Support the Center as the Mishap Program Manager; Critical Incident Stress Management team lead; and as a member of the Center’s Medical Emergency Response Team. I am the focal point for Incident investigations at the Center.

Provided System Safety support for LADEE. Helped project to get through Phase II Safety Review and well on their way through Phase III. Generated project Preliminary Hazard Analysis. Created or improved: Hazard Reports; Safety Verification Tracking Log; Missile System Payload Safety Package; AFSPCMAN 91-710 compliance tailoring; Wallops Range Safety Manual Compliance and variance submittals; Failure Modes and Effects Analysis; Fault Tree Analysis; Project Mishap Preparedness and Contingency Plan; Project System Safety Plan; and Propulsion Pyrovalve Functional Inhibits Tree. Provided incident response training to the project. Provided Quality sign-offs for disassembly of the LADEE structure following the Sine Burst Test Mishap.

Worked as the Mishap Investigation Specialist for NASA's Eastern Region (ER), I provided mishap prevention, preparedness, and investigation support to NASA Centers, Facilities; and NASA Programs for NASA's ER.Interfaced with individuals at varying levels of responsibility while performing my job. I interacted with the NASA Chief Safety Officer; Center Directors; S&MA Directors; Center Institutional Safety Office (CISO) Division Chiefs; and CISO POCs for Mishap Investigation.We assisted primarily major (Type A, B, or high visibility) NASA mishap investigations. I provided support as requested by the Chair for the investigation. I helped investigations determine whether events and conditions were causal, contributing, or issues that might cause another mishap in the future if the risk is not addressed. We provided tools to the MIBs to help them conduct the investigation in conformance with NPR 8621.1, and assisted them in their awareness of resources available to further assist them. I encouraged MIBs to assure that they adequately assessed the processes used as well as the processes on paper (i.e., quality systems, safety processes, configuration management, procedural review, drawing control, tool control, design/test review processes, training, maintenance, etc.). I helped MIBs to resolve conflict (almost inevitable on most MIBs) providing guidance and encouragement. I created the process model for MISO - a functional model that describes what our organization does and how we do it. It is a business management system that allows the user to easily navigate and access the different functions performed by MISO and the associated processes and procedures used. Further, the system describes who the customers are, what the deliverables are, when they are due and how the product or service provider is evaluated. It is useful for us to assess and improve our processes, and for new employees to quickly understand their roles and responsibilities.

Was lead for oversight of KSC's major operations and maintenance (O&M) contractor's facilities, systems & equipment, Safety & Mission Assurance (S&MA) activities. Reviewed and signed-off on the contractor's institutional and aerospace facility Systems Assurance Analyses (SAA), including hazards analysis, fault tree analysis, and failure modes and effects analysis. Reviewed specifications and drawings for cranes, institutional facilities, and aerospace facility systems.Was Process Safety Management (PSM) Analyst for KSC. I assured contractor compliance with OSHA 29 CFR 1910.119 for all PSM covered processes and activities that take place at KSC and its Fuel Storage facility at Cape Canaveral Air Station. Planned for and conducted compliance inspections/audits to identify safety regulation deficiencies. To improve KSC PSM, I developed PSM documentation so that a new individual moving into the position (or a person auditing) could easily get a handle on what the program encompasses. Established and documented: an interim change to KNPR 8715.3 for adding KSC PSM requirements; PSM Working Group; and improved the KSC PSM Insight Plan. The plan established measures for assessing the programs, and controls for assuring that safety and quality are not compromised. I audited USA, Boeing, and Fuel Storage Area #1 PSM programs.Was a member of multiple mishap investigations at KSC, and one at SSC. Provided inputs to management for making KSC process improvements via the endorsement letters. Briefed the Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel (ASAP) regarding flight hardware mishaps in 2006.Helped develop preliminary hazards analyses for recovery and retrieval of the Orion crew exploration vehicle; and crew launch vehicle solid rocket boosters for project Constellation. I coordinated with system engineers reviewing their documentation and asking questions to identify the systems, subsystems, functions, commodities, and interfaces for development of the hazards analysis.

Legislative Fellow, on detail from NASA Kennedy Space Center (KSC) - Functioning as a Space and Science Analyst, I provided insight and information to U.S. Senator Bill Nelson regarding NASA; US policy relating to NASA; Commercial Space, Science, and Technology. Led meetings with groups, ranging from senior level officials from NASA, industry, academia, and other federal agencies (foreign and domestic); and discussed the Senator's positions on issues. Learned to listen well, to identify issues worthy of the Senator’s attention.Monitored preparations for return to flight of the Space Shuttle, including review of Return to Flight Task Force reports, and the Certificate of Flight Readiness (CoFR) process. Assessed NASA's progress for closing out CAIB recommendations. Provided status of shuttle program activities following the foam shedding event and fall-out that occurred during the ascent of STS-114. Coordinated with Commerce Committee staffers to discuss and develop legislation for addressing the aging infrastructure issues, and facilities (i.e., wind tunnels) closures facing NASA; and the transition from the Space Shuttle to the next program.Worked with lobbyists, and staffers representing Members of Congress to argue for assuring that NASA was authorized at an appropriate level of funding. Coordinated with staffers in other Congressional Offices and Committees, representing Conferees, to develop the NASA Authorization Act of 2005. During development of the Authorization Act, communicated to the Committee, content and approaches, that they proposed, were not likely to be adopted by NASA, and was correct. My assertions were based upon my experience writing and developing policy, requirements, and procedures at NASA Kennedy Space Center.To assist future Legislative Fellows at more quickly making the adjustment to being a Senate staffer, I captured my lessons and best practices from the year in a multi-tab spreadsheet.

