Executive Council

Dr. Laurie Leshin, Director of JPL
Dr. Laurie Leshin, director of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory since May 2022, is a distinguished geochemist and space scientist with extensive leadership experience in academia and government, including senior NASA positions.

Larry D. James, Deputy Director
Larry D. James has served as Deputy Director and Chief Operating Officer since 2013. As the Laboratory's Chief Executive Officer, he is responsible for the day-to-day management of JPL's resources and activities.

Dave Gallagher, Associate Director for Strategic Integration
Dave Gallagher is currently Associate Director for Strategic Integration at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Previously, he was the Director and Deputy Director for Astronomy, Physics, and Space Technology and before that he was manager of JPL's Advanced Optical Systems Program Office.

Leslie Livesay, Associate Director for Flight Projects and Mission Success
Leslie Livesay, JPL’s Associate Director for Flight Projects and Mission Success, has over 30 years of experience in autonomous space exploration. Previously, she was the director for Astronomy and Physics.

Matthew Wallace, Director for Planetary Science
Bio coming soon.

Suzanne Dodd, Director for the Interplanetary Network Directorate
Suzanne Dodd is JPL’s Director for the Interplanetary Network Directorate (IND). The IND is the home organization of NASA’s Deep Space Network and Multimission Ground Systems & Services programs. Dodd is also the Project Manager for the Voyager Interstellar Mission, a role she has had since 2010.

James E. Graf, Director for the Earth Science and Technology Directorate
Mr. James Graf is Jet Propulsion Laboratory's Director for the Earth Science and Technology Directorate. He manages the development and operations of the Earth science space and airborne missions, the advancements in Earth science research and applications, and the creation of relevant science data systems.

W. Michael Greene, Director for Communications and Education
Michael Greene is Director for Communications and Education at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. In this capacity, he oversees the laboratory's multiple communications activities in media relations, informal and formal education, television, Internet, internal communications and public engagement services.

Dr. Thomas A. Cwik, Chief Technologist
Dr. Tom Cwik is Chief Technologist for NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. In this role, he provides strategic leadership for research in advanced technology and serves as the focal point for technology interactions with NASA, companies, universities and the external research community.

Rebecca (Becky) Macko, Director for the Human Resources Directorate
Becky Macko is the Director for Human Resources at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). In this capacity, she provides strategic HR counsel and leadership to the Lab and develops programs that attract and retain JPL’s highly skilled and diverse workforce of more than 6,500 employees.

Neela Rajendra, Chief Inclusion Officer
Neela Rajendra builds and strengthens bridges from science to action in behavioral and organizational environments, with a focus on identifying and maximizing the ways that diversity, equity, and inclusion help organizations excel.

Sammy Kayali, Chief Financial Officer and Director for Laboratory Operations Integration
Sammy Kayali is the Chief Financial Officer and Director for Laboratory Operations Integration at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. He was appointed this position in July 2020.

Matthew (Matt) Decker, Chief Data and Information Officer (CDIO)
Matthew Decker is the Chief Data and Information Officer at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. He was appointed to this position on April 2023 and is responsible for providing strategic focus and guidance for Information Technology (IT), software solutions and recommendations, data and analytics, and advanced computing applied across the laboratory and mission support.

Jennifer Lum, Caltech General Counsel
Jennifer Lum became Caltech’s General Counsel on September 1, 2019. Lum joined Caltech in 2010 as Deputy General Counsel.

Martin Herman, Director for Safety and Mission Success
Martin (Marty) Herman is the Director for the Office of Safety and Mission Success at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. He was appointed to this position in July 2022. Prior to this, he served as the Division Manager for Instruments.

Keyur Patel, Director for Astronomy and Physics Directorate
Keyur Patel was appointed as the Director for Astronomy and Physics in April 2021. He has been a member of the professional staff at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory for almost 35 years and has served over 10 years in executive management at JPL.

Susan Owen, Chief Scientist (Acting)
Since joining JPL in 2004, Susan has been an active in the JPL research community, specializing in the use of space geodesy for Earth Science. She has held leadership positions at JPL over the years, including managerial roles within the Earth Science Section, and within the Earth Science and Technology Directorate.

Roger Gibbs, Director for Engineering and Science
Roger Gibbs is Director for Engineering and Science at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Before becoming director, Roger’s previous assignment was the Deputy Director for the Engineering and Science Directorate.

Richard Cook, Mars Sample Return Program Manager
Richard Cook is the Mars Sample Return Program Manager at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. In that capacity, he is responsible for coordination and execution of all NASA components of the Mars Sample Return Program.