Celebrating Pride: Meet Kate Suratt
At NASA, diversity and inclusion drive workplace creativity, innovation and mission success. For Pride Month, we’re celebrating the stories of our LGBTQ and allies community.
What is your role at NASA?
I currently support the Engineering Directorate at Johnson Space Center (JSC) as the Business and Strategic Assessments Lead.
How long have you worked here?
17 Years
Are you a member of the LGBTQ Employee Resource Group at your center?
Yes, I’m the Chair of the JSC Out and Allied ERG.
What are some of the events or initiatives that are carried out throughout the year?
Our primary events are held during Pride month and include Pride Trivia Night, Lunch and Learns, Pride Movie Night and an “Ask Us Anything” opportunity. We also have events during Ally week in September where we emphasize our love and gratitude to our allies for their hard work and support. Our ERG participates in several conferences and recruitment events each year. We often collaborate with other ERGs and JSC management to reach as many folks as possible.
How have you been influenced by your participation in the ERG?
Attending an ERG meeting was one of the first things I did when I was coming out. That time in my life was extremely difficult and challenging and I consider myself incredibly lucky to have a work family who was there to support me when I needed them the most. I made a promise to myself that I would make it a priority to support the ERG and help maintain that safe place for others who might be in the same situation.
What is your background and why did you chose to work at NASA?
I have a master’s in Public Affairs from the University of Texas at Austin. I chose NASA because I believe in the mission and I wanted to work for the government in some capacity.
What has been your favorite project or memory from your time here?
My favorite time at NASA was the time I supported the Gateway Program as the Program, Planning and Control Lead for the Habitat and Logistics Outpost. It was hard work with long hours, but being part of the Artemis mission is something I can tell my grandkids about.
What do you like to do outside of work?
Outside of work I write short stories and novels, hang out with my family, kayak, run, and entertain my dogs. (My dogs are the true beneficiary of my current telework status.)
If you could go anywhere in the world, where would it be?
India and Japan or anywhere with my family. We had a great time recently on a road trip to a fishing cabin, then a few days later we made a big event out of getting snow cones. It doesn’t take much for us to have a good time. I have a great crew.
What is your proudest accomplishment?
I paid my own way through four universities, worked at three Sonic Drive-Ins, and slept on a mattress in the basement of a Georgetown row home before stumbling into my job at NASA. Since then I’ve been able to support our space mission, raise a family, and write/publish several stories I’m quite proud of.
