USRA's Council of Institutions Elects New Trustee

WASHINGTON, May 13, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Universities Space Research Association (USRA), an association of 120 universities, unveiled today the appointment of Lesa B. Roe as Trustee following her election at USRA's annual meeting held on March 22, 2024.

With a wealth of experience spanning public company board executive roles, CEO and COO positions, and 37 years of executive leadership in aerospace research and development, Lesa Roe brings a unique ability to navigate complexity and analyze disparate information into successful collective solutions. Throughout her career, she has spearheaded large-scale initiatives aimed at optimizing operations, managing risk, and executing complex international missions and projects.

She rose to second in command at NASA over her 33-year career, beginning as a Space Shuttle communications engineer at Kennedy Space Center and rising through the ranks as International Space Station Research Program Manager at the Johnson Space Center, Center Director of the Langley Research Center and finally to NASA's Deputy Administrator in Washington, D.C. As Deputy Administrator and Deputy Chief Operating Officer, Lesa led strategy, execution, operations, and corporate management nationally across all ten NASA field centers and five primary product lines, managing a $19.6 billion annual federal agency with $31 billion in assets and oversight of 17,000 employees. She led program and project teams on product/mission delivery, acquisition strategy and approval, partnership and international strategy, stakeholder advocacy, research and development, and risk management. Additionally, she led an agency-wide restructuring of NASA's technical capabilities and business services, driving critical Agency divestment decisions while strengthening innovation in critical areas needed to advance NASA's missions. Lesa Roe's leadership at NASA led to numerous science, space, and aeronautics breakthrough innovations that advanced our nation's leadership and international knowledge of aeronautics and space.

Currently, Roe is President and CEO of Front Roe Services, LLC, providing corporate advisory and review services on governance, strategic plans, programs, business services, and business transformation. She currently serves on the Board of Directors and Audit and Governance Committees of Solid Power (NASDAQ: SLDP) and on the Board of Directors of Space Dynamics Laboratory, a mission-focused, technology provider for the DOD, industry, and NASA.

In addition to public company board experience, she has extensive private/non-profit board experience.

Roe received her M.S. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Central Florida, her B.S. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Florida. She is a current member of the National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD). She completed the Finance for Senior Executives from Harvard Business School in 2020. She also completed the University of Michigan Executive Management and the Smith College Management Fellowship Programs.

Dr. Jeffrey Isaacson, USRA President and CEO stated, "Lesa Roe's appointment as Trustee marks an exciting development for our organization. With her extensive experience in aerospace executive leadership, she will undoubtedly strengthen USRA's governance and help USRA to achieve its strategic objectives. On behalf of USRA's Board of Trustees and 120 member universities, we welcome Lesa and look forward to working with her."

About USRA Governance

USRA governance is grounded in the university community. USRA is an association of 120 universities engaged in space- and aeronautics-related research and education. University representatives compose the Council of Institutions. The Council establishes the corporate bylaws and conducts elections for members of the Board of Trustees. The Board has sixteen members including ten regional trustees (one for each of ten geographic regional groups of universities), four at-large trustees, the Chair of the Council of Institutions, and the President and CEO (who is appointed by the Board).

ABOUT USRA

Founded in 1969, under the auspices of the National Academy of Sciences at the request of the U.S. Government, the Universities Space Research Association (USRA) is a nonprofit corporation chartered to advance space-related science, technology, and engineering. USRA operates scientific institutes and facilities and conducts other major research and educational programs under federal funding. USRA engages the university community and employs in-house scientific leadership, innovative research and development, and project management expertise. More information about USRA is available at www.usra.edu.

Contact:
Suraiya Farukhi
[email protected]
443-812-6945

SOURCE Universities Space Research Association