Biography

Susan Nelson

Susan Nelson, Director, Government Affairs and Washington Operations, Aerojet Rocketdyne 

Susan is the Director of Government Affairs and Washington Operations for Aerojet Rocketdyne (AR). Primary responsibilities include interacting with the NASA, DOD and Congressional customers on civil space and national security space issues. Previously, Susan served as the Director of Washington Operations for Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne, after serving as a government affairs specialist for NASA’s Office of Legislative & Intergovernmental Affairs. Susan worked for 6 years in the Congress, for Representatives Bill Young, FL, Mark Neumann, WI, Bud Shuster, PA and Dave Weldon, FL. She also served as a delegate for the American Council for Young Political Leaders to Turkey in 2008, has served as a volunteer for D.C.’s Habitat for Humanity and served as a panelist for the HOBY Leadership Conference. In addition to serving on the Board of the National Space Club, she serves as the Chair of the Space Enterprise Council and the Chair of the Space Legislative Action Team for the Aerospace Industries Association. Susan is the mom of two (Sophia and Jackson), golfs, plays soccer, snowboards, hikes and surfs. One of her main priorities as a mom, it to continue to encourage and grow her young daughter’s goal of becoming a doctor and a pilot.