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Adam Thodey 

Aerospace Systems Engineer, Proven Entrepreneur and Business Solutions provider

Greater Denver Area | Aviation and Aerospace | Business Solutions

Summary

Disciplined, focused, and detail-oriented Engineer, experienced in supporting all project phases - design, build, test, and delivery, including on-orbit and operations support. Possess strong understanding of space systems and satellites and experience in developing creative solutions. Particularly skilled at developing an integrated and supported team to ensure project success. 

Selected Achievements

• Recipient, NASA Group Achievement Award for Kepler Launch and Commissioning Team.
• Awarded NASA’s Deep Impact Public Service Group Achievement Award for ensuring Mission Support Area was created and prepared for launch and on-orbit operations. Efforts ensured synchronization of ground system, proper operation and availability of telecommunication lines, and timely and rapid resolution of support issues.
• Created and implemented timeline/schedule to facilitate team members’ efforts in completing concurrent assignments.
• Successfully relocated computers, hardware, and transferred responsibility from HST SITS facilities in Colorado, Maryland, and Goddard Space Flight Center to another government agency.

Aerospace Experience Highlights

Ground Systems Engineer -

• Tasked to assemble mission support area, including communications, computers, and count-down/count-up mission clock. Provided test support in clean room and other test facilities; collaborated with software developers in resolving problems and updating database; and supported launch activities.
• As database manager, worked with development team to create test benches, also designated for use on flight, for Kepler. Database testing and testing of and on test benches, provided useful results in helping scope out the telemetry and command requirements for the project.
• Created ground system databases in preparation for flight operations by installing updates on facility’s test benches, and providing same ground system database for use by JPL.
• Provided OASIS-CC ground system support on Kepler project, interfacing with QA to create each ground system database and provide them in a timely manner to test benches, racks and other required users.
• Furnished updates to telemetry and command databases from flight software updates and errors encountered in tests.
• Member of two-member team charged with ensuring Control Center System operated properly at Goddard Space Flight Center. Installed updates to various test facilities, and assisted users in identifying and resolving issues.

Hardware Engineer -

• Collaborated with clients and field support engineers to determine reasons for issues and a current work around until resolutions could be developed or features added.
• Wrote and executed Release Regression tests to ensure stability and efficacy of systems upon release.
• Participated in troubleshooting issues; developed and implemented solutions; and unit and function tested “fixes” to ensure correct implementation.
• Managed rewriting of users’ manual, from concept and design, to print and updates for each release.
• Monitored use and location of government and company-furnished equipment and updated/maintained property location database.
• Interfaced with Quality Assurance to ensure adherence to appropriate processes and procedures.
• Developed test template used by Flight Software program, testing algorithms and ensuring adherence to all written and other functional requirements not listed for hardware and/or software.
• Key player in system maintenance and enhancement activities.
• Served as the HST Wide-Field Camera 3 database manager, developing telemetry and command tables and operations definitions, assigning individual bits for specific telemetry required in the downlink for ground system display and later analysis, and defining commands for use in the science instrument.

Professional Experience

Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corporation, Boulder, Colorado May 2003 – May 2006

• Ground Systems Engineer / Mission Support Area Developer - Deep Impact Project
• Database Manager / Ground Systems Engineer - Kepler Project

Lockheed Martin, Gaithersburg, Maryland October 1998 - October 2003

• Hardware Engineer - Hubble Space Telescope (HST), Science Instrument Test Systems (SITS)

Defence Science and Technology Organisation, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia June 1997 - August 1997

• GIS and Remote Sensing Internship - Embedded the ATREM code, developed at University of Colorado, into ENVI to get true ground reflectance on images in multi-spectral images obtained by the DSTO to then analyze the resulting image for target detection.

Business Experience

Data Diplomat LLCData Diplomat LLC, Lyons, Colorado May 2011 - April 2012

• Owner, Data-Driven marketing solutions company

Promoted business through networking, cold calls and warm calls. Managed budget; prepared proposals; and processed accounts payable / receivable. Installed WordPress and Joomla for website build clients and served as technical back end in installation and troubleshooting issues.

Purple Avocado Catering, Denver, Colorado February 2004 - May 2010

• President, Corporate Catering and Social Events

Managed and directed all sales, operations, and financial functions of corporate and special event catering business. Assisted sales staff in developing individual sales plans; collaborated with kitchen personnel to reduce costs and increase safety; and managed all accounting / budget functions.

