Presenter: Legislative Issues Likely to Impact the Commercial Satellite Sector

With a technical background and as a policy expert, Erin’s unique in her field. She’s fluent in the languages of science, technology, politics, and commerce. As the owner and sole proprietor of Velocity Government Relations, she navigates Washington, D.C., on behalf of her aerospace and defense clients. With more than 20 years of expertise in civil, commercial, military, and intelligence programs, Erin draws on her scientific background to translate technical language into policy speak and vice versa.

Prior to hanging out her own shingle, Erin spent two and a half years at SIGNAL Group, a boutique advocacy and communications shop in downtown Washington, where she built a space practice from scratch. Prior to that, Erin spent 12 years in the aerospace and defense industry, where she was the client charged with managing consultants. She directed government relations activities for defense, commercial, intelligence, and civilian space programs as a senior corporate liaison to Congress and the Executive Branch for ATK (now Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems). While at ATK, she led a successful effort to reduce barriers to free trade by modernizing export control regulations. To protect strategic capabilities in the solid rocket motor industrial base, she coordinated efforts on Capitol Hill to continue production of Minuteman III motors years after federal funding ceased to be programmed. At Ball Aerospace, she served as a liaison to NASA and NOAA headquarters, and directed all legislative initiatives for civilian and commercial satellite programs. At Ball, she coordinated congressional efforts to service the Hubble Space Telescope a final time following the Space Shuttle Columbia tragedy.

Erin has leveraged a B.S. in physics and a Master’s in International Science, Technology and Public Policy as a policy analyst for the biggest players in her field, including the Congressional Research Service, the National Academy of Sciences, NASA Headquarters and the Space Policy Institute. She has also served as a senior staffer to U.S. Senator Bill Nelson (D-FL) and as a staff member for two Members of the U.S. House of Representatives. She utilized her technical background while teaching math and science as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Cameroon, Central Africa, and while conducting original space research at the University of Texas at Dallas, Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico, and at the Lunar and Planetary Institute adjacent to Johnson Space Center in Houston.

Erin is President of the Washington Space Business Roundtable, and a member of the Board of Directors for the Planetary Sciences Institute (PSI). She is also a past President of both the National Space Club and Women in Aerospace, and a prior Board Member of the American Astronautical Society. She has been recognized by Women in Aerospace for her dedication to the interests of the organization. In her spare time, Erin leads a Girl Scout troop focused on STEM, community service, and the great outdoors. When she’s not engaged in concerns beyond our atmosphere, you’ll find Erin in her hideaway in West Virginia with her husband and two children.