Rey N. Diaz

Dr. Rey N. Diaz is Chief of the Integrated Management System Office within the Center Engagement and Business Integration Services directorate at NASA’s John F. Kennedy Space Center in Florida. He provides leadership for Kennedy’s Integrated Management System; responsible for evolving, adapting, and integrating existing management systems that achieved certification to government controls and international management system standards.

Experience

Prior to his current assignment, Dr. Diaz served as the principal management advisor for Kennedy’s management systems and implemented effective change to furnish a basis for executive decisions affecting Center mission, objectives, plans, studies, policies, and proposed courses of action.  

His career with NASA began in 1983 in the Kennedy Payload Project Office as the Launch Site Support Manager for space shuttle missions, where he performed coordination and integration of payload support activities with Kennedy organizational elements. In 1987, he served as experiment project engineer for post-Challenger return-to-flight activities and integrated various Spacelab and scientific experiments carried aboard space shuttle missions. From 1990, he became payload project engineer for space shuttle flights, providing overall mission integration of experiment and payloads for prelaunch, launch, and post-flight processing activities, and conducting technical assessments to ensure flight readiness for Spacelab missions.  

In 1994, Dr. Diaz was the lead payload project engineer providing leadership in the execution of spaceflight missions and technical expertise in the processing and assessment for flight readiness for the Spacelab Program, payload projects, and integration of flight experiments. In that capacity, he led technical teams in the planning and processing of pre and post launch activities of several shuttle missions involving life sciences, earth observation, human adaptation to space, and the development and demonstration of space station hardware.  

In 1997, Dr. Diaz was assigned to the Office of the Center Director where he performed in several leadership positions, leading the development and implementation of an integrated management system. In 2000, he joined the Safety, Health, and Independent Assessment Directorate leading the implementation of key priorities for center-wide transformation, where he oversaw the integration of management system and governance elements into an operating framework. In 2004, Dr. Diaz joined the Office of the Chief Engineer as Division Chief, developing and implementing projects to address Columbia Accident Investigation Board recommendations for Agency’s program management requirements. In that capacity, he completed the development and operation of management processes based on the center’s priorities and risks, and in alignment to the Kennedy governance framework.  

Dr. Diaz also served in a senior level and management capacity for assignments within the Payload Management, Directorate, Biomedical Office, Office of the Chief Engineer, Center Operations Directorate, and the Office of the Center Director. In these roles, he was instrumental in advancing business concepts and evolving management systems to drive for performance excellence across the center and agency. 

Awards

Dr. Diaz has received several prestigious awards, including the NASA Exceptional Service Medal, NASA Silver Snoopy Award, NASA Silver Achievement Medal, and Spaceflight Awareness Management Award. He is also the recipient of the NASA Silver Group Achievement Award for implementation of management systems and several Group Achievement Awards for contributions to the Space Shuttle, Spacelab, and Space Station Programs for mission integration of human spaceflight and space systems.  

Education

Dr. Diaz holds a Bachelor’s of Electrical Engineering from the University of Puerto Rico at Mayaguez, as well as a Master’s in Engineering Management, and a Doctorate in Industrial Engineering from the University of Central Florida. 

Biography last updated February 2024