Michael Gass
Board Chair
Prior to retirement, Michael Gass was the President and Chief Executive Officer for United Launch Alliance (ULA). He served as the principal strategic leader in the creation of this joint venture company, leading Lockheed Martin and Boeing through company negotiations, regulatory approval, and initial integration. He provided leadership for ULA through the first eight years of outstanding company performance.
Before joining ULA, Gass served as Vice President and General Manager of Space Transportation for Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company, responsible for the Atlas, Titan, Missile Defense and Advanced Space Transportation product lines. Prior to this assignment, Gass served as Vice President, Atlas/Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) programs, for Lockheed Martin Space Systems and as Vice President of the Atlas launch vehicle program. He was responsible for the Atlas II, III, and V launch vehicle programs.
Gass served in several management positions with General Dynamics for 14 years before its Space Systems Division was acquired by Martin Marietta, which merged with the Lockheed Corporation in 1995 to become Lockheed Martin Corporation.
In addition to his corporate leadership, Gass is also a leader in the communities where he lives and works. In Colorado, he has served on former Gov. John Hickenlooper’s Education Leadership Council and co-chaired former Gov. Bill Ritter’s P-20 Education Commission – groups that have worked to improve the state’s educational system. He has volunteered for numerous non-profits, including Denver Rescue Mission, Mile High United Way and Project C.U.R.E., among others.
He is currently a Board Member for XCOR Corporation and the Space Foundation, a non-profit that promotes international space activities. He also co-chairs the Metro Denver Economic Development Corporation’s Colorado Aerospace Coalition.
Gass graduated from Lehigh University with a BS in Industrial Engineering. He also attended the Sloan Fellows Program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology where he received a MS in Management.