This was a unique opportunity in which we are honored to have worked under the direction and guidance of the Space Foundation’s Mr. Rich Cooper, Vice President – Strategic Communications & Outreach. Rich is a homeland security & emergency management enterprise giant who has previously worked at DHS under Secretaries Ridge & Chertoff in the Private Sector Office as the Business Liaison Director for Science & Technology and Emergency Preparedness and Response, and served as Special Assistant to the NASA Administrator and Chief of Staff at NASA Headquarters. This was a tremendous effort and success that has been years in the making between Mr. Cooper and Mr. Simental.

The exercise included participation from the Space Foundation’s Executive Leadership team CEO Tom Zelibor RADM U.S. Navy Ret., COO Sheli Brunswick and CFO Holly Roberts, and from various key public safety agency partners and representatives from the Department of Homeland Security, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Colorado’s South Central All-Hazards Homeland Security Region, Pikes Peak Regional Office of Emergency Management and the Colorado Springs Police Department. Funded by the Department of Homeland Security, Nonprofit Security Grant Program 2021 and thanks to the Colorado Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management’s Grants Team who additionally supported this effort.

This was the first emergency preparedness exercise in a series this year supporting the United States Space Foundation. We had an amazing group of folks who built this exercise and supported our exercise planning team. Special Thanks to Dr. W.A. Cain and Dr. Rick White for their exercise planning efforts.

We also had a diverse, highly experienced group who served as facilitators. Special Thanks to Lorin Schroeder, Sara Fant, Ed Garner, Sara McKellop, Jory Maes and our two student note-takers from Pikes Peak State College Jason Brooks and Brett Henry.

Now that this exercise has concluded we are excited to continue our support and partnership to enhance emergency preparedness and public safety efforts with the United States Space Foundation and agency partners with various activities.