The SWIFTeam

The people building the Texas space workforce

Dedication. Expertise. Passion.

The SWIFTeam unites a unique blend of experts, innovators, and storytellers, all dedicated to advancing SWIFT and the broader space ecosystem. Together, we bring an unparalleled depth of knowledge and creativity — and we couldn't be prouder of the team driving our mission forward.

Founders & Board

Geoff Tudor

President, Board Member

Space policy veteran. Congressional sponsor of Clementine — which found ice on the Moon — and DC-X, the rocket that invented vertical landing. Wrote commercial space legislation. Patent holder in the architecture powering today's mega-constellations. Now building the workforce Texas needs to lead the next space age.

Dr. Leon Vanstone

Vice President, Board Member

Founding Director of the Texas Rocket Engineering Lab (TREL). Rocket scientist and hypersonics expert — and the man behind over 100 student careers launched into aerospace. One of his students won the Collier Trophy for work on Firefly's Blue Ghost lunar lander. Leon doesn't just teach the frontier — he sends students there.

Sandy Barker

Technical Operations Advisor

Trained astronauts at NASA. Early employee at Firefly Aerospace. Former Director of TREL. Sandy's superpower: turning students into teams that build and launch high-power liquid rockets — safely, legally, and to ITAR standard.

Joseph Kopser

Board Member, Defense & Innovation

West Point graduate. Army Ranger. Bronze Star recipient. Harvard Kennedy School. Co-founded RideScout, acquired by Mercedes-Benz. White House Champion of Change. President of Grayline. Joseph opens the doors inside DoD's defense and advanced technology units that most organizations never get to knock on.

Heather Wagner Reed

Board Member, Media & Communications

Founder & CEO of Juice Consulting, one of Texas's leading media and communications firms. An award-winning strategist who has built brands, shaped narratives, and put complex missions in front of the audiences that matter most.

Harvin Moore

Board Member, Investor & Advisor

Was on the launch team for the world's first commercially-funded rocket in 1982. Since then: banking at Treasury, tech CEO, COO of a commercial space company, faculty at International Space University, and board leader across NASA's Space Center Houston. Harvin brings institutional depth and a lifetime in the room where space and education intersect.

Advisory Board

Jennifer Warren

Workforce Advisor

A workforce strategist specializing in CTE pathway development across Texas — covering cybersecurity, accounting apprenticeships, aerospace, and advanced manufacturing. Jennifer leads SWIFT's apprenticeship and workforce program design, advising on regional partnerships and integrating rocket labs, STEM programming, and real-world problem-solving into emerging talent pipelines.