TIGER INNOVATIONS - Key Persons
Mr. Hooks joined Tiger in 2000. As Senior Electrical Engineer, he is responsible for system design, circuit design and analysis, and manufacturing and production of electrical boards and systems. Mr. Hooks has had a 22+ year career in the aerospace industry including experience in systems, software and hardware engineering, embedded software design, system integration, FPGA design, high-speed board design, rapid prototyping, and product test. Prior to joining Tiger he worked for Orbital Sciences Corporation as a Senior Electrical Engineer in their Space Division where he supported multiple small spacecraft missions for various government customers. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from Old Dominion University.
Mr. Smith joined Tiger in 2018 as Tiger's Chief Financial Officer (CFO). As CFO he is responsible for corporate accounting and reporting, state and local taxes, program control, and financial compliance with Cost Accounting Standards and the Federal Acquisition Regulation.
Mr. Smith brings over 35 years of experience in finance, accounting, and audit in government contracting. Prior to joining Tiger, he was Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Integrity Applications, Inc. (now Centauri), for 11 years. Before joining IAI he was a Senior Manager for Government Compliance at BearingPoint, and earlier in his career held positions as Controller, Chief Financial Officer, or financial manager for divisions of United Defense and TRW, including seven years as an expatriate in the Middle East. He started his career with 5 years on the audit staff of Peat Marwick Mitchell & Co. He holds an inactive CPA license from California and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics from UCLA and an MBA from the University of Southern California.
Mr. Whalen was appointed Manager, Spacecraft Integration and Test at Tiger in 2018. He brings over 30 years of experience in the aerospace industry to include expertise in liquid and solid rocket launch vehicles, air launched vehicles, airborne launch systems, commercial/NASA/JPL/DoD spacecrafts, HST on orbit servicing, deployment mechanisms, and launch site development. Prior to joining Tiger, Mr. Whalen served as the Senior Manager for Spacecraft Integration and Test at Orbital ATK where he was responsible for all SC I&T activities for NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS). Prior to that, he served as Manager of the Antares Launch Site where he managed a team of approximately 100 engineers, technicians, support staff, suppliers and contractors responsible for the integration, test and launch of Antares. Mr. Whalen earned a BS in Mechanical Engineering from Old Dominion University.
Job Titles:
- Tiger in 2016 As a Senior Mechanical Engineer
Mr. Schipani joined Tiger in 2016 as a Senior Mechanical Engineer. He brings over 30 years of experience designing mechanical systems to support aircraft (A6F) and spacecraft including small satellite (BATSAT, MUBLCOM), science (SORCE,GOES), commercial (A2100, Geostar II , Orbview 4, HS376), interplanetary (DAWN), government (GPSIIR, ESPAStar), space station resupply (CYGNUS) and classified missions. Prior to joining Tiger he worked for several of the major aerospace providers including Boeing (Hughes) Space Systems, Lockheed Martin (GE Astrospace) and Northrop Grumman (Orbital Sciences and Grumman Aerospace) as well as providing services as an independent contractor. Mr. Schipani holds a Bachelor's in Mechanical Engineering from Cooper Union and a Master's in Systems Engineering from Polytechnic University. He is a Professional Engineer licensed currently in VA and formerly in NY.
Mr. Cox was appointed Senior Program Manager in 2019. He brings more than 25 years of experience working with, developing and directing space systems (ANFPS-85, ANFPS-133, SPADOC 4C, SBIRS, SBSS, Space Fence). He has maintained a top secret clearance since 1994 and has extensive experience with space policy and space system portfolio and program management. Prior to joining Tiger, Mr. Cox held positions as the Chief of the Air Force Space Control Division, (Managed, developed and advocated for $4 Billion Space Situational Awareness, Space Control and Space Command and Control budgets through the DoD Planning, Programming and Budget System) the Deputy Chief of Staff at Air Forces Central Command, (Coordinated staffing and personnel actions for 28,000 deployed airmen conducting and enabling combat execution of deployed aircraft in Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan) and as an Air Force Squadron Commander. Mr. Cox holds a Bachelor's in Government and International Relations from California State University and a Master's in Space Studies from American Public University.