A-P-T Research, Inc., is pleased to announce its recent hiring of two key employee-owners – George Gafka and Star Williams.
Mr. Gafka joins the company as Executive Vice President of Safety and Mission Assurance. Prior to joining APT, Mr. Gafka had a distinguished 30-year career at NASA supporting several human spaceflight programs from a number of diverse leadership positions (Chief Engineer, Chief Safety Officer, and S&MA Director) during life-cycle phases spanning from early development to real-time operations.
Over the span of his career, Mr. Gafka received numerous prestigious awards for his leadership and, as an avid believer in continuous learning, he has earned a diverse set of academic degrees:
- Master of Business Administration, Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, California, 2014
- Professional Certificate Aircraft Accident Investigation, Southern California Safety Institute, 2007
- Master of Space Systems Engineering, Delft University of Technology, The Netherlands, 2006
- Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering, University of Houston, 1995
- Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering, University of Texas at Austin, 1991
Mr. Gafka brings a wealth of broad technical and business management knowledge, seasoned experience across many roles and programs, proven critical decision-making judgment, and expert leadership to develop and implement innovative tailored solutions that thoughtfully balance complex competing considerations such as cost, schedule, and safety.
Also joining APT is Star Williams, who will serve as the company’s Human Resources Director. Prior to joining APT, Ms. Williams served as a human resources business partner for Aerojet Rocketdyne. She holds Bachelor’s degrees in both Human Resource Management and Psychology from Athens State University. In addition, she holds an active Society for Human Resource Management Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP) Certification and brings a broad HR skillset to include employee relations, performance management, recruiting, benefits, compensation, and more.