OUR LEADERSHIP TEAM
Our Leadership Team
Juanitta “AJ” Bekoe
PGS Fellow, 2022
Executive Board Member, 2024 - Present
Juanitta “AJ” Bekoe, is a Mission Systems Engineer at BAE Systems Inc. Space and Mission Systems (formerly Ball Aerospace, her host company), working on on-orbit spacecraft operations, verification and validation.
As an alumna of the fellowship program, she is eager to pay it forward and continue honoring Patti’s legacy by expanding the boundaries of the aerospace industry.
AJ is a graduate of Syracuse University, with a bachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering and a minor in Physics. During her undergrad, she served as Vice President of her local National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) chapter and the professional liaison for the local Society of Women Engineers (SWE) chapter. In both roles,she worked to facilitate an inclusive, opportunistic and engaging student experience for their members and engineering community at large. She is also passionate about advocacy in STEM education, having served as a mentor for young students in technical design competitions, and as a physics tutor for students at her university.
Tahara Dawkins
Executive Team, 2025 - Present
Tahara Dawkins has played a key role in shaping national and international space policy. She is currently the Director of Policy at Astroscale U.S., where she leads policy efforts on space sustainability and debris remediation.
Previously, she served as Chief of Staff for the White House National Space Council, where she helped coordinate space policy initiatives across federal agencies and the Office of the Vice President on national space strategy.
Dawkins also served as Director of the Commercial Remote Sensing Regulatory Affairs Office at the Department of Commerce, overseeing U.S. satellite imaging regulations.
Her expertise spans the civil, commercial, national security, and nonprofit space sectors, making her a valuable addition to the Patti Grace Smith Fellowship’s leadership team.
B. Alvin Drew, Jr
Co-Founder
Executive Team, 2020 - 2022
Benjamin Alvin Drew is the director for space sustainability at NASA Headquarters, where he is responsible designing and implementing an empowered organizational entity to focus on day-to day coordination and accountability of the agency’s space sustainability efforts.
Drew previously served as the NASA liaison to the Department of Defense, manager for NASA’s Advanced Exploration Systems Program’s Deep Space Habitat Project, and NASA director of operations at the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Russia. Drew first joined NASA in 2000 as an astronaut candidate. He subsequently flew on space shuttle missions STS-118 and STS-133, where he performed spacewalks constructing the International Space Station.
From 2015 to 2016, Drew worked at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy staff as assistant director for Aviation and Space Security. From 2016 through 2020, he was a presidentially-appointed member to the U.S. Air Force Academy Board of Visitors.
Prior to joining NASA, Drew served for 30 years in the U.S. Air Force as a command pilot-astronaut, logging more than 4,000 hours flying combat rescue and special operations missions, as a test pilot, and in space. He has bachelor’s degrees in physics and in astronautical engineering from the U.S. Air Force Academy, and master’s degrees in aerospace science from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and in strategic studies from the Air War College at the U.S. Air Force’s Air University.
Alvin holds two bachelors degrees from the United States Air Force Academy as well as masters degrees from Embry Riddle Aeronautical University and the United States Air Force Air University. He is an active member of the Society of Experimental Test Pilots, American Helicopter Society.
Caleb Henry
Executive Team, 2023 - Present
Caleb Henry is the Director of Research at Quilty Analytics, a boutique research firm focused on the satellite and space industry. He previously worked as a journalist for SpaceNews and Via Satellite, where he wrote about the commercial space sector for global audiences.
Caleb plays a lead role in guiding research projects, including speaking with industry executives, maintaining databases and writing reports. He is a frequently sought after public speaker, having appearances in Bloomberg, CNBC, the New York Times, and other major publications.
Caleb is a graduate of Grove City College, where he co-founded the group Students for Ethnic Awareness and Diversity, which provided a safe space for students to engage in communal reflection and reconciliation on matters concerning race, ethnicity, and culture. He has long had a passion for advocating for people of color in underrepresented environments.
As a kid, Caleb dreamt of being an astronomer, and he remains enthralled with the scientific understanding of space. Outside of work, Caleb is a distance runner, a middling Halo player, and an ardent defender of Jupiter as the best planet.