Accomplishment: Increased sales at least 50% per year since 2005, and increased revenue from $100K in 2006 to equivalent of $750K in 2010 when business was sold.

Experience gained at University

University of Michigan, College of Engineering, Ann Arbor, MI September 1994 - May 1998

Graduate Student Instructor

• Introduction to Computing Course (C and MATLAB programming)

Graduate Research Assistant, Space Physics Research Laboratory  

• Member of the TIMED Doppler Interferometer (TIDI) project team.

Academic Peer Advisor,  College of Engineering 

• Assisted students with the adjustment to university life and academically advised students

Administrative Assistant to Professor, Chemical Engineering Department 

• Authored a chapter on HTML programming for The Macintosh, the PC, and UNIX Workstations textbook
• Prepared Chemical Engineering Conference Proceeding for Publication

Lab Assistant/Grader,  Chemical Engineering Department 

• Tutored, assisted students in computer programming and use of computers;
• Graded FORTRAN assignments and exams.

• Masters of Engineering in Space Systems
• Masters of Engineering in Applied Remote Sensing and Geoinformation Systems
• Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering

MonashUniversity, Melbourne, Australia. Visiting Student, Faculty of Engineering, Year Abroad

Edison Computech High School, Focus on Math, Science and Computers, Diploma 

Summer Science Program, Astronomy Program to calculate the orbit of an asteroid. Results were submitted to the IAU Minor Planet Center, Participant 

Digital Image Processing: ArcView, ArcInfo, IDRISI, NIH Image, ER Mapper, TNT, TransCAD, Desktop Mapping System

Programming Languages: C, FORTRAN, MATLAB, TCL, HTML, CSS, Java, Javascript, PHP

CAD and Laboratory Software: LabTech Notebook, SDRC I-DEAS Master Series

Other Engineering:  Sigma Plot, Visio, MathCAD, ClarisDraw/ClarisCAD, Deltagraph, DOORS

Business Applications: MS Word, MS Excel, MS Access, MS Powerpoint, PageMaker, WordPerfect, Open Office, CaterEase, QuickBooks, FrameMaker

NASA Group Achievement Award for Kepler Launch and Commissioning Team, 2009.
Cherry Creek Arts Festival Culinary Judge 2009.
Entrepreneur of the Year 2008
Culinary Best of Show 2007, Cherry Creek Arts Festival.
NASA Public Service Group for Deep Impact 2005.
Roger B Chaffee Scholarship Fund Award Dinner featured Guest Speaker  April 2005.
Roger B Chaffee Planetarium, Van Andel Museum, Grand Rapids, Guest Lecturer April 2005
Order of the Engineer, April 1998.
Peer Advisor Service Award, 1996.
National Residence Hall Honorary, 1995. 
Eagle Scout Award, Boy Scouts, May 1992.
California Teen Leadership Program, 1992.
National Science Foundation Young Scholar, 1991.
MVP, Edison/Computech High School Swim Team, 1990
Distinction, Math Competition, Tasmania, Australia 1989.

Representative, Denver Jewish Community Relations Council, 2011-present.
Member, Colorado Film and Video Association, 2004-2010.
Member, Lyons Chamber of Commerce, 2009- present.
Member, Arvada Chamber of Commerce 2004- 2010.
Member, Denver Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce 2004-2010.
Member, Lakewood Connections, Business Network International, 2007-2009.
Member, Rocky Mountain Rainbeaus, Square Dance Club of Denver, CO, 2002-2004.
Member, Hix N Chix, Square Dance Club of Longmont, CO, 2005-2007.
Member, Denver SQUID Swim Team, 2002 -present.
Member, City of Rockville Water Polo Team, 1999-2001.
Member, Sierra Club, 1999-present.
Member, American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), 1998-present.
Unit Commissioner, Boy Scouts of America, 1996-1998.
Member, Society of Automotive Engineers, 1997-present.
Member, University of Michigan Students for the Exploration and Development of Space (UM-SEDS), 1996-1998.
President, University of Michigan Amateur Radio Club, 1993-1996.
Member, University of Michigan Solar Car Team, 1992-1995.
Member, University of Michigan Water Polo Team, 1992-1996.
Representative, Residence Halls Association, 1994-1996.
Member, Monash University Water Polo Team, 1994.
Executive Board, Monash University Swim Club, 1994.
Rotary International Youth Exchange, 1990.
Student, Geeveston District High School, Geeveston, Tasmania, Australia, US Summer 1989