Lesa Roe

About Lesa Roe

Lesa Roe is a CEO, COO, and public company board executive with 37 years of expertise in aerospace research and development and large-scale operations. As a National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) executive, she led large-scale initiatives to optimize operations, manage risk, and deliver on complex international missions and projects. She currently serves on the Board of Directors and Audit and Corporate Governance Committees of Solid Power Inc (NASDAQ: SLDP), on the Board of Directors of Space Dynamics Laboratory, and she is the Vice-Chair of the Board of Trustees for the Universities Space Research Association (USRA). Lesa is President and CEO of Front Roe Services, LLC, providing aerospace industry advisory, consulting, and review services on corporate governance, strategic plans, programs, and business transformation. In her role as CEO/Chancellor of the University of North Texas System (UNTS), Lesa led strategy, execution, financial oversight, operations, and enterprise risk management across three universities with a combined revenue of $1.3B, employees, and enrollment of over students. Dallas CEO named Lesa to its Top 500 Influential Executives four years in a row.Lesa rose to second in command at NASA over her 33-year career. She began at NASA as a Space Shuttle communications engineer at Kennedy Space Center and rose through the ranks as International Space Station Research Program Manager at Johnson Space Center, Center Director of Langley Research Center and eventually to NASA’s Acting Deputy Administrator and Deputy Chief Operating Officer. Lesa led strategy, execution, and operations nationally across all NASA field centers for a $19.6 billion annual federal agency with $31 billion in assets and employees. Lesa led program and project teams on product/mission delivery, acquisition strategy, partnership and international strategy, and risk management. As Chair of the Texas Council of Public University Presidents and Chancellors she engaged with key stakeholders and legislators in order to address crosscutting issues in higher education. She has served on numerous private boards including: National Association of System Heads, Challenger Center, Dallas Regional Chamber, Dallas Citizens Council, Downtown Dallas Inc, UCF Engineering Advisory Board. Lesa became a Fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics in 2017. In 2014, she was the recipient of the Presidential Distinguished Rank Award, the highest award in the Federal Government for the Senior Executive Service.

Experience

1. Board Member

   Space Dynamics Laboratory

   Aug 2019 — Present · Logan, UT, US

   Ms. Roe serves as a board member across finance, nominations, compensation, and strategic committees. During her tenure on the SDL Board, she has engaged in key decisions on: a presidential selection, audit and financial reports, strategic plans, customer strategy, risk assessments and mission assurance, compensation, hiring and diversity, board member nominations, and strategic infrastructure.

Education

• University of Central Florida

  MS, Electrical Engineering

  1991

• Harvard University

  Management Communications Program

• University of Michigan

  Executive Management Program

• University of Florida

  Bachelor's of Science, Electrical Engineering

• Smith College

  Management Fellowship Program

• Harvard Business School

  Certificate, Finance for Senior Executives

Skills

• Project Planning
• Proposal Writing
• Spacecraft
• Engineering Management
• Propulsion
• Fellow
• Program Management
• Flight Test
• Leadership
• Systems Engineering
• Engineering
• Government
• Aerospace
• Analysis
• Earned Value Management
• Budgets
• Aerospace Engineering
• Requirements Analysis
• Requirements Management
• U.s. Department of Defense
• Security Clearance
• Configuration Management
• Flights
• Military
• Management
• Government Contracting
• Process Improvement
• Training
• Testing
• Six Sigma
• Defense
• Space Systems
• Dod