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Board of Trustees

The Board of Trustees, which meets quarterly, elects corporate officers and sets policy for the Aerospace FFRDC while supervising and directing the general management of the corporation. Corporate powers are exercised under its authority, as outlined in the Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws.

From its inception, the Aerospace board has established and maintained strict conflict-of-interest standards for its members and for the corporation’s officers and employees.

Trustees are elected to three-year terms. Reelection is possible, but no member other than the president and chief executive officer of the corporation, who is elected annually by the board and is an ex officio member, may serve more than three consecutive terms.

Paul Selva
Gen. Paul J. Selva, USAF (Ret.)
Chair

Former vice chair, Board of Trustees, The Aerospace Corporation; former member, Board of Trustees, The Aerospace Corporation; former vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; former commander of U.S. Transportation Command; former command and staff assignments at major command HQs, Air Force HQ, and the Office of Net Assessment, SECDEF

David W. Thompson photo
Mr. David W. Thompson
Vice Chair

Former member, Board of Trustees, The Aerospace Corporation; former president and chief executive officer, Orbital ATK; co-founder and former chairman, president, and chief executive officer, Orbital Sciences Corporation; former special assistant to the president, Missile Systems Group, Hughes Aircraft Company; former project manager and engineer, NASA Marshall Space Flight Center

Isakowitz Leadership Picture
The Honorable Steven J. Isakowitz
Chief Executive Officer and President

Former president, Virgin Galactic; former chief financial officer, U.S. Dept. of Energy; former deputy associate administrator, NASA Exploration Systems Mission Directorate; former branch chief, Science and Space Programs, the White House Office of Management and Budget

Bharat Amin Headshot
Mr. Bharat Amin, NACD.DC

Former executive vice president and chief information officer, Huntington Ingalls Industries, Inc.; former vice president and chief information officer, Newport News Shipbuilding; various former leadership positions at BAE Systems Inc.; various former leadership positions at Electrolux Group North America

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The Honorable Frank Calvelli

Former assistant secretary of the Air Force for Space Acquisition and Integration; former Department of the Air Force service acquisition executive for space systems and programs; former principal deputy director of the National Reconnaissance Office; various former leadership positions at the Central Intelligence Agency

Jeffrey Grant Leadership Headshot
Mr. Jeffrey D. Grant

Former vice president and general manager, Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems and Northrop Grumman Space Technology; former vice president and chief technology officer, Astrolink International; former engineer, Office of Development and Engineering; former director, Office of Plans and Analysis; formerly of the Intelligence Community

Cecil Taylor
Adm. Cecil D. Haney, USN (Ret.)

Chairman, board of directors, Military Child Education Coalition; board member (multiple organizations); former admiral, U.S. Navy; former director, Submarine Warfare and director, Naval Warfare Integration Group, on staff of the Chief of Naval Operations

Hastings Leadership Picture
Dr. Daniel E. Hastings

Cecil and Ida Green education professor of aeronautics and astronautics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT); former dean of undergraduate education, MIT; former assistant, associate, and full professor, MIT; former director, SMART; former chief scientist, U.S. Air Force

Susan Helms
Lt. Gen. Susan J. Helms, USAF (Ret.)

President, Orbital Visions LLC; former commander, 14th Air Force and Joint Functional Component Command for Space; former commander, 45th Space Wing; member of the NASA Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel; former NASA astronaut

James_Vertical
Lt. Gen. Larry D. James, USAF (Ret.)

Deputy director and chief operating officer, Jet Propulsion Laboratory; former deputy chief of staff for Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.; former commander at various squadron, group, wing, and numbered levels, U.S. Air Force

LaPlante leadership headshot (222 x 313)
The Honorable William A. LaPlante

Former under secretary of defense for Acquisition and Sustainment; former president and chief executive officer of Draper Laboratory; former senior vice president and general manager at MITRE National Security; former assistant secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics; various former leadership positions at Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory

Dava Newman Leadership Headshot
The Honorable Dava J. Newman

Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics and Engineering Systems, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT); faculty member, Harvard-MIT Health, Sciences, and Technology; MacVicar faculty fellow; former deputy administrator of NASA; former director, MIT

David Norquist
The Honorable David L. Norquist

President and chief executive officer, National Defense Industrial Association; former senior advisor, Covington and Burling; former deputy secretary of defense; former deputy under secretary of defense; former chief financial officer, Department of Homeland Security; former under secretary of defense/(comptroller)/chief financial officer; former Defense Subcommittee staffer; former budget analyst and director of resource management, U.S. Army; former partner, Kearney and Company

Stephen Preston
The Honorable Stephen W. Preston

Partner, WilmerHale, and chair of the firm’s Defense, National Security, and Government Contracts practice; former general counsel of the Department of Defense, the Central Intelligence Agency, the United States Navy, and WilmerHale; various former positions at the Pentagon and the U.S. Department of Justice

Ray Rothrock
Mr. Ray A. Rothrock

Founder of, board member, and investor in FiftySix Investments LLC; executive chairman of RedSeal, Inc.; former partner and management committee member, Venrock; former director of CAD/CAM Marketing at Sun Microsystems

Gen. David D. Thompson Portrait
Gen. David D. Thompson, USSF (Ret.)

Former vice chief of space operations, United States Space Force (USSF); former liaison of Air Force Space Command to the Pentagon and Congress (during creation of the USSF); former commander of operational space units at the squadron, group, and wing levels, U.S. Air Force

Maj. Gen. Urrutia-Varhall headshot
Maj. Gen. Linda R. Urrutia-Varhall, USAF (Ret.)

Former director of operations, National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency; former assistant deputy chief of staff, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR), U.S. Air Force; former director of ISR, U.S. Southern Command and right hand to the director of National Intelligence and the under secretary of defense for Intelligence

Randall Walden headshot
Mr. Randall G. Walden

Former director and program executive officer, Department of the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics, and member of the Senior Executive Service; former director, assistant secretary of the Air Force (Acquisition); former director, Air Force Test and Evaluation

Patricia Zarodkiewicz
Ms. Patricia J. Zarodkiewicz

President, PatZconsulting; former administrative assistant to the secretary of the Air Force, Headquarters U.S. Air Force (USAF); various former positions at the base, major command, and headquarters levels, USAF; former management and budget analyst, Headquarters Air Force Systems Command

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