Leadership Team
Terita Norton
Founder & Executive Director
Ms. Terita Norton is an Electrical Engineer with nearly 25 years of technical experience working in the Aerospace Industry. She is currently a Systems Director at the Aerospace Corporation responsible for managing Aerospace systems engineering support to a large National Security Space program. Throughout her career Terita has held positions of increasing responsibility including being a Senior Project Leader in the Corporate Chief Engineer’s Office responsible for mission assurance and space quality within the space industrial base, Project Engineer leading spacecraft integration & test, and digital communication subsystems, and Senior Member of Technical Staff leading digital electronic design projects.
As one of the few and sometimes the only black engineer in the room she has seen firsthand the lack of minority female professionals in the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) fields. For more than 20 years Terita has used her platform to encourage and inspire youth and young adults to pursue STEM careers. She was the founding Director and NSBE Jr. Advisor for the Saturday Science Academy (SSA) in Inglewood, CA (2004-2010), a featured engineer and mentor with the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) EngineerGirl platform (2010 – present), a member of the Board of Directors for Girls Inspired and Ready to Lead (GIRL), Inc. (2016-2021), and an active member in a number of professional societies including the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE), Society of Women Engineers (SWE), IEEE, AIAA, and WIA.
Terita has published several technical papers and has received numerous awards and recognition. She holds a BS and MS in Electrical Engineering from Florida State University.
“Everyone is given the same 24 hours, what you do with it is up to you. I choose to invest mine in preparing the next generation of STEM leaders” – T. Norton
Dr. Terri Norton
President
Dr. Terri R. Norton is the Associate Dean for Students and Strategic Initiatives and a Professor of Civil & Environmental Engineering at Bucknell University. She is also the Executive Director of the Engineering Success Alliance. Dean Norton’s technical expertise is in the area of structural dynamics and structural vulnerability. Her research interests involve evaluating the effects of hazards on civil structures, debris management, and disaster reconstruction. Previously, she enjoyed a distinguished 11-year tenure at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) and was a member of the technical staff with the Aerospace Corporation’s Structural Dynamics department. She was a Fulbright Research Scholar in Japan for her research on debris management and reconstruction following the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami (GEJET). Norton has served as the PI on grants funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), the US Geological Survey (USGS), the Nebraska Department of Roads (NDOR), and the Department of Energy (DOE). She is an elected member of the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute’s (EERI) Board of Directors and is an invited member of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine Resilient America Roundtable. She has served as the major advisor for 3 Ph.D. students, 5 MS, 13 Masters of Arch. Engineering and 19 undergraduate research assistants. Moreover, Norton has been a presenter of structural dynamics and vulnerability in both the national and international arenas.
Dr. Terri R. Norton serves as the academic associate dean supporting the success of all students within the Bucknell University College of Engineering. She is a Professor of Civil & Environmental Engineering and serves as the executive director of the Engineering Success Alliance, a robust academic success initiative that provides students from under-resourced high schools the skills needed to thrive in engineering. Her research interests are in the areas of hazard mitigation, structural vulnerability, disaster recovery, and engineering education. Norton has served as the PI on grants funded by the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Geological Survey, the Nebraska Department of Roads, and the Department of Energy. She is a former Fulbright Research Scholar in Japan and a member of the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute’s (EERI) Board of Directors and the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine Resilient America Roundtable. She also served as a Co-PI on the NSF INCLUDES Minority SURGE Capacity in Disasters grant to train and mentor minority graduate researchers in STEM fields, with a disaster focus. Norton is a founding leader of the William “Bill” Anderson Fund, an initiative dedicated to increasing the number of underrepresented professionals in hazards and disaster mitigation research.
Lt Col Luciana Augustine
Vice President
Luciana Augustine is an active duty member of the United States Air Force, Lt Col, currently serving as the C-5 Branch Chief, Robins Air Force Base, GA. She leads the C-5 Airframe Branch in providing global management, sustainment, and integrated logistics support for C-5M aircraft. Luciana manages and executes an annual budget for the development and implementation of C-5 modernization and sustainment programs supporting worldwide operational mission requirements.
Prior to her current position, Luciana was the Chief, assigned to Headquarters Air Force Executive Secretariat, where she developed and taught course curriculum and coordinated staff taskings for the Air Force’s Top 5 senior leaders and their respective staffs.
Luciana has held various program management and leadership positions in the Air Force across multiple platforms in aircraft, space, and intelligence where she was responsible for planning, programming, and budgeting.
Prior to joining the military, Luciana was an educator for five years where she taught 7th grade mathematics. Luciana received her bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Louisiana and her master’s degree in Public Administration from Louisiana State University.
Luciana dedicates her time by volunteering at various food banks; outreach programs aimed towards female growth, development, and empowerment; homeless shelters; and rehabilitation programs for disabled and female veterans.
Luciana likes to spend her free time engaging in fun, energetic, and social activities such as running/jogging, lifting weights, yoga, attending music concerts, food festivals, watching movies/LSU football, traveling, and spending time with family and friends.
Danielle Spradley, Esquire
Secretary
Danielle Spradley, Esquire is the Managing Attorney of the Ft. Lauderdale litigation department of McCalla Raymer Leibert Pierce, LLC. Mrs. Spradley has over 16 years of experience in criminal and civil litigation. began her career as an Assistant Public Defender in Broward County, Florida. After several years of committing to public service, she went into private practice where she aggressively represents clients in complex civil litigation matters with a focus on delivering results. Mrs. Spradley serves as a fee expert, related to foreclosure cases throughout the state of Florida. As an expansion of her practice, she has gained experience litigating first party insurance cases and handling commercial litigation cases for several corporations.
Mrs. Spradley is heavily involved in community service. She serves in her local church as a youth leader, she has served as a mentor through multiple organizations in South Florida such as KAPOW and the City of Sunrise Leadership Academy. Mrs. Spradley currently serves as the Chairwoman of the City of Pembroke Pines Educational Advisory Board.
Dr. Tomeka S. Williams
Treasurer
Tomeka S. Williams is a Principal Economic and Business Analyst in the Cost and Business Analytics Department within MITRE’s Center for Acquisition Management Sciences (CAMS). She has a broad range of experience providing economic analysis and cost engineering support to MITRE’s sponsors, specializing in the development of Life-cycle Cost Estimates (LCCE), Business Case Analysis (BCA), Analysis of Alternatives (AoA), Strategic Portfolio and Financial Analysis for emerging technologies and new business requirements
During her 20+-year career, Dr. Tomeka S. Williams has held several management and technical positions with experience successfully assessing the affordability, efficiency, and effectiveness of advanced technology and engineering solutions for the federal government by applying core economic analysis capabilities across a diverse set of technical domains and maintaining strong customer relationships with sponsors. She has been recognized for a high level of technical leadership and performance both externally and internally.
Prior to joining MITRE, Dr. Tomeka S. Williams was the Ground Vehicles and Robotic Systems Team Lead for the Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for Cost & Economics (ODASA-CE). Notable cost estimate reviews were in support of the Stryker Nuclear Bio-Chemical Reconnaissance Vehicle (NBCRV), Abrams, JLTV, & MRAP.
Dr. Williams earned a BS degree in Business with an emphasis in Marketing Research from the North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University and a M.B.A. from Pepperdine University. She earned her Master’s in Philosophy and Ph.D. from Walden University and Engineering Management & Economics.