Supply Chain Risk Management

Valle Kauniste

Supply Chain Risk Management Program Manager

Valle Kauniste, located in the Johnson Space Center Safety and Mission Assurance Directorate, is the full-time delegated program manager for the new Office of Safety and Mission Assurance (OSMA) Supply Chain Risk Management (SCRM) program. This SCRM program is considered part of OSMA’s Quality Assurance discipline, residing in the Safety and Assurance Requirements Division.

Kauniste has worked to improve productivity and reduce inefficiencies/cost throughout his career. In his current position, Kauniste will be enhancing the supplier qualification process and surveillance management /oversight for NASA programs. This includes developing the methodologies for gauging NASA supply chain health; enhancing the agency process for Government Contract Quality Assurance Management efforts; increasing program management insight and accountability pertaining to supply chain risk/concerns during Independent Assessments; gaining further insight of Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA) and support contractors budgeting processes; enhancing the contract procurement processes for spaceflight hardware purchases; and improving/educating the cyber, fraud, and counterfeit part avoidance programs for spaceflight hardware purchases. Kauniste will also be working closely with the digital enterprise team to develop an enterprise-level SCRM program tool to track, trend, analyze and communicate supply chain risk.

Previously, Kauniste was the branch chief for the Quality and Flight Equipment Division within the Safety and Mission Assurance Division at Johnson. He managed the Quality Assurance functions associated with procurement, budget, auditing, surveillance, onsite and offsite inspection, problem resolution, and government contract Quality Assurance of several critical spaceflight programs. Kauniste also acted as the technical liaison, providing technical and programmatic support to OSMA and center personnel who interact with DCMA to improve the quality of the Letters of Delegation. This included enhancing the technical communication to facilitate improved monitoring of Quality Assurance delegations and delivery of services and to aid in evaluating cost estimates and actuals and to facilitate OSMA budget planning.

Kauniste joined NASA in 2010. His experience spans 25 plus years between federal service (United States Air Force and NASA) and contractor experience. Kauniste supported the Space Shuttle Program, International Space Station program, and the Extravehicular Mobility Unit program for NASA. His United States Air force career was in aerospace physiology where he was responsible for teaching pilots and aircrew the essential skills needed to handle in-flight emergencies and other extreme circumstances before they ever step foot on a plane. He also maintained several aerospace physiology training devices, including altitude chambers and related training equipment. He instructed and observed aircrew on simulated flights in an altitude chamber and was an inside observer in the hyperbaric chamber to treat medical-related illnesses due to high altitude sickness. He trained flying/non-flying personnel in subjects such as aircraft pressurization, night vision, emergency first aid, oxygen equipment, physiological effects of altitude, human performance, spatial disorientation, sensory phenomena, noise/vibration, cockpit/crew/maintenance resource management, situational awareness, acceleration and emergency escape from aircraft. He specialized in maintaining high-altitude full pressure suit maintenance for the SR-71 and U2 aircrafts where he conducted was deployed to the Middle East and Southeast Asia to support several operational missions. His broad background includes aerospace physiology, Quality Assurance, auditing, procurement, business acumen, negotiations, budgeting, Quality Engineering, business management and leadership. 

Kauniste holds a bachelor’s degree in business management. He has received several awards throughout his military and NASA career, which include the Jonson Space Center Director’s Commendation Award for outstanding leadership in the development and implementation of process improvements for Johnson Quality Assurance, the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, and Southeast Asian medal.  

Jeannette Plante

Supply Chain Risk Management Program Executive

Jeannette Plante is the Quality program executive, responsible for NASA’s Quality program policy and requirements, chairing NASA’s Quality Leadership Forum and Joint Audit Planning Committee, and managing the agency’s Supplier Assessment System.

Plante represents NASA in its participation in the Americas Aerospace Quality Group, the International Aerospace Quality Group and the Aerospace Industry Association’s Joint Strategic Quality Council. Prior to her assignment at Headquarters, she was the division chief for Quality, Reliability, Software Assurance and Ground Systems at Goddard Space Flight Center and the delegated program manager for Workmanship quality.

Plante previously worked for 19 years in the area of electronics parts and packaging both in support of Goddard flight projects and new technology development. She has numerous published articles and papers on electronic parts and packaging and Quality Assurance topics. Her most recent publication is "Assurance Equations: A Cost and Criticality Model for Optimizing Quality Assurance Surveillance."

Plante is the recipient of twelve NASA center and agency awards including NASA’s Exceptional Service Medal, Exceptional Achievement Medal and Outstanding Leadership Medal. She received her Bachelor of Electrical Engineering from The Catholic University of America in Washington, DC.