Space Foundation Press Releases


Space Foundation Announces Changes to Its Board of Directors

Written by: Space Foundation Editorial Team

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Oct. 30, 2019) – The Board of Directors of the Space Foundation met today and approved the following changes to its Board, effective Oct. 30, 2019.

Executive Committee

The following Executive Committee terms will expire in 2021:

  • Elected to Chairwoman – Kathryn C. Thornton, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus, University of Virginia, former NASA astronaut
  • Elected to Vice Chairman – Jeffrey D. Grant, former Sector Vice President and General Manager, Space Systems, Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems (Ret.)
  • Elected to Secretary – Peter Trainer, Vice President and General Manager, Air Force Solutions, BAE Systems
  • Elected to Treasurer – The Honorable Thomas C. Feeney, III, President and Chief Executive Officer, Associated Industries of Florida, former member of Congress

Former Treasurer Hoyt Davidson, Managing Partner, Near Earth LLC, is transitioning from the Executive Committee to the Board of Directors.

Space Foundation Chief Executive Officer Thomas E. Zelibor also serves on the Executive Committee.

Director Emeritus

Elected to Director Emeritus was former Chairman Gen. William L. Shelton, USAF (Ret.), former Commander, Air Force Space Command.

Life Directors

Elected to Life Directors were:

  • Michael Gass, former President & CEO, United Launch Alliance
  • Fritz Merkle, Ph. D., Senior Representative of the Executive Board, OHB SE
  • P.J. O’Rourke, Political Satirist and Journalist

New to the Board of Directors

Elected to the Board of Directors were:

  • Nicolas Chamussy, Advisor, Airbus
  • Paul Engola, Chief Human Resources Officer and Head of Business Partnerships, Leidos
  • Gen. Samuel Greaves, USAF (Ret.), former Director, Missile Defense Agency
  • Jeanne Meserve, former Correspondent, CNN and ABC News

New Generation Space Leader

Lauren Smith, Program Manager, Resiliency & Prototyping, Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems

Lauren Smith replaces Phil Larson as New Generation Space Leader. Larson is Assistant Dean and Chief of Staff, University of Colorado Boulder College of Engineering and Applied Science. He has finished his term on the Board of Directors.

Continuing on the Board of Directors

  • Alice Bunn, Ph.D., Director of Policy, UK Space Agency
  • Christopher U. Browne, Deputy Director, Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum
  • Lisa Callahan, Vice President and General Manager, Commercial Civil Space, Lockheed Martin Space System
  • James H. Chilton, Senior Vice President, Space and Missile Systems, Boeing Defense, Space & Security (BDS)
  • William Gattle, President, Harris Corporation Space and Intelligence Systems
  • Blake E. Larson, Corporate Vice President and President Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems

Special One-Year Term

Lon C. Levin, President and CEO of GEOshare, was reelected to a special one-year term on the Board.

See complete Space Foundation Board of Directors and leadership information at www.spacefoundation.org/who-we-are/leadership. 

About the Space Foundation
Founded in 1983, the Space Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and the world’s premier organization to inspire, educate, connect, and advocate on behalf of the global space community. It is a leader in space awareness activities, educational programs, and major industry events, including the annual Space Symposium. Space Foundation headquarters is in Colorado Springs, Colo., USA, and has a public Discovery Center, including El Pomar Space Gallery, Northrop Grumman Science Center featuring Science On a Sphere®, and the Lockheed Martin Space Education Center. The Space Foundation has a Washington, D.C., office, as well as field representatives in Houston and on the Florida Space Coast. It publishes The Space Report: The Authoritative Guide to Global Space Activity, and through its Space Certification™ and Space Technology Hall of Fame® programs, recognizes space-based innovations that have been adapted to improve life on Earth. Visit both websites — www.SpaceFoundation.org and DiscoverSpace.org — and follow on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube.

Space Foundation contact:
Carol Hively, Director – Public Relations & Team Communications
[email protected]


Posted in Space Foundation Press Releases