Session 2

Retired NASA Senior Executive with 46 years of experience in the management, planning and development of scientific space programs, missions, and related technologies. Founder of Orlando Leadership Enterprise, LLC; specializing in enterprise and organization development, and independent assessment. President and CEO CMIT Solutions I270 Corridor MD specializing in IT and Cybersecurity for small and medium size businesses.

Mr. Figueroa career demonstrates a record of consistent achievements in the planning, design, development, and oversight of multi-faceted scientific space missions. Considered a highly competent strategist and director of scientific space systems and technology, management of large (>1300 employees) multi-disciplinary engineering organizations; and management of complex multi-project programs with multibillion-dollar portfolios. Clients include NOAA, NASA, other Federal Government Agencies, and private for profit and not for profit organizations.

Experience in federal service at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), and Headquarters (HQ) include: GSFC Deputy Center Director for Science and Technology, GSFC Director for the Applied Engineering and Technology Directorate, HQ Deputy Associate Administrator for Programs in the NASA Science Mission Directorate; HQ Director for the Solar System Exploration Division; HQ Director for Mars Exploration; and HQ NASA Deputy Chief Engineer for Systems Engineering, GSFC Director of Systems, Technology and Advanced Concepts, and NASA Explorers Program Manager.

Mr. Figueroa has received numerous achievement and performance awards. Among the most notable are: the National Space Society Pioneer Award, the Smithsonian Latino Center Legacy Award, the Service to America Federal Employee of the Year Medal, NASA Presidential Rank Awards for sustained extraordinary accomplishment in management of programs of the United States Government; Hispanic Business Magazine most influential Hispanics in the Nation, Pioneer Award from the Hispanic Engineer National Achievement Awards Corporation; NASA Outstanding Leadership Medals, and the Community Stars Award from the Maryland Science Week Commission.

Mr. Figueroa received an honorary doctorate degree in science from Dominican College in New York in 2004. He is the author of technical publications in the field of cryogenics, the SMEX missions, and the Mars Exploration Program. He obtained a Bachelor of Science Degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez Campus in 1978, and completed advanced studies in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Maryland. Mr. Figueroa is fully bilingual in English and Spanish.