Mr. RJ Balanga

RJ Balanga serves as the Deputy Director at the Spectrum Policy and Planning Division at NASA Headquarters.  Mr. Balanga joined NASA in November 2015 and, currently, serves as the principal advisor to the Spectrum Policy and Planning Director.  He also leads various NASA strategic initiatives focused on spectrum professional education and outreach initiatives.  His professional experience includes over 26 years of spectrum management knowledge and policy analysis, with 20+ years of federal government service.

Prior to joining NASA, Mr. Balanga served in various spectrum management capacities at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), from 2002 to 2015, including as the FAA representative to the Frequency Assignment Subcommittee, under the National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s Interdepartment Radio Advisory Committee.  Mr. Balanga spent the majority of his tenure with the FAA managing spectrum utilized for Air-Ground Communications.  Mr. Balanga also oversaw the spectrum bands for surveillance/radar systems and served as the FAA coordination lead for testing and training activities with the Department of Defense and other Federal Agencies in support of electronic attack/electronic warfare, identification friend or foe, and counter-radio improvised electronic device systems.

Before Mr. Balanga began working in the Federal government, he worked in private industry for 7 years.  From 1996 to 1998, Mr. Balanga worked as a Wireless Network Design Engineering Consultant for Kurtis and Associates, P.C., a telecommunications law firm in Washington D.C.  From 1998 to 2002, Mr. Balanga worked as a Regional Radio Frequency Lead at Teligent, Inc. in Vienna, VA, as well as, a Lead Technical Engineer for the Teligent Professional Services Team, which was established to spearhead international joint-venture business development.

Mr. Balanga holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from Virginia Tech and attended George Mason University for a Master’s of Arts in Telecommunications Management.  Mr. Balanga also served on the Virginia Tech, Bradley Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering Advisory Board.