SMA Leadership Profile: Grant Watson
June 22, 2020
8-minute read
Grant Watson unknowingly spent his entire career preparing for his new role, a role that didn’t even exist until this year. As the director of the newly-formed Institutional Safety Management Division of the Office of Safety and Mission Assurance, Watson’s 25 plus years in Safety and Mission Assurance (SMA), as well as his executive role as Langley Research Center’s SMA director, give him the knowledge and experience to succeed.
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SMA Leadership Profile: Eric Isaac
November 13, 2019
6-minute read
What does it mean to be the Safety and Mission Assurance (SMA) director at Goddard Space Flight Center? According to the man himself, Eric Isaac, it’s as the title implies: it’s about being a leader that promotes keeping people safe and assuring the mission.
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SMA Leadership Profile: Jennifer Kunz
October 16, 2019
6-minute read
Jennifer Kunz, Safety and Mission Assurance (SMA) director at Kennedy Space Center, believes everyone should have a life quote that defines how he or she operates.
“You’ll hear something some time and it will resonate with you,” she explained. “When you hear it, write it down.”
Personally, she’s guided by
“When you’re good, you will tell people; when you’re great, they will tell you.”
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SMA Leadership Profile: Tim Crumbley
May 06, 2019
4-minute read
In March, Crumbley stepped into a new role as the Office of Safety and Mission Assurance Software Assurance technical fellow. Crumbley is responsible for establishing the agency-level Software Assurance procedures, policies, training and requirements for NASA. Overall, Crumbley leads Software Assurance policy development and provides research program oversight, technical direction, and support for the agency and its partners.
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Planetary Protection Welcomes New Deputy Officer
December 18, 2018
3-minute read
The Office of Safety and Mission Assurance recently named Elaine Seasly as the deputy Planetary Protection Officer. In this role, she will be supporting the Office of Planetary Protection in its efforts to promote the responsible exploration of the solar system by implementing and developing efforts that protect the science, explored environments and Earth.
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SMA Leadership Profile: Harmony Myers
September 25, 2018
3-minute read
In June, Harmony Myers transitioned from serving as the System Safety Technical Discipline Team Lead to overseeing the NASA Safety Center (NSC) Technical Excellence Office (TEO). Myers is excited for her new role as director of TEO and already has plans on how to improve collaboration among the NSC’s four offices and across the agency.
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SMA Leadership Profile: Anthony DiVenti
September 04, 2018
4-minute read
Last December, Anthony “Tony” DiVenti stepped into a new role as the Office of Safety and Mission Assurance Reliability and Maintainability (R&M) technical fellow. DiVenti sought this position because of his passion for R&M and his desire to improve tools, methods and training and hopefully remove barriers that may prevent R&M professionals from performing their jobs in the most effective and efficient manner.
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Raynor Taylor Receives Yes-If Coin, Supports Safety Reporting Culture
December 12, 2017
1-minute read
James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) Program Manager Raynor Taylor received a NASA Yes-If Challenge Coin for raising a safety concern while visiting a NASA center. Since he brought up the concern, project personnel have created a clear path forward to practice better safety measures.
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SMA Leadership Profile: Richard Burt
October 17, 2017
4-minute read
Richard “Rick” Burt, Safety and Mission Assurance (SMA) director at Marshall Space Flight Center, has what he calls the “Fundamental Four”:
- Do the right things
- Do them right
- Do them now
- Own them
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SMA Leadership Profile: Richard Barney
June 13, 2017
5-minute read
Typically, employees look to their leaders for guidance, but Goddard Space Flight Center’s Safety and Mission Assurance (SMA) Director Richard Barney wants his employees to know he’s looking at those around him for inspiration.
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