SPECIAL AEROSPACE SERVICES - Key Persons
Christopher S. Jones is Program Manager for Special Aerospace Services (SAS), LLC. in Boulder, Colorado. He facilitates the client interface, the SAS client team and coordinates client contracts and budgets. He has continued to expand SAS' work and presence with clients, while performing his engineering role with multiple clients.
Job Titles:
- Chief Manufacturing Officer for SAS Flight Factory
Dan Merenda is the Chief Manufacturing Officer for SAS Flight Factory, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Special Aerospace Services. In this role, Merenda oversees all aspects of manufacturing for SAS Flight Factory.
Merenda has extensive expertise in aerospace engineering and operations. Before joining SAS, he worked as the Managing Director at Beyond Gravity (formerly RUAG Space USA), where he oversaw all operations for the United States. Prior to Beyond Gravity, Merenda held several leadership roles in quality engineering, safety and mission assurance, and program management for various prominent aerospace and defense companies.
Merenda began his career in the oil and gas industry before moving to aerospace. He earned a bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Michigan and a master's degree in Business Administration from the University of Utah. He currently resides in Huntsville, Alabama with his family and enjoys outdoor activities and judging BBQ contests in his spare time.
Job Titles:
- Chief Executive Officer
- Co - Founder
- President
- Founders
Heather Bulk is the President and Chief Executive Officer, as well as co-founder of Special Aerospace Services, SAS Flight Factory, and Rocket Apparel. She is also co-founder of the Who Dreams Wins Foundation. Since 2007 Mrs. Bulk has overseen the strategic direction and business performance of these companies and non-profit. Her focus is on strategy, leadership, and impact for all entities.
Job Titles:
- Senior Propulsion Engineer
Matthew Meyers serves the clients of Special Aerospace Services in the capacity of propulsion design and analysis. Mr. Meyers is a Senior Propulsion Engineer with a background in upper stage cryogenic propulsion, spacecraft development and booster propulsion. Mr. Meyers latest accomplishments include analysis support of the SLS Interim Cryogenic Propulsion Stage (ICPS) for NASA's first human mission around the moon since Apollo. He performed upper stage thermodynamic and fluid management analyses for the cryogenicpropellant tanks. Mr. Meyers was instrumental in architecture changes to support inflight conditioning of the hydrogen system to meet performance requirements.
Mr. Meyers has 14 years of experience working in the aerospace industry supporting space exploration with SAS, Sierra Nevada Corporation, Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman (Swales Aerospace).
Passionate about propulsion and the outdoors, Colorado is a natural fit. Mr. Meyers lives an active lifestyle in Denver Colorado with his wife and two young sons.
Mr. Meyers has received special honors and awards for the work performed on the Dream Chaser Program, Orion Crew Module, and the Mars Science Laboratories.
Mr. Meyers holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from California Polytechnic University San Luis Obispo and a Master of Science in Mechatronics System Engineering from Denver University.
Job Titles:
- Chief Financial Officer
- Director of Spaceflight Safety and System Engineering Services
Todd Kemp is the Chief Financial Officer at Special Aerospace Services. In this role, Kemp oversees financial planning and analysis, systems and reporting, controls, and compliance for SAS.
Kemp has over 20 years of experience working in financial operations. He's worked for manufacturing companies across industries including Idaho Pacific Holdings, Keyes Packaging Group, Precision Castparts, and more. He is a Certified Merger & Acquisitions Advisor and Certified Management Accountant.
Kemp received a bachelor's degree in Accounting and Finance from Brigham Young University and a master's degree in Accounting and Finance from Arizona State University.
Mr. Jeff Patton is the Director of Spaceflight Safety & System Engineering Services. Mr. Patton's current focus is implementing SAS Spaceflight Safety TM processes for future NASA and Commercial Spaceflight endeavors.
Previously, Mr. Patton served as the Human Spaceflight Certification Manager for the Commercial Crew Program for United Launch Alliance (ULA), where he was responsible for the development of all Human Spaceflight engineering Certification activities. This included the integrated systems analysis and the development of Human Spaceflight Safety products and processes.
For over 15 years Mr. Patton lead Human Rating of Atlas V to include the development of the original approach for the Atlas V and Delta IV launch vehicles to comply with NASA human certification requirements.
Mr. Patton has extensive experience as a Capture Manager for major NASA Programs including, ISS Cargo Resupply Programs (COTS1, COTS2, CRS1, CRS2), and has performed technical integration and programmatic feasibility for 14 Commercial Cargo customers. Mr. Patton served in an identical role for NASA Commercial Crew Program (CCDev 1, CCDev2, CCiCap, CCtCap), performing technical integration and Commercial Business Case development for 9 Commercial Crew customers. Mr. Patton has been actively involved as the NASA human rating requirements evolved from the conceptual phase, to detailed design requirements for the NASA Commercial Crew Program.
Job Titles:
- Chief Technical Officer and Co - Founder, President of SAS International
- Chief Technical Officer of the SAS Family of Companies
Tim Bulk is the Chief Technical Officer of The SAS Family of Companies: Special Aerospace Services (SAS), Director of SAS Flight Factory, and President of SAS International. He is also co-founder of the Who Dreams Wins TM Foundation.
