a team of communications professionals to educate and inform local, state and federal government officials, industry executives, and community leaders.  The office provides critical information to external stakeholders related to the importance of NASA’s missions and goals.  Mr. McGhaw joined MSFC in 2008 as a legislative affairs specialist where he developed and implemented the Center’s legislative strategy, engaged the Center’s elected stakeholders, drafted congressional testimony, and managed congressional communications. 

Over his career, Mr. McGhaw has held various communications and government affairs positions within the federal government, the non-profit sector and private industry. From his early years as a White House staffer to his return to public service with NASA, Mr. McGhaw’s efforts have helped secure funding for the NASA and provide guidance to leadership.

For his service to NASA, Mr. McGhaw received the NASA Exceptional Achievement Medal and the Silver Achievement Medal.  He is also a graduate of NASA’s LASER Supervisory Development Program, Mid-Level Leadership Program and MSFC’s Leadership Development Series.

A graduate of Leadership Huntsville/Madison County’s Focus and Leadership Classes, McGhaw served as NASA’s liaison on the boards of the National Space Club and Tennessee Valley Corridor Inc.

Mr. McGhaw earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from Morgan State University in Baltimore, Maryland.

He and his wife, Rotrice, reside in Madison, Alabama, and have two children, Kaiya and Kevin Jr. 

 

MARGARET REILLY Director, Financial Management Services Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)

 

Margaret Reilly is better known as “Mimi” to just about everyone, including her sort-of-adopted family of five adult children and seven grandchildren.  Mimi is joining the WHLDP cohort from her position as the CFM Director of Finance, where she oversees all aspects of finance for construction projects with a total estimated cost of over $10 million.  CFM has approximately $6 billion of assets in motion to advance VA’s mission in support of our Nation’s Veterans by delivering high-quality medical facilities, either leased or constructed.  She manages a portfolio that includes several projects valued at over $1B each, with a total of approximately 60 projects, all with ongoing construction.  She provides support for the expanding CFM role in leased facilities to bring care closer to the Veteran.  Mimi coordinates everything from the development of the annual President’s budget to inter-agency negotiations, to supervision of a high-functioning, cohesive staff.  She also oversees the continued development and/or maintenance of critical information technology systems.  She has made her mark as an expert in personnel management, finance, and information technology system development and implementation.

Mimi is a Veteran, a retired Lieutenant Colonel of the US Air Force.  She started her career as an Officer in the Nurse Corps.  She rose to the position of Director, Global Patient Movement where she was responsible for all patient movement world-wide.  Her accomplishments include the coordination of the medical airlift response for the Khobar Towers bombings, the return of the war hero Jessica Lynch, and overseeing transcontinental patient movement for the most recent war in Afghanistan and Iraq.  Mimi was also responsible for the Department of Defense’s role in the National Disaster Medical System (NDMS).  This leads us to the next phase of Mimi’s varied and exceptional career.

Mimi retired as a decorated Officer to become the first Executive Officer for NDMS. She joined the newly founded Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency just in time to coordinate patient care, patient movement and mortuary services in the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.  Her experience in medical emergency response and patient movement were pivotal in providing care, patient evacuation and repatriation following the worst hurricane disaster in decades.

Her experience in the fields of medicine, finance and logistics laid the ground work for her selection to the White House Leadership Development program.  Mimi has a Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing from Seton Hall University and a Master’s in Public Administration from Golden Gate University.

 

JOHN RIGG Director, Office of Policy Analysis Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) U.S. Department of Health and Human Services 

 

John Rigg has worked as Director of the Office of Policy Analysis since 2012.  Prior to his work at HRSA, he was a Senior Medicare Analyst at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Office of Legislation.  While at CMS, in addition to his legislative work, John also had significant policy responsibilities over Medicare outpatient drug policy. 

Prior to his federal service, John worked as Vice President for Federal Regulatory Affairs in the Washington DC office of the California Hospital Association.  John came to Washington in 2006 as a recipient of the Winston Health Policy Fellowship, a well-regarded, post-graduate health policy fellowship, which had him working on Capitol Hill for the House of Representatives, Ways & Means Health Subcommittee.  John’s first career was as a Paramedic-Firefighter in Atlanta and in Washington State, and he still practices emergency medicine as a volunteer Paramedic in Calvert County (MD).

John lives with his wife and two sons in College Park, MD, where he serves as his neighborhood association President, sings in his church choir, and is a Commissioner on the city’s planning board.  He has a Master of Public Administration and a Master of Health Administration from the University of Washington and a Bachelor of Arts from Emory University. 

 

VICKI SIMONS Senior Advisor in the Office of Water U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

 

Vicki Anderson Simons is a Senior Advisor in the Office of Water at the US Environmental Protection Agency. During her 25+ years at EPA, she has held a number of leadership positions focused on providing equal opportunity and equal protection to underrepresented and underserved communities both inside and outside of EPA.

In her current capacity, Ms. Simons advises the Office of Water’s top leaders on diversity, inclusion, affirmative employment, and implementation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. In 2015, she launched the Office of Water’s first Special Emphasis Program Advisory Council. Within one year, the council completed a study on OW employee advancement, established a diversity and inclusion Champion network, and initiated efforts to improve accessibility for persons with disabilities.

