Industry Leaders Sign Workforce Diversity Pledge
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado — In a united move to build more diverse workforces, leaders of 24 space companies signed a “Space Workforce 2030” pledge, committing to annual data reporting, regular meetings to exchange best practices and a commitment to work with universities to increase the number of diverse and underrepresented students graduating ready to join the space industry.
The initiative is intended to achieve the following by 2030:
*Significantly increase the number of women and employees from underrepresented groups in the companies’ technical workforce.
*Significantly increase the number of women and employees from underrepresented groups who hold senior leadership positions in the companies.
*Work with universities to increase the percentages of women and students from underrepresented groups receiving aerospace engineering degrees to levels commensurate with overall engineering programs
*Sponsor K-12 programs that collectively reach more than 5 million underrepresented students annually.
Signatories agree to collect and report on their diversification efforts, share the results at the annual Space Symposium and meet twice a year to exchange best practices on strengthening diversity recruitment, STEM education outreach and representation at leadership levels.
The companies also pledge to “seek like-minded leaders and organizations” to join the effort.
The agreement was signed by:
Roy Azevedo, president Raytheon Intelligence & Space
Payam Banazadeh, CEO Capella Space
Peter Beck, CEO Rocket Lab
John Elbon, COO United Launch Alliance
Jim Chilton, Senior VP of Space & Launch Boeing
Eileen Drake, CEO and president Aerojet Rocketdyne
Michael Colglazier, CEO Virgin Galactic
Tim Ellis, CEO Relativity Space
John Gedmark, CEO Astranis Space Technologies
Steve Isakowitz, CEO The Aerospace Corporation
Larry James, Acting Director NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Daniel Jablonsky, CEO Maxar Technologies
Robert Lightfoot, EVP Lockheed Martin Space
Dave Kaufman, President Ball Aerospace
Chris Kemp, CEO Astra
Will Marshall, CEO Planet
Dan Piemont, President ABL Space Systems
Peter Platzer, CEO Spire Global
Gwynne Shotwell, President and Chief Operating Officer SpaceX
Melanie Stricklan, CEO Slingshot Aerospace
John Serafini, CEO HawkEye 360
Dylan Taylor, CEO Voyager Space
Amela Wilson, CEO Nanoracks
Tom Wilson, President Space Systems Northrop Grumman