Independent Director
Gregory L. Robinson joined the Black & Veatch Board of Directors in June 2024. Best known for his role in turning around and successfully leading the completion and on-orbit delivery as program director of the James Webb Space Telescope program for NASA, he was also instrumental in examining and adapting NASA’s governance policies as it recovered from the Columbia space shuttle disaster. He also guided the strategic reorganization of NASA’s John Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio, which led to accelerating its research and technology maturity through the creation of global partnerships.
Robinson is a faculty member at Columbia University in New York and continues to be a resource for many government organizations and institutions bringing his leadership, program management, risk management, technical expertise, innovation, and diversity and inclusion experience to his roles including with the Department of the Navy Science & Technology Board of Directors, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory Advisory Council, and the Howard University College of Engineering and Architecture Board of Visitors
During his career, Robinson also served as NASA's deputy chief engineer. He also served as the acting national environmental satellite, data and information service deputy assistant administrator at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), where he led the acquisition and management of all NOAA satellite systems. Prior to his reassignment to NASA Headquarters, he spent 11 years in various leadership positions at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland.
Among his accomplishments was being named to TIME Magazine's 100 Most Influential People of 2022 and receiving a Time 100 Impact Award in 2022. He earned a Presidential Distinguished Executive Rank Award in both 2022 and 2013, and he was presented with a NASA Distinguished Service Medal in 2022.
Robinson earned a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from Virginia Union University; a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from Howard University; and a Master’s in Business Administration from Averett University in Danville, Virginia. He has also been awarded honorary doctorate degrees during his career.
