David Brock

Tell us a little about your background.

I was born in Albertville, AL. At the time of my birth, my dad was in the Air Force, and the first year of my life was spent in Hemsted, NY, near Mitchell Field where he was stationed. After he left the Air Force in June 1954, we moved back to Alabama, and shortly after our arrival, my father secured a job at the Republic Steel Corporation in Gadsden, AL, where he would spend the next 30 years gainfully employed.

In 1961 dad became a Dixie Youth Baseball coach, and all total would coach for 32 years. Much of my early influence in life came from him, who, as a coach, believed in hard work, discipline, attention to detail, and teamwork. These were early life lessons that would serve me well in the coming years.

As a student in the Boaz school system in Boaz, AL, I was very active throughout my high school years. I was a member of the 1969/70 football team, was active in FFA, Pep Club, B Club, and played an active role in the planning and coordination of the senior play prior to my graduation in 1971. I have many fond memories of the time spent in the Boaz school system, attributing much of my successes in later years to the many positive experiences, especially to those teachers who significantly influenced my life in a very positive way.

After my graduation, I enrolled at Snead State Community College for three quarters, and took a year of classes at Gadsden Business College, where I received a Certificate in Business. However, in the summer of 1973, I received some very disturbing news when I learned for the first time that I had a hereditary eye disease known as “Retinitis Pigmentosa,” a progressive eye disease that would essentially robbed me of all my remaining eyesight over the next 10 years.

Although it would take time to overcome the shock of what I would be facing in the coming years, I was determined to work through those challenges. So with a new outlook on life, along with the support of the State Vocational Rehabilitation Services, an organization I came into contact with in the summer of 1978, I left my job with the ConAgra Egg Processing Plant where I had worked for the past five years, and enrolled in classes at Snead State in Boaz. I went on to graduate with an associate’s degree in science, and following my graduation, enrolled at the University of Alabama in Birmingham, where I graduated with a bachelor’s degree in business administration.

My determination to succeed begin to pay great dividends, when in December 1984, I was offered a job at the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) in Huntsville, AL. I was hired under the Professional Intern Program assigned to the Office of Procurement. I would face many challenges during those early years, but had the support of mentors at work who were willing to look at my potential, rather than focusing on the eye problem.

With each passing year, I would take on more and more program-related responsibilities, and As a result in March 2005 was named the Lead Small Business Specialist (SBS) at MSFC. In addition to my SBS duties, in October 2019 I was appointed to the position of NASA Mentor-Protégé Program Manager, responsible for administering the program on behalf of the Agency from my office at MSFC.

On a personal note, I was presented with an opportunity to give back to the organization that had given me that much needed support while attending college. At the beginning of 1995, the Vocational Rehabilitation Services became the Alabama Department of Rehabilitation Services and along with it the establishment of a Board of Governors. I was appointed to serve a three-year term on the new board by then Governor Jim Folsom Jr., followed by a five-year appointment by then Governor Fob James, and finally a seven-year appointment by then Governor Don Seigleman. All total, I served 15 years on the Board, and during that time had the opportunity to offer encouragement to thousands of disabled individuals across the state as well as many support groups. I am a firm believer that the way to true success is by placing others above self, believing that the way one achieves his or her goals in life is by helping others achieve their goals, and that win-win means if I help you win, I win too!

Currently I live in Boaz, AL, and have been married to my wife Shirley for more than 46 years, have one son and three grandchildren. I am a motivational and lay speaker, teach an adult Sunday school class, and my wife and I served as youth leaders for 17 years at our home church in Boaz.

What made you want to become a small business specialist?

At the start of my career at NASA MSFC under the three-year Professional Intern Program, I was presented with the opportunity to rotate into several different areas within the Office of Procurement, with my first stop in the MSFC Small Business Office. After spending my first six months in this office, I strongly believed that it was here where I could make the best contributions to NASA. The support provided to industry through the Small Business Program can have a tremendous impact on small businesses, especially those who are just starting out. I’ve often referred to the program as the best kept secret, from an employment standpoint, in the Federal Government. If I had it to do over, I would do it again! It has definitely been a rewarding career for me.

What is your favorite part of being a small business specialist?

My favorite part of being an SBS is the people! As an SBS, we are presented with numerous opportunities on a daily basis to engage internally with procurement and technical personnel, small and large business prime contractor representatives, state and federal organizations, and with thousands of business leaders all across the country at outreach events having an interest in doing business with NASA. Its very rewarding to work with a startup company and watch it grow, knowing that what you provided as an SBS to that company in a small way may have contributed to that company’s ultimate success.