Experience

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  Viking Cruises

  • Basel, Switzerland

  • Viking Resident Astronomer

    • Mar 2020 - Present
    • Basel, Switzerland

    Present enrichment lectures to ship's guests in topics ranging from space history to cosmology to the search for extraterrestrial life. Lead question and answer sessions. Deliver presentations in the ship's planetarium when available. Lead stargazing sessions on deck.

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  Skyhorse Publishing, Inc

  • Book Author

    • 2016 - Present

    "Through the Glass Ceiling to the Stars: The Story of the First American Woman to Command a Space Mission" -- the long-awaited memoirs of co-author astronaut Eileen M. Collins -- was published in October 2021. Collins was one of the US Air Force's first women pilots, the second woman pilot to attend the USAF Test Pilot School, the first woman to pilot the space shuttle, and the first woman to command a space shuttle mission. She commanded NASA's daring return-to-flight mission of shuttle Discovery in 2005 after the Columbia accident. "Bringing Columbia Home: The Final and Continuing Mission of a Lost Space Shuttle and Her Crew," came out in January 2018 and had three hardcover printings before a new paperback edition was released in January 2020. It's also available in e-book and audiobook formats. The book was named "Best Space Book of 2018" by the Space Hipsters Facebook group, with over 28,000 space enthusiasts from around the world. The book's co-author is Mike Leinbach, retired NASA Launch Director.Columbia disintegrated 40 miles above Dallas on February 1, 2003, as she was less than 16 minutes from landing at the end of a highly-successful mission. Forty tons of debris from the shuttle, and the remains of her crew, fell to earth along a 250 mile long by 10 mile wide path through east Texas. "Bringing Columbia Home" is the story of the 25,000 men and women who braved challenging conditions in the largest land-based search and rescue mission ever conducted. They were united by the common goal of finding the shuttle and her crew to bring meaning to the crew's sacrifice and to enable the space shuttle program to keep flying. Their shared mantra was, "Their mission became our mission."

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  Royal Astronomical Society

  • Fellow

    • Oct 2018 - Present

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  Springer Publishing Company

  • Book Author

    • 2013 - Present

    Jonathan has written two books for the Springer-Praxis Space Exploration series:-- Rocket Ranch: The Nuts and Bolts of the Apollo Moon Program at Kennedy Space Center (331 pages, with 200 photos and diagrams). Available now on amazon.com.-- Countdown to a Moon Launch: Preparing Apollo for its Historic Journey (431 pages, with 275 photos and diagrams). Available now on amazon.com.Jonathan interviewed over 70 space workers from Kennedy Space Center to provide a unique account of the work that went on to prepare missions for launch. The books provide a behind-the-scenes view of launch operations as told in the words of the people from all aspects of the process at Kennedy Space Center - managers, engineers, technicians; spacecraft, launch vehicle, and support operations; and NASA and contractors.

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  The Global Effectiveness Group, LLC

  • Greensboro/Winston-Salem, North Carolina Area

  • President

    • 2002 - Present
    • Greensboro/Winston-Salem, North Carolina Area

    Coaching for executives and emerging talent, leadership assessment and development, strategy execution, team alignment, organizational assessment and change, competency modeling, succession planning, multicultural adaptation

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  Center for Creative Leadership

  • Greensboro, NC

  • Leadership Coach (Adjunct Staff)

    • Mar 2012 - Jun 2021
    • Greensboro, NC

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  Right Management Inc.

  • Sr. Talent Management Consultant

    • Dec 2004 - Aug 2014

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  Capital One

  • Director, Global Effectiveness and Diversity

    • 2000 - 2002

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  Freddie Mac

  • Manager, Corporate Planning; Manager, Strategic Systems Planning; various other roles

    • 1989 - 2000

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  Boeing

  • Contracts Manager

    • 1985 - 1989

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  Saudi Aramco

  • Contracts Representative

    • 1982 - 1985

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  CSC

  • Contracts Administrator

    • 1981 - 1982

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  General Services Administration

  • Contracts Specialist

    • 1978 - 1981