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Creation Date
2019
Biography
William Parsons is the Associate Program Manager of Jacobs Space Operations Group at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Cape Canaveral, FL. Jacobs provides overall management and implementation of ground systems capabilities, flight hardware processing and launch operations at KSC as part of the Test Operations Support Contract. NASA program support includes Exploration Ground Systems, Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle, Space Launch System, International Space Station and Launch Services Program. Jacobs also supports NASA requirements, including agency programs, commercial entities and other government agencies in services for launch vehicles, spacecraft and payload integration and processing; operations and development of associated processes and ground systems to support integration, processing and launch; servicing and testing of flight hardware; and launch of development and operational flights at KSC.
Prior to joining Jacobs, William served in various space industry leadership positions including President of Sycom Space Services (S3), President of RD AMROSS, and Vice President of Strategic Space Initiatives with Lockheed Martin. From 2006 to 2008, William served as the Director of NASA’s John F. Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida. He also held key positions as the Deputy Director of KSC, Director of NASA’s John C. Stennis Space Center in Mississippi, Space Shuttle Program Manager for Return To Flight after the Columbia tragedy and Deputy Director of the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center. William joined the NASA team at KSC in 1990 and held numerous positions within the Space Shuttle Operations Directorate.
William earned his Master’s in Engineering Management from the University of Central Florida and his Bachelor’s in Engineering from the University of Mississippi. He has received numerous awards and honors during his career including the Presidential Rank Award (Meritorious Executive), NASA’s Exceptional Service Medal and Distinguished Service Medal, the National Intelligence Medal of Achievement, and NASA’s Silver Snoopy. He also received the Distinguished Alumni Award and the Engineering Alumni of the Year Award from the University of Mississippi and the Alumni of the Year Award from the University of Central Florida.
