Courtney Stadd


	Chairman of the Board, 2004-2006 Courtney Stadd

Mr. Stadd is founder and President of Capitol Solutions, a management consulting services firm established in 1993 with a broad range of public and public sector clients in aerospace and high technology – both on the East Coast and Silicon Valley. The firm develops and executes strategies for clients to capture greater market in both the federal and private sector markets.

From 2001-2003, Mr. Stadd was NASA's Chief of Staff and White House Liaison. He assumed this position after being named to head the Presidential transition team in December 2000 to oversee leadership changes at NASA. He had chief responsibility for developing and executing turn-around plans, budgets and staffing for dealing with major financial and management challenges facing the high-profile $15 billion research and development agency.

For the past 26 years, Mr. Stadd's career path has been a mix of senior government leadership and corporate executive jobs. In the government, he managed several hundred million dollar R&D technology programs, as well as policy positions focused on removing barriers to market-driven opportunities in aerospace-related technology areas, including commercial space transportation systems, advanced satellite remote sensing applications and various dual-use technologies, including the Global Positioning System. In industry, he co-founded high tech start-ups, such as DigitalGlobe, where he led efforts to create a multi-hundred million dollar market for new products and services in the federal market place.

1992-93: Deputy Associate Administrator, Office of Advanced Concepts and Technology, and Special Assistant to the Administrator, NASA Headquarters,Washington DC. Responsible for $450 million budget for technology and commercial activities. Oversaw agency's investments in innovative spacecraft and communications technologies. Supervised staff of 100, plus extensive contractor base.
1989-92: Senior Director, White House National Space Council. Within the Office of the President, Mr. Stadd was responsible for all interagency commercial space policy activities. Founded and chaired senior level interagency Commercial Space Working Group that drafted and coordinated execution of Presidential space policy directives that directly contributed to emergence of multi-billion dollar remote sensing, launch, GPS-related industries and private-public partnerships with the civil and military aerospace sectors.
1986-88: Director, Office of Commercial Space Transportation, Office of the Secretary, U.S. Department of Transportation. Appointed by the Secretary to create regulatory office to implement legislation establishing multi-billion dollar commercial launch industry. Managed staff of 25, including legal and engineering talent, as well as numerous technical support contractors. Issued first licenses for commercial space launch industry. Pioneered new regulatory tools for managing risk and indemnification that facilitated significant new private investments and commercial risk insurance.
1984-86: Special Assistant for Aerospace, Office of the Secretary, U.S. Department of Commerce. Coordinated intra-departmental staff involved with formulating Department's commercial aerospace policy initiatives. Developed and executed strategy that led to Presidential and Congressional policies establishing government market for commercial launch industry. Established the Office of Space Commercialization that currently resides in the Technology Administration. This office played key policy role in supporting successful establishment of high resolution commercial imagery industry.

As a senior corporate executive, Mr. Stadd has co-founded several satellite and space transportation ventures including Colorado-based EarthWatch (renamed DigitalGlobe), one of the fastest growing high resolution commercial satellite firms, and ARC Technologies (renamed American Rocket Company) whose hybrid propulsion technology is being deployed by the legendary Burt Rutan on the maiden voyage of his rocket.

Over the past twenty years, in both official and private capacities, he has been invited by various U.S. Congressional committees to testify on a range of high technology related public policy matters.

During the course of his career, Mr. Stadd has been involved with managing a range of non-profit high tech focused institutions, such as the National Space Society (founded by space pioneer Wernher von Braun and entering its fourth decade of operations); and the Alaska Aerospace Development Corporation where he was appointed by the Governor to the Board of Directors to oversee establishment of nation's first operational commercial space launch range. In 1980-82, he also founded the Washington-based World Affairs Council under auspices of Meridian House International.

Boards and Advisory Committees

Board of Directors, Global Science and Technology Corporation, a Maryland-based technology and applied science company and named one of the fastest growing private companies in the U.S. for the second consecutive year by both Deloitte and Inc. Magazine. (October 2003)
Appointed by Secretary of Commerce Don Evans to Industry Trade Advisory Committee on Aerospace. (March 2004)
Advisory Committee, Board of Directors, CapsforKids, a New Orleans-based international non-profit charity. (October 2003)
Advisory Board, Hispanic College Fund
Senior Associate, American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (member since 1992)
NASA Alumni League (invitation only)

Awards and Recognition

2002 US Space Foundation Certificate of Honor for advancing the "greater cause of the exploration and development of space."
2001 NASA Distinguished Service Medal for "his extraordinary vision, leadership, and dedication to … advancing technology into industry."

Education

He is a graduate of Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service with a focus in international relations and economics, followed by graduate course work in public administration at George Washington University.