Khristian Jones
Co-Founder
Executive Team, 2020 - Present
A graduate of the Wichita State University Aerospace Engineering program, Khristian Jones is now an Interiors Engineer at United Airlines tasked with managing the Boeing 737 fleet. Previously, Khristian was a Material Test Engineer at Virgin Galactic.
As a child, she had a fascination with space and dreamt of one day having the opportunity to travel there. She decided at the tender age of fourteen that Aerospace Engineering just had to be in her future. Khristian did not discover her ambition for commercial spaceflight until college via an internship at The Spaceship Company. As an African American female with a passion for space travel, she never knew that something like being a commercial astronaut was achievable.
Khristian has always had a passion for STEM, but even more of a passion for showing young people that they can achieve a career in it. Growing up, there were not many role models to show her that she could be a successful woman in a STEM field. Through her work at Engineering Outreach at Wichita State University’s SEEDS (Science Engineering Educational Development for Students) program, she discovered her passion for diversity advocacy in STEM. Khristian had a handful of work experiences in the Aerospace Industry as an undergraduate student. As a Brooke Owens Fellow, she interned at the Mojave Air and Space Port. She has also worked at Airbus Americas and Southwest Airlines.
Khristian now spends her time outside of her nine-to-five continuing to inspire other aspiring young STEM professionals and loves to speak on the advocacy for justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion in the aerospace industry. Although Khristian has transitioned to a role in the commercial aviation industry, she can never go too far from her love of space.
Tiffany Russell Lockett
Co-Founder
Executive Team, 2020 - 2025
Tiffany Russell Lockett is a space nerd and aerospace engineer. She has been active in the aerospace community since 2006, starting as an intern at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center supporting the James Webb Space Telescope program. She hails from the state of Maryland (Go Terps!), receiving a Bachelor's degree in Physics from Notre Dame of Maryland University and an Aerospace Engineering degree from University of Maryland College Park. Her career is based in technology development, from uncrewed aerial systems to solar sail development to returning soil samples from Mars.
Outside of work, Tiffany is active in her local community through non-profit organizations, such as the Junior League of Huntsville and Children First organization. She has served on the selection committee for the NASA Academy internship programs, the Gerald F. Soffen Memorial Grant Program, and the Brooke Owens Fellowship Program. Tiffany is passionate about reaching back into the community through outreach engagements and participating on STEM related panels. She is eager to share ways to gain opportunities in the aerospace field, especially with young, aspiring engineers.
Tiffany currently serves as a Project Engineer managing contracts for the Mars Ascent Vehicle at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center.
Tiffany is married to Melvin Lockett Jr., an Assistant District Attorney for Madison County, they live in Huntsville, AL with their dog, Vandie, and are active Foster Parents in Madison County.
Will Pomerantz
Co-Founder
Executive Team, 2020 - Present
Will Pomerantz is an aerospace executive with two decades of leadership experience across the entrepreneurial and non-profit sectors. He currently serves as the Head of Space Ventures at AeroVironment, leading a business unit born from the team that developed the Collier Trophy-winning Mars Ingenuity helicopter in partnership with NASA JPL.
Will has spent his career at the intersection of commercial space and innovation. He was Employee #001 and Vice President for Special Projects at Virgin Orbit, and previously held the same VP title at Virgin Galactic. His career also includes serving as Senior Director of Space Prizes at the XPRIZE Foundation.
Beyond his executive roles, Will is committed to improving the future of the nation’s aerospace workforce. He is the co-founder of both the Brooke Owens Fellowship and the Patti Grace Smith Fellowship, award-winning programs that have provided internships, mentorship, and more than half a million dollars in cash grants to undergraduate students from underserved communities.
A graduate of Harvard and the International Space University, Will has served on two US Federal Advisory Committees and currently serves on the Boards of Directors for the Open Lunar Foundation and the Patti Grace Smith Fellowship Foundation, as well as the Advisory Boards of SEDS-USA and Space For Humanity. He lives in Texas with his wife, NASA Flight Director Diana Trujillo, and their children.
Will was proud to call Patti Grace Smith a friend, colleague, and role model. He is deeply honored to help carry her incredible legacy forward.