Donald S. Parker

Mr. Donald S. Parker currently serves as a Principal Engineer in the NASA Engineering and Safety Center.  Mr. Parker previously served as the Deputy Chief of the Laboratories and Test Facilities Division at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center and was responsible for assisting with the management, performance, and strategic guidance of a diverse, multi-discipline, civil servant and contractor workforce. Over the past 15 years, Mr. Parker has advanced through numerous supervisory positions of increasing responsibility, leveraging his extensive background in aerospace structural materials with prior tenures as Deputy Chief of both the Mechanical Systems Engineering Division and Materials Science Engineering Divisions at Kennedy Space Center.  He provided comprehensive management and technical oversight for a broad spectrum of engineering disciplines including design, development, and testing of complex ground systems for space flight vehicles including both Government and Commercial vehicle architectures. Mr. Parker was selected in 2014 for a developmental detail assignment at NASA Headquarters to develop strategic planning guidance and technical integration for the Space Technology Mission Directorate. Mr. Parker began his NASA career in 1999 after serving 10 years as a civilian engineer with the Naval Air Command Fleet Support Centers performing failure analysis and materials development work on both fixed and rotary wing aircraft, as well as military turbine engines.  His accomplishments include development, application, and infusion of numerous innovative coating systems across the Navy and Marine Corp aircraft fleet for landing gear, hydraulic components, turbine engine blades, vanes, and gear mechanisms. He has received numerous awards for his technical and professional accomplishments including a patent, numerous honor awards, and the prestigious “Silver Snoopy” Space Flight Awareness Award. 

Mr. Parker holds both a Bachelors and Masters degree in Materials Science Engineering from the University of Florida.