Robert Romero Email & Phone Number

Cleveland/Akron, Ohio Area

Oversees the planning, organizing and managing the Glenn Research Center (GRC) Small Business Innovation Research/Small Business Technology Transfer (SBIR/STTR) Program and Regional Economic Development Initiative. Delivers management support of the Agency's technology transfer mission by providing leadership in pursuing new business relationships and regional economic development with private sector organizations and with other government agencies to secure new business opportunities for the Center. Assures that appropriate and cost-effective business systems and tools support the organization's management activities including planning, decision-making and performance measurements that accomplish the center's technology mission. Supervises personnel engaged in technical investigations, technology trade studies and systems analyses. Participates in agency roadmap, managing the technology portfolio information management system and Center Innovation development activities. Assesses the Center's progress in advancing the Agency's technology investments; strategically analyzing and developing/applying decision support tools; overseeing the activities and resources related to systems that support the organization's resource requirements including workforce, finance and budget planning and tracking. Administers all Directorate contracts as the primary interface with customers.

Cleveland/Akron, Ohio Area

Built and nurtured innovative partnerships that support commercialization and collaboration efforts on behalf of the NASA GRC. Provided Center-wide leadership in pursuing and leveraging relationships between GRC and targeted organizations to engage in partnerships that facilitated GRC ability to grow its commercial business portfolio. Leveraged technology center-wide through technology partnerships with academia as well as with industry, other government agencies and national laboratories and proactively sought to transfer NASA-derived technology to other applications that provided broad public benefits, contributed to economic growth and competitiveness, and improved the quality of life for the public.

Cleveland/Akron, Ohio Area

Served as a senior manager within a Division that is accountability for helping the University reach it goals in the areas of civic engagement, business engagement, and inclusion and campus engagement. Led a University-wide program to achieve the goals of CSU’s Action Plan, which seek to maximize the University‘s asset as an inclusion campus. Served as an advisor to the Vice President for University Engagement and to the President’s Senior Management Teams on matters of institutional inclusion as well as business and civic engagement. Shared in the Division’s overall responsibilities to advance business engagement and civic engagement by serving as a source of knowledge for development of formal collaborations opportunities with businesses, community organizations and government agencies. Represented the Division of University Engagement to CSU colleagues and external partners, both regionally and nationally. Interacted professionally with all internal and external customers using strong interpersonal skills.

Cleveland/Akron, Ohio Area

Served as Senior Advisor for the Dean on business, education and diversity outreach while on an Intergovernmental Personnel Act (IPA) assignment from NASA GRC to CSU Nance College of Business Administration. Collaborated with Dean’s leadership team, faculty, and staff to direct and managed a comprehensive College Student Program with an emphasis on recruitment, retention and financial assistance. Designed, developed, and led the College Diversity Outreach Advisory Council. Established effective educational programs in partnership with national organizations, community leaders, and school districts. Appeared as a guest lecturer and instructor for several business courses at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Led Nance business outreach efforts with regards to commercialization of advanced alternative energy technology. Represented the Dean on the government/corporate partnership team dedicated towards renewable hydrogen technology. Contributed as a member of the CSU Business Advisory Research Committee on Hydrogen Technology. Participated in the strategic planning initiative in cooperation with the CSU Nance College Visiting Committee, consisting of the leaders from corporations and businesses in Northeast Ohio, and throughout the country.

Cleveland/Akron, Ohio Area

Directed, and managed a comprehensive EO Program, encompassing the Special Emphasis Programs, Workforce Diversity, Affirmative Employment Program and Discrimination Complaints Process including Alternative Dispute Resolution Program.Planned for the integration of various components of the Center equal employment opportunity program, such as affirmative action planning, program evaluation, compliance reviews including Title VI and IX conducted and assisted programs, special emphasis programs, recruitment planning, and complaint adjudication with the personnel, budget, and management policies and practices.Developed, conceived, planned, and managed best practices for broad, emerging, or critical large-scale agency programs of significant interest to the public and the government, such as determining the overall integration process of the agency EO functions with other the agency programs. As the designated Center Senior Advisor, provided authoritative interpretations of new or modified legislation or guidance material, such as U.S. Code; Congressional intent; judicial decisions, rulings, and decrees; EEOC, OPM, Department, agency, and other organizational directives; Executive , and Orders; and decisions and rulings from GAO, CBO, and Comptrollers General. Analyzed and evaluated difficult management issues effecting human resources and requiring identification of problems and systems, and determining the root causes and recommending corrective actions that have agency impact.Provided guidance to determine the impact on the Office’s budget and program requirements, and develop required Center policies, procedure and direction while servicing on Center Operation Council to review Center priorities. Managed the NASA human resources matters for the Office including recruitment, hiring, employee performance, labor relations, and training and development through the agency procedures.