Mr. Bulk oversees the technical strategic direction and objectives of these Colorado-based aerospace companies. With roughly 100 employees across the United States, the SAS Family of Companies engages in lifecycle relationships with clients in aerospace, aviation, defense, and energy, providing critical guidance, tactical engineering, precision manufacturing, assembly, and procurement of mission-essential hardware.
Since co-founding SAS in Boulder, Colorado, in 2007, Mr. Bulk has managed the technical portfolio across the companies including engineering and R&D, while expanding SAS' footprint by building new business ventures. Today, SAS is a leader in delivering innovative systems engineering solutions to the aerospace industry, emerging commercial spaceflight sector, and U.S. government agencies, including the Department of Defense.
Recognizing the need for custom manufacturing and rapid prototyping in the aerospace and aviation sectors, Mr. Bulk co-founded SAS Flight Factory TM, previously SAS Manufacturing, in 2015. Based in Arvada, Colorado, this firm is an AS9100D/ISO9001 certified precision manufacturing company, specializing in design, machining, prototyping, 3D printing, and additive manufacturing research. It now serves clients in aerospace, defense, and a variety of commercial industries.
Mr. Bulk and his family created the Who Dreams Wins (WDW) Foundation, of which he is the Executive Director. The WDW Foundation fosters STEM education and provides scholarships, technology, training, and tools to those in need. A primary focus of the WDW Foundation is helping underprivileged women pursue careers in the STEM fields. Additionally, the WDW Foundation supplies technology and resources globally, aiding international distressed regions through its Special Missions. The WDW team of volunteers has successfully built a school, community center, and hydro-plant in Nepal; recently completed a rehabilitation effort on an island in the British Virgin Islands damaged by Hurricane Maria; and supported local schools with off-site learning tools during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Prior to co-founding SAS, Mr. Bulk was employed by NASA at the Johnson Space Center as a Deputy Program Manager with NASA's Commercial Crew & Cargo Program Office. He also worked at NASA's Launch Services Program at Kennedy Space Center as a Project Systems Engineer responsible for Atlas V Launch Vehicle Certification. In addition, Mr. Bulk served as a Lead Project Engineer on the Orbital Space Plane Program, and as a Mission Integration Engineer for a variety of large science missions (GOES, TDRS, MRO, Pluto New Horizons) and secondary missions. Prior to joining NASA, Mr. Bulk was employed by Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company as a Propulsion Systems Engineer on the RD-180 engine program, part of the successful development team on the Atlas III and Atlas V launch systems.
Mr. Bulk holds a degree in Aeronautical & Astronautical Engineering from Ohio State University and a Masters Degree in Space Systems Engineering from the Florida Institute of Technology.
Job Titles:
- Director of Compliance and Quality
As Director of Compliance and Quality, Ms. Gagner works closely with the CEO to lead and support strategic cross-functional teams and projects for Special Aerospace Services. Ms. Gagner drives organizational effectiveness and performance optimization through Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI), multi-level team alignment and an ability to simplify complexity. Ms. Gagner brings a strategic systems perspective to business operations and project management, leveraging 25 years of creating operational efficiency and business sustainability spanning multiple industries. Leading multi-disciplinary teams, Ms.Gagner has guided analytical problem solving, provided statistical and methodological consultation and managed all phases of projects including design, development, implementation and analysis to improve quality, business processes and organizational effectiveness.
Ms. Gagner coordinates development of data analytics and transforms it into actionable information to support SAS' success across various projects such as performance management and metrics development, AS9100 compliance and resource planning. Her personal style reflects a commitment to excellence, optimal results, team development, inclusive leadership and situational resiliency.
Ms.Gagner is an ASQ certified Six Sigma Black Belt with a Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies: Communication, Legal Institutions, Economics and Government from American University and a Master of Public Health in Health Services Administration from San Diego State University.
Job Titles:
- Chief Systems Engineer
- Chief Systems Engineer - Space and Launch Systems at SAS
William A. Clark is the Chief Systems Engineer - Space and Launch Systems at SAS. In this role, Bill leads a diverse team of engineers to conduct precision work and guide SAS clients in the development and integration of launch systems and human spaceflight safety and reliability.
Mr. Clark has over 25 years of national and international space vehicle development experience with such companies such as Rockwell, Lockheed Martin and ITT. He has expertise in the areas of Controls and Avionics Systems, Space Instrument Communication, Launch Vehicle and Payload Integration. He has a broad Avionics and Systems Engineering background and has held key influential roles on such programs as Small ICBM, Atlas III, EELV-Atlas V, and Antares inaugural launch vehicles; NASA's Flight Tele-robotic Servicer and GOES-R Imager.
His expertise spans across the domains of Chief Engineer and Program Management and he has developed a wealth of experience in Former Soviet Union rocket engines and launch vehicle avionics integration. Additionally, Mr. Clark served at Lockheed Martin and ITT in various technical leadership and chief engineer roles.
Mr. Clark attended the Purdue University, where he received a Bachelor's degree in Aeronautical & Astronautical Engineering and performed graduate studies in Electrical Engineering at the University of Colorado.