Larry D. James has served as Deputy Director and Chief Operating Officer since 2013. As the Laboratory's Chief Operating Officer, he is responsible for the day-to-day management of JPL's resources and activities. This includes managing the Laboratory's solar system exploration, Mars, astronomy, physics, Earth science, interplanetary network programs, and all business operations. These activities employ 6,000 scientists, engineers, technicians, and business support personnel, generating $2.6 billion in annual revenues.

Prior to his retirement from active duty in 2013, Lt. Gen. James was the Air Force Deputy Chief of Staff for Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance at the Pentagon. He was responsible to the Secretary and Chief of Staff of the Air Force for policy formulation, planning, evaluation, oversight, and leadership of Air Force intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities and led more than 20,000 Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance officers, enlisted and civilians across the Air Force ISR Enterprise.

Lt. Gen. James received his Bachelor of Science in Astronautical Engineering (1978) from the US Air Force Academy (Distinguished Graduate) and his Master of Science in Aeronautics and Astronautics (1983) from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, MA. He was also a Draper Fellow at the Charles Stark Draper Laboratory in Cambridge, MA.

Dr. Andrew Aldrin is President of the Aldrin Family Foundation, a charitable organization dedicated to harnessing the inspiration of space to ignite a passion for STEAM education in students of all ages and backgrounds. He has served in leadership roles in this organization since 2014, during which time he has overseen the extension of educational programs to over 300 elementary schools and universities.

Dr. Aldrin is also the Program Coordinator of the Masters of Space Operations at Embry Riddle Aeronautical University. Previously he was the Director of the ISU Center for Space Entrepreneurship at Florida Tech and an Associate Professor of Engineering Management at Florida Tech. Before moving into academia, Dr. Aldrin had a distinguished career in industry and government research, including executive positions at Boeing, United Launch Alliance and Moon Express.

Dr. Aldrin was also a member of the research staff at the RAND Corporation and the Institute for Defense Analyses. He serves on the board of several charitable organizations, including The Secure World Foundation, Sea Space Symposium, and the Tau Zero Foundation. He holds a Ph.D. from UCLA in Political Science, an MBA from TRIUM (NYU, LSE, HEC), and an MA from George Washington University in Science, Technology and Public Policy.

Nana has worked as an actor for 49 years. She has performed on Broadway, in film and on TV. She is best known for the seven years she played Major Kira on Star Trek: Deep Space 9. A traumatic event while filming DS9 split her life in two: the part that automatically functioned as a mother and actor, and the part that remained isolated and locked in Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. It was more than 20 years before she found a doctor whose treatment included teaching her about the science based information that MRIs have relatively recently revealed about how our brains and nervous systems function. Not only did this heal her, but led to Post Traumatic Growth. It changed her intrinsically, and her experience of being human. Nana is especially interested in opening a channel to others who may not have had the time or the opportunity to learn what she believes everyone needs to know. With just a little understanding of how we humans function, we can have greater control over ourselves in demanding situations, and free our energies to focus them on the jobs we have at hand, not on managing stress. She has written a book about the experiences of the women of Star Trek in the show's 5 decades, and their impact on the culture. She discovered, while conducting interviews for the book with people at NASA and ESA, just how many people were inspired to work in space programs by Star Trek. OPEN A CHANNEL is being published in October. She is proud of her online community on Instagram, @visitornana, where she is "Mama Nana" and shares what she has learned, through life experience and science, about being human. She is also proud of son Buster, a medically retired Marine, and her son Django, a musician. Nana lives in Los Angeles with her husband Matthew Rimmer and an assortment of animals.

Dr. Jason Womack is the Branch Chief of Development for the United States Space Force. With a passion for the human domain of leadership and team dynamics, Jason has dedicated his career to empowering individuals and guiding teams.

He earned his doctorate from the University of Southern California in Organizational Change and Leadership. As a leader, JW fosters a culture of self-leadership and high-performance teams. He leads by example, inspiring individuals to embrace personal accountability and ownership in their professional growth.

Jason's expertise is leveraging the human element to achieve exceptional results in complex environments, ensuring teams are motivated, engaged, and equipped to overcome challenges. With a keen understanding of human behavior and motivation, he has developed strategies and programs that empower individuals to take charge of their personal and professional development.

Jason creates workshops, mentoring programs, and coaching programs, equipping people with the mindset and tools to excel in their roles. He believes in the power of continuous learning and personal growth. His future goals include expanding his reach into influencing a broader audience and developing innovative approaches to foster connections and build high-performance work cultures.

Pete Ford is the Head of Federal Operations at QuSecure. Prior to this entrepreneurial position, he spent six years as a defense industry executive for Raytheon and Northrop Grumman developing advanced technology. He concluded 26 years in the Air Force as a Visiting Scientist/Professional at a Department of Energy national lab (LLNL). Previous assignments include multiple flying tours, combat rotations and commands across the Defense department. He has a bachelor of science degree from the United States Air Force Academy and a Masters from the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, CA. Pete is a US patent holder, published author and a member on several national/international non-profit boards. He is an active speaker on advanced technology, international relations and nuclear counter-proliferation. He still loves flying and was an NCAA All-American athlete at the Air Force Academy. He is an entirely average golfer!

Charlie McGillis is a dynamic senior executive who has more than 30 years of defense and executive leadership experience. She is the Founder & CEO of 2 Polaris & Beyond, LLC, who works with clients and partners worldwide on strategy, business development and engagement in the public & private sector, with emphasis on the national security space mission area to accelerate impact to this world and beyond. She is the Vice President, Public Sector at The Provenance Chain Network and previously served as the Senior Vice President of Government Relations & Strategy at Slingshot Aerospace.

Her broad defense career spanned a wide variety of C-suite leadership positions. In her last assignment in the United States Air Force, she served as the Director of Intelligence at Fourteenth Air Force (Space) where she led all intelligence for Air Force space forces to provide tailored, responsive, local, and global space effects in support of national and combatant commander objectives. In other assignments, she served as Deputy Chief of Staff at USSTRATCOM, Deputy Political Advisor at USSOCOM, and Deputy Director of the Commander's Action Group at NORAD-USNORTHCOM. She commanded at the squadron level at Air Command and Staff College where she led a multiservice and multinational unit. Following retirement in 2014, she served as a Commercial Integration Cell Consultant, representing seven Commercial Satellite Operators to facilitate better coordination and information sharing with the United States Government.

Ms. McGillis received her Bachelor of Science Degree in Industrial Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology. She is also a graduate of three post graduate studies: Special Operations and Low Intensity Conflict from the Naval Postgraduate School, Military Arts and Sciences from the United States Army School of Advanced Military Studies, and Master of Strategic Studies from the United States Air Force Air War College.

Ms. McGillis is a defense operations and intelligence subject matter expert and speaks frequently at conferences about advancing space sustainability, security, and safety. She was recognized as one of the Top 30 Space Executives to Watch in 2021. She is an Advisor on the Independent Review Board for the Department of Commerce and a mentor to space start-ups with the Creative Destructive Lab. She is co-lead for the International Academy of Astronautics Committee on Space Traffic Management Conference and is a member of the Commission 5 on Space Policy, Law and Economy. She is a champion for STEM initiatives for girls as a member of AstraFemina and teaches at two summer camps sponsored by American Association of University Women. She was also selected into the first cohort to support the SpaceHero Insider Program, a global community to advance space for humankind.