From 2011-2014, Vicki served as the Acting Deputy Director and Acting Director of EPA’s Office of Civil Rights (OCR). During that time, she co-authored a groundbreaking report which led to significant improvements in EPA’s affirmative employment, outreach, recruitment, and Title VI programs. Building on the report, Vicki implemented a national strategy which included the development of the Deputy Civil Rights Official (DCRO) Network, a senior-level cadre responsible for advancing model civil rights principles across EPA. Vicki also launched a Title VI complaint protocol which utilizes the DCROs to access EPA’s technical and scientific resources. In addition, Vicki revamped and professionalized the EEO Counselor program and increased the use of alternative dispute resolution to resolve EEO complaints. To provide much needed training to EEO officers, Special Emphasis Program Managers (SEPMs) and Reasonable Accommodations Coordinators, Vicki oversaw EPA’s first Civil Rights Virtual Training Conference, which featured web-based tools and real-time facilitation to more than 100 participants nationwide. The training saved EPA over 400K in extramural funds and travel costs. For this accomplishment, Vicki and her staff received the EPA Bronze Medal Award for Commendable Service.

Earlier in her career, Vicki served as an Environmental Protection Specialist and Special Assistant in several EPA programs serving states, tribes and environmental justice communities. She was a key contributor to two EPA environmental justice initiatives: the Check Our Kids for Lead Program-- which received an EPA Gold Medal for Outstanding Service, and the Baltimore Environmental Justice Community Pilot Workgroup.

Vicki holds a Bachelor of Arts in Public Relations from Howard University, and a Juris Doctor from the University Of Maryland School Of Law. She is a member of the Maryland Bar.

 

EILEEN VIDRINE

Chief of Staff, Human Capital Management Office (HCMO)
Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence
Department of Defense

 

Eileen Vidrine joined the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence in 2012, as the DoD Intelligence Community Enterprise Architect for the Human Capital Management Office (HCMO).  In this role, she has led key human capital technology efforts, including the Global Force Management Data Initiative on behalf of the Defense Intelligence Enterprise (DIE) and represented the DIE perspective in the establishment of technical and functional requirements supporting the Intelligence Community human capital strategy.   In 2014, Ms. Vidrine assumed HCMO chief of staff responsibilities adding areas of personnel, contracting and budget to her portfolio. 

From 2006 to 2012, Ms. Vidrine served in various positions of leadership at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence culminating as the Chief of Staff for the Assistant Director of National Intelligence for Human Capital.  Accomplishments included leading information sharing programs with the Office of the Chief Information Officer and delivering Enterprise-level learning technology solutions on behalf of the Chancellor of the National Intelligence University. During Ms. Vidrine's tenure with the Defense Intelligence Agency, she served as senior faculty member and led the college’s technology transformation as the first Director for the Center for Educational Technologies at the National Defense Intelligence College.

Ms. Vidrine is a retired U.S. Army Reserve Officer.  She was commissioned through the Officer Candidate School Program as a U.S. Army Transportation Officer.  Later in her career, she was selected and integrated into the U.S. Army Acquisition Corps, after successfully commanding an automation unit. Ms. Vidrine has a Master's Degree from the University of Southern California; her undergraduate degree is from Ithaca College.  She is married with two children.

 

KENNETH WRIGHT, II  Chief Operating Officer, Research Directorate
National Aeronautics and Space Administration

 

Mr. Kenneth Wright is the Chief Operating Officer of the Research Directorate (RD) at NASA Langley Research. In this role he is responsible for working with the Director and Directorate management team to develop the Integrated RD Strategy. He also manages technical actions for RD Executives. In addition, Mr. Wright leads university, DoD laboratory and international collaborations and he oversees the Integrated Technical Services (ITS) team including Safety Engineers, Contracting Officer Representatives, External Agreements Managers, Metrology/Calibration Engineers, IT Security Manager, as well as the Facility Projects Lead.  Mr. Wright is also the liaison to the Office of the Chief Financial Officer and the Office of Human Capital Management and leads the development of RD budgets and coordinates the development of Directorate workforce strategy.  Formerly, Mr. Wright served in numerous leadership positions in the RD including Associate Director for Program Implementation, Associated Director for Resource Management, and Branch Head of the Advanced Sensing and Optical Measurement Branch. He also served as the Deputy Director for NASA Langley’s Science Directorate.

Mr. Wright led Center and Agency teams such as the Agency’s Technical Capability Assessment Team for Remote Sensing, and the Source Evaluation Board and Procurement Development Team of the Largest Engineering Services Contract on NASA Langley Research Center - the TEAMS 2 contract. His leadership has been recognized by the Agency through numerous group achievement and performance awards, NASA Superior Accomplishment Awards, an Exceptional Service Medal and NASA’s Outstanding Leadership Medal.  

Mr. Wright has approximately 23 technical publications in the areas of ground-based acoustic measurement systems, sensors, and advanced wind tunnel diagnostic techniques and holds a patent for a high density, digital data storage systems. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from Old Dominion University and his Master of Science degree in Systems Engineering from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. Mr. Wright and his wife Joan, are community broadcasters and they have been recognized for their contributions in the community through awards such as the Urban League of Hampton Roads volunteer of the year award. Mr. Wright is also the proud father of three beautiful daughters, Virginia, Kendyl and Keanna.