Puerto Rican Doctor Marla Pérez-Davis: NASA Glenn’s New Leader

In Cleveland, the John H. Glenn Research Center's National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) will now have a new director.

According to an article by remezcla, Dr. Marla Pérez-Davis will be the leader of more than 3,200 employees. Her position allows her to handle a budget of $933 million.

Pérez-Davis is a graduate of the University of Puerto Rico. She was promoted to the director position on January 22. The team expressed their excitement for the new leadership.

What Does Her New Team Have to Say?

The team believes that the doctor is equipped with rich experience to successfully fulfill her duties as the director of the facility. They believe that she can lead them to successfully carry out the mission of the center.

As NASA Glenn is venturing into new explorations, discoveries, and innovations that will potentially open new jobs, its employees are optimistic about the Puerto Rican doctor's leadership.

According to the Administrator of NASA Jim Bridenstine, he believes that the responsibility that Pérez-Davis had accepted a job where she can use her immeasurable abilities as part of the Ohio community. He hopes for the success of all the ventures that her leadership will be having especially for the nation and NASA's ambitious plans for Moon-Mars Exploration.

Her Qualifications

Dr. Marla Pérez-Davis's lists of achievements are long and meaningful. The doctor of chemical engineering had been working with NASA Glenn for more than 40 years. Since her employment in the facility, she had switched from various high-profile positions such as deputy director and directorship for smaller-sized teams.

Throughout her career, she had received countless awards including the Outstanding Leadership Medal from NASA and the Women of Color Technology Award for Career Achievement.

Her NASA Lean Six Sigma Black Belt certification, Hispanic Engineer National Achievement Santiago Rodriguez Diversity Award, and her numerous awards for her leadership and skills make her the perfect candidate to lead NASA Glenn to reach its goals.

Ellen Ochoa, the first woman of Latino heritage to go to outer space, obtained a similar role Pérez-Davis played in Houston from 2013 to 2018.

Currently, there are approximately 1,500 Latinos (1000 are male and 500 are female) out of the 18,000 total NASA employees.

Dr. Marla E. Pérez-Davis' Career Journey before Directorship Appointment at NASA Glenn

From 2014 to 2016, Marla E. Pérez-Davis served as the Research and Engineering Directorate's deputy director. This position allowed her to undertake responsibilities such as planning, leading, coordinating, and handling all processes involving research and engineering undertakings in the NASA Glenn to finish multiple missions for NASA.

Other relevant key positions that prove her highly-qualified leadership skills include her position as the Aeronautics Research Office's director (2010 to 2014) where she served as the principal point for research involving aeronautics. She also supplied exemplary leadership, project management skills, and support to the aeronautics mission of the agency.

From 2007 to 2010, Marla E. Pérez-Davis worked as the Project Liaison and Integration Office's chief. She led her team to streamline the business process, develop contract arrangements, and improved the prompt response to safety assurance requirements. In the Electrochemistry Branch, she also attained a chief position. Her leadership allowed the improvement of the storage of energy and power capabilities. She also started new partnerships to help support the missions of NASA.