Speed Mentoring for the Next Generation

A Leadership Exchange kicked off the New Generation Initiatives for the 26th National Space Symposium April 12 at The Broadmoor Hotel in Colorado Springs, Colo. During this exercise, up-and-coming space professional met with senior industry and military space leaders to gather insight and get career tips.

Speed Mentoring
The "speed mentoring" format had groups of participants moving from table to table for brief conversations with the mentors. The participating senior mentors were:

• Lori Garver, deputy administrator, NASA
• Graham J. Gibbs, counsellor space affairs, Canadian Space Agency
• Paul Graziani, CEO and co-founder, Analystical Graphics, Inc. (AGI).
• Lon Levin, president, SkySevenVentures, and co-founder, XM Radio
• Joanne Maguire, EVP, Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company
• Jim Maser, president, Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne
• Clayton Mowry, president, Arianespace, Inc.
• Kay Sears, president, Intelsat General Corporation, and co-chair, President's National Security Telecommunications Advisory Committee (NSTAC)
• Patti Grace Smith, principal, Patti Grace Smith Consulting
• Dave Taylor, president and CEO, Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp.
• Brig. Gen. David B. Warner, director, communications and information, and chief information officer, Headquarters Air Force Space Command, Peterson Air Force Base
• Deborah Westphal, managing partner, Toffler Associates

What's Next For Me?
The What's Next For Me? workshop complimented the Leadership Exchange, providing up-and-coming space professionals with near-term tactical career advice from space professionals that are mid-stride in their careers. The participating panelists were:

• Ron Birk, director of civil space programs, Northrop Grumman
• Kevin Leclaire, managing director, ISDR Consulting
• Valerie Skarupa, special assistant to the director, Operationally Responsive Space Office

Social Networking Applications
The Social Networking Applications workshop provided up-and-coming space professionals insight into how to elevate social networking applications from personal use to a strategic plan that can advance their organization's goals and initiatives. The participating panelists were:

• Mike Louie, senior manager, specialized services, Hitachi Consulting
• Nicole Jordan, team liaison, X Prize Foundation

The China Story
Brendan Curry, Space Foundation vice president of Washington Ops., Government Affairs, and Zong Ye, of the China Manned Space Engineering Office, shared their experiences from the Space Foundation's historic trip to China last fall. New Gen participants enjoyed pictures and stories that provided for many a first time perspective into the Chinese culture and its space goals and infrastructure.

Pictured: Speed Mentoring for New Generation space professionals at the 26th National Space Symposium