Developed a requirements flow-down matrix which described the traceability, and accountability for the policies, requirements and processes for the KSC S&MA directorate. It was useful for doing a gap analysis and led to development of a web-based graphic requirements, process, and agreements model for each functional discipline of the KSC S&MA directorate.Led an integrated, multi-discipline team of subject matter experts for Reliability and Quality Assurance requirements development and implementation. Worked closely with individuals from all over KSC (some supporting major programs, and others with institutional backgrounds) to assure that the documentation was appropriate, accurate, reasonable, and complete.During the development of the document, we went to great lengths to assure that the Headquarters requirements were not repeated. We evaluated the S&MA documents from other NASA centers and adopted their methods when applicable; and worked to assure that industry standards (when appropriate) are referenced (compliance or guidance) in the document. We also assured that responsibilities for contractor and government were clearly delineated.Provided research support to my management for special topics of interest to senior management regarding KSC safety policy. Provided research and conducted meetings regarding the maximum work time policy at KSC. Along with my senior management we obtained Centerwide buy-in, and updated the maximum work time policy to have more stringent requirements.As part of my additional Safety and Mission Assurance support, researched other topics of particular interest to senior executive management regarding KSC S&MA. For example: Researched motorcycle accident data prior to, and following the new motorcycle helmet law in Florida. Did an in depth analysis, which indicated clear trends for severe injuries and fatalities since the law had changed, and provided my findings to KSC senior management for deliberation and policy making.

Transported consumables, nationwide.

Developed a systematic approach, and tools, for the Hyper-X Flyer (a.k.a. X-43) hypersonic aircraft project's Go/No-Go decision-making process. Obtained information and approaches from numerous sources to guide this endeavor. Helped the project to define their Safety and Mission Objectives, prioritizing them and linking safety and mission critical parameters to those objectives for establishing Hyper-X Flyer safety and mission success criteria.Was assigned to the Helios Prototype, and Predator B aircraft projects in the Environmental Research and Sensor Technology (ERAST) program. Provided safety risk, and technical risk assessments to aid the project managers in assuring mission success by use of sound risk management programs. To accomplish that, obtained buy-in from project managers to utilize a Continuous Risk Management approach for managing risk on the project. Provided tools for enabling them to monitor, assess and control safety, technical, schedule and budget/cost risks. Actively shared and applied lessons learned from one project to the others, and encouraged others to do the same.With the support of contractor/AeroVironment engineers, developed a quantitative FMECA and fault tree for the Helios Prototype’s Energy Storage System (regenerative fuel cell system used for night time operations of the solar powered aircraft). The FMECA required researching failure rates for components and coordination with subject matter experts.Working closely with project personnel at all levels, led the development of a decision tree tool (decision-making tool – maintainability analysis with mission phase time elements) used on the PHYSX Wing Glove Experiment hypersonic research aircraft project for making informed mission assurance decisions in the control room.In close collaboration with system designers and engineers, developed a FMECA for the APEX aircraft system, its ground support equipment, and balloon system designed for hoisting it to release altitude.

Provided instruction to aspiring new snowboarders. Educated them regarding: their equipment; the importance of sunscreen on sunny days; all of the resort rules while on the mountain; how best to fall; how to stop; perform falling leaf; traverse; perform linked, skidded turns; and how to safely approach, use, and exit the chair lifts. Was available as a uniformed, customer service representative while at the resort. Provided private, and group lessons.

Working as the lead Product Assurance Engineer on the Stratospheric, Aerosol, and Gas Experiment III (SAGE III) project, performed the duties of product assurance lead, as well as project safety and quality engineer. That involved failure modes and effects analysis, hazard reports, and assessment of contractor products and processes. Developed a FMECA for the SAGE III interface with the spacecraft. Received software assurance, reliability and quality technician support from other members of the Product Assurance Team. We traveled to the contractor facility (Ball Aerospace, Boulder, CO) and to subcontractor facilities periodically for reviews, meetings, and surveys.Developed and maintained a system for assessing contractor compliance with the contractual product assurance requirements. Provided inputs to Project Management and procurement regarding trends for contractor and subcontractor performance. Was the Product Assurance (Mission Assurance) Engineer on the Photogrammetric Appendage and Structural Dynamics Experiment (PASDE) project, which flew safely on the shuttle in 1995.

Performed preventative maintenance checks and services on wheeled diesel vehicles, and 60KW diesel generators. Assigned weapon, was the crew-served M16 with M203 grenade launcher.

Evaluated the C-17A aircraft during Development, Test & Evaluation - assessing the human interface with the aircraft for loadmasters, pilots and maintainers in terms of safety, workload, and overall layout of their equipment, and provided inputs for improvements. As a human factors for maintainability engineer on the B-2 bomber aircraft, I performed assessments and provided input for improvements on the human-machine interface for aircraft and ground support equipment usability and maintainability; and investigated ground safety incidents.

Built things, and blew things up.