Reliability, Maintenance & Managing Risk Conference
July 27-28, 2023
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Keynote Speaker – Shelley Ford
Product Safety Officer, Collins Aerospace
Professional Background
Before joining Raytheon, Shelley spent her career working at Kennedy Space Center supporting NASA
programs, holding positions of increasing responsibility:
• Lead airframe engineer on the Space Shuttle Columbia
• Vehicle manager of the Space Shuttle
Endeavour
• Chief Patent Counsel within the Office of the Chief Counsel
• Key representative on a multi-billiondollar Commercial Crew Program contract certifying new commercial launch vehicles and spacecraft to carry astronauts from U.S. soil to the
International Space Station.
Awards
• She is the recipient of several NASA awards including a Silver Achievement Medal and a Silver
Snoopy, given by astronauts to less than 1% of the NASA workforce each year.
• Shelley has also received the Society of Women Engineers Distinguished New Engineer
Award.
Education
• Juris Doctorate from Barry University School of Law
• Master of Science in space science from Florida Institute of Technology
• Bachelor of Science in mathematics (with minors in physics and space studies) from Bemidji State University.