Vanessa E. Wyche, Johnson Space Center

Vanessa E. Wyche is an engineer who became director of the NASA Johnson Space Center in June 2021. The Space Center is home of America’s astronaut corps, Mission Control Center, International Space Station, Orion, and Gateway programs as well as more than 11,000 civil service and contractor employees. Wyche oversees diverse human spaceflight activities, including development and operation of human spacecrafts, commercialization of low Earth orbit and the Space Center’s role in exploring Earth’s Moon and Mars. Under her leadership, Forbes recognized the Space Center as No. 1 among best major employers in Texas. She is a recipient of the Presidential Rank Award, two NASA Outstanding Leadership medals, and two NASA Achievement medals.