(July 16, 2024 – New York City) – SSPI-WISE (SSPI Women in Space Engagement) has announced the results of its 2024 officer election, which took place over the final week of June.

Having served her final year of a three-year term as the first Chairwoman of SSPI-WISE, Debra Facktor of Airbus U.S. Space & Defense now retires from the position. SSPI-WISE has elected Tina Ghataore of Aerospacelab as its new Chairwoman, to begin a three-year term as of this July.

Tina Ghataore joined Aerospacelab in August 2023 as Group Chief Strategy and Revenue Officer, and CEO of Aerospacelab’s new North American branch. Prior to joining the fast-growing international startup specialized in designing, manufacturing and operating small satellites, Tina served as Chief Commercial Officer of Mynaric and President of Mynaric USA where she led the company’s efforts to position Mynaric as the preferred laser communication provider for aerospace application for both government and commercial markets. In 2022, Tina’s contribution to the aerospace industry was recognized by both the public and industry peers alike when she was voted Via Satellite’s “Satellite Executive of the Year”, accepting her award in front of a select audience at the industry’s leading annual conference SATELLITE 2022. Before Mynaric, she held numerous leadership positions at Yahsat, the EKKAM Group – which she founded – and Panasonic Avionics Corporation. Tina began her more-than-20-year career in the space and satellite industry at The Boeing Company’s Satellite Systems business unit.

The membership of SSPI-WISE has also elected former Vice President Vinitha Lalvani of AvL Technologies as its President and Justyna Kosianka of Ursa Space as Vice President. Presidents and Vice Presidents of SSPI-WISE serve one-year terms with the Vice President taking on the role of President in the year following her service as Vice President.

When SSPI-WISE was founded four years ago, outgoing President Jomya Lei of Rocket Lab quickly became the organizational thread knitting together the energy generated by the inspirational leadership of President and founder Nicole Robinson. She continued as Debra Facktor’s Vice President and, when the role of Chairwoman was created, the functions that Jomya pioneered as Vice President quickly became the template for the newly defined President’s role. Having completed her term as President, Jomya will now serve as Co-Chair of the Elevating Women Working Group.

“Three years ago, Debra Factor guided SSPI-WISE towards transforming the women's grassroots energy into a sustainable organization,” said Director of Engagement Tamara Bond-Williams. “Jomya Lei, our first Vice President and then President, was instrumental in bringing Debra’s vision to life. With the successful transition and recruitment of the exceptional Tina Ghatore as our new chair, we acknowledge Debra’s and Jomya’s impactful contributions and are excited for the leadership direction Tina will provide over the next three years.”

SSPI-WISE’s membership also elected four new candidates to officer positions and three returning officers to new positions:

• Lyn Chassange, Senior Vice President, Customer Experience, Marketing and Communications, BlackSky will serve as Co-Chair of the SSPI-WISE STEM Outreach Working Group
• Mary Clark, Project Administrator, AvL Technologies will serve as Co-Chair of the SSPI-WISE Mentoring Working Group
• Caroline Duemling, R&D Systems Engineer, Sandia National Laboratories, and Jomya Lei, RF Product Manager, Rocket Lab, will serve as Co-Chairs of the SSPI-WISE Elevating Women Working Group
• Katina Mruk, Associate Director, Strategy and Transactions, RKF Engineering will serve as Co-Chair of the SSPI-WISE Sustainment & Infrastructure Working Group
• Manal Tadros, Boeing Satellite Systems Insurance Office Manager, The Boeing Company, and Rosario Toxqui, Senior Director of Marketing, Comtech Communications Corp. will serve as Co-Chairs of the recently re-established SSPI-WISE Networking Working Group

Continuing to serve as SSPI-WISE officers are:

• Alix Wright, Senior Vice President, Marketing Communications, Speedcast will serve as SSPI-WISE Secretary
• Divya-Kala Bhavani, Associate Director – PR, Comms & Marketing, Dhruva Space will serve as Co-Chair of the SSPI-WISE Elevating Women Working Group
• Melissa (Orlick) Hansley, Sales & Business Development Manager, Intellian Technologies will serve as Co-Chair of the SSPI-WISE Sustainment & Infrastructure Working Group
• Jennifer Hoil, Director of Product Marketing, ST Engineering iDirect will serve as Co-Chair of the SSPI-WISE Sustainment & Infrastructure Working Group
• Andrea Maleter, retired, Space Business Booster will serve as Co-Chair of the SSPI-WISE Mentoring Working Group
• Wendy (Lewis) Newman, Public Relations and Communications Consultant, Strategic Voice will serve as Co-Chair of the SSPI-WISE Mentoring Working Group
• Audrey Puderbaugh, Spacecraft Engineer, Iridium will serve as Co-Chair of the SSPI-WISE STEM Outreach Working Group
• Toni Lee Rudnicki, Fractional CMO/Founder, TLR Consulting will serve as Co-Chair of the SSPI-WISE Elevating Women Working Group
• Rosario Toxqui, Senior Director of Marketing, Comtech Telecommunications Corp. will serve as Co-Chair of the SSPI-WISE Social Media Working Group
• Elisabeth Tweedie, Founder and Owner, Definitive Direction will serve as Co-Chair of the SSPI-WISE Social Media Working Group
• Helen Wheedon, Owner and Senior Account Director, Radical Moves and Managing Director, Satcom Innovation Group will serve as Co-Chair of the SSPI-WISE Social Media Working Group

SSPI-WISE was founded in December 2020, with the goal of engaging women in the space and satellite industry on topics ranging from STEM outreach and mentoring to networking and elevating women. In this new election cycle, the Networking Working Group will function in an ad hoc capacity, and SSPI-WISE did not elect leads for its function.

SSPI-WISE membership is open to women who are SSPI members, and has a mailing list option for those who identify as allies of women. Members may serve on working groups including working groups that focus on STEM Outreach, Elevating Women, Social Media and Mentorship. SSPI-WISE holds networking events at various conferences, and bi-monthly meetings that are open to men and women, with informative guest speakers.

About SSPI
Founded in 1983, Space & Satellite Professionals International (www.sspi.org) is on a mission to make the space and satellite industry one of the world’s best at attracting and engaging the talent that powers innovation. The space and satellite business has never seen a time of greater experimentation and disruption than we see today. Investment is the fuel for transformation, but people are the engine. SSPI helps the industry attract, develop and retain the talented people it needs to keep the engine turning. People who connect through high-profile events and gain recognition from prestigious awards. People who rely on SSPI for a broader understanding of the industry as much as for individual networking and career mentoring. From young people seeking a career path to industry veterans with wisdom to share, SSPI connects them all.

Talent, investment and opportunity flow to industries that make a difference. SSPI is the only organization that also promotes the enormous value of space and satellite through dramatic stories of our technologies and companies making a better world. Those stories overturn misconceptions about the industry that hold it back. They inspire our people and attract new ones to the industry. They help justify investment and give new customers a reason to care about our services and products. Through the stories we tell and the people we serve, SSPI inspires the growth of the $1 trillion space economy of the future.

For More Information
Victoria Krisman
Communications Manager
Space & Satellite Professionals International
vkrisman@sspi.org