Jeffrey Trauberman, vice president of government affairs for VOX Space, is leading WashingtonExec’s newly formed Space Council as chair for 2021-2022.
“I’m certainly very honored and flattered,” says Trauberman of the position. “I want to make sure I do a good job so that the next person that comes along as chairperson is left in a good situation and with a vibrant and thriving organization that can carry on these efforts and initiatives into the future.”
Trauberman brings more than 30 years of experience in the aerospace, space and defense industries to the council. Prior to joining VOX Space, a subsidiary of Virgin Orbit, he worked for The Boeing Co. for more than three decades. His most recent role there was vice president of space, intelligence and missile defense for government operations.
But the New York-native wasn’t always involved in space.
While Trauberman has been interested in science since he was a kid, his educational journey began with a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry from Brown University, followed by a law degree from Georgetown University.
“I began to try to merge my interest in biology and biochemistry and law by focusing initially early in my career on environmental law, hazardous chemicals and controlling pollution, which was really great,” Trauberman says.
When he reached his late 20s, he reassessed what he wanted to do next, and fell back on another lifelong interest.
“I thought about what interested me as a youngster and I was always interested in the space program,” Trauberman says. “I asked myself, ‘I wonder if I could possibly get involved?’”
So, Trauberman did his homework, networking and joining of professional associations and societies. He even tried to apply his law degree to the field to see if the space industry could benefit from his services.
“I somehow managed to catch a break and then somebody hired me on at an entry-level position at Boeing,” he says.
He started his Boeing career in marketing and sales in the East Coast office, before the space station was an orbiting laboratory but rather, a set of paper studies. Trauberman was involved in the pursuit of space station elements that would eventually be built and are on-orbit today.
After a couple of years, he relocated to Boeing’s Seattle office as a subcontract manager and later, a manager of strategic planning. He also managed a technical program in Seattle before heading back to Boeing’s Washington, D.C., location to help with the space business.
During his time with Boeing, he also served as vice president of business development for Boeing Network & Space Systems and vice president of business development for the Boeing Space & Intelligence Systems business. These included Boeing space, satellite and ground operations for civil, commercial and national security customers.
When it was time for a change, Trauberman knew he wanted to remain in the space sector and was looking for an entrepreneurial culture and enterprise startup environment creating new capabilities.
That’s when he landed at VOX Space, where he leads engagement with the government in the D.C. area. He works with external stakeholders, customers in the national security community, Capitol Hill, think tanks — and all those who influence the space business.
“Outer space and space exploration are exciting fields with limitless boundaries and borders and there’s such potential for good civilly, commercially for national security,” Trauberman says.
And he’s been an active member of the aerospace and space community throughout his career. He has twice chaired the Satellite Industry Association, the Aerospace Industries Association Space Council, the Military Communications Conference Board, the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics-National Capital Section, and served as president of the National Space Club. He has also been on various boards and is an adjunct with the Science and Technology Policy Institute.
“I think it’s part of giving back,” Trauberman says. “These are all volunteer positions and it’s really great to be able to spend time to help give back to both the community and to the sector.”
Plus, he’s interested in helping grow new professionals, and create and facilitate new networks and connections.
That’s part of what he hopes to bring to WashingtonExec’s new Space Council. Trauberman wants to bring people together from diverse backgrounds in the sector to exchange ideas and call upon each other for assistance when needed.
“I think this idea of a community of interest that transcends specific sectors would be beneficial, and that’s what I’m hoping to do in part,” he says.
And considering the increasing interest, innovation and advancements in the space sector, Trauberman says the intersector collaboration will become ever more important, especially between the civil, commercial, international and national security industries.
“It’s very promising for growing the overall business, and I think if we can help make those kinds of connections, it would be great,” he adds.
It’s also an active time to launch a collaborative space council, Trauberman says. NASA recently landed its Mars 2020 Perseverance rover and is pursuing its Artemis program. The U.S. Space Force has already celebrated its 1-year anniversary, new small satellite systems are advancing and President Joe Biden announced he’s continuing the National Space Council.
“There are new threats on the horizon that require the [Defense] Department to respond,” Trauberman adds. “And there’s a whole new set of ventures and enterprises that are forming for purely commercial purposes, but also have capability they can provide back to the government.”
As council chair, Trauberman plans to continue using virtual tools to bring together members and converse, and he’s preparing for an excellent set of speakers and customers for council members to engage with.
And when it’s safe to do so, Trauberman is eager to have the council meet in person.
“I think it’s important to be able to know your peers and your colleagues so that when something comes up where you really do need to reach out and ask them for something or work with them, you have a relationship you’ve developed with your customers and your peers within the industry,” he says.
Ultimately, Trauberman hopes to accelerate cross-sector relationships in the council and position the council for continued success after his tenure. He’s looking forward to bringing a diverse set of participants to the conversation.