Amanda Goodson, Ph.D. was recognized for lifetime achievements at the 2022 Women of Color STEM Conference and highlighted in Women of Color magazine's "She Thrives" department.
Since retirement, Goodson has launched several workforce initiatives.
Recently, she announced that she will host an online event on Saturday, November 16, 2024.
According to the event's website, it will feature inspiring talks, networking opportunities, and insights from successful female entrepreneurs and leaders.
“The success we experience depends on the mental image we hold in our thoughts. What we focus on continuously, we will experience,” Goodson shared with WOC magazine.
An energetic and highly sought-after public speaker, Goodson has authored 16 career-focused books, where she discusses her struggles and successes as a woman of color in STEM.
She recently served as a senior leader in program management excellence at a defense contractor, where she was responsible for driving strategy in selected program activities and deploying a sustainable model for business growth.
Prior to that role, she led information technology customer engagement and served as the director for IT process integration.
As a quality and mission assurance lead for two product lines, she ensured that products and services were equitably distributed to a diverse group of customers.
Goodson also served as the chairperson for AMIE, a prominent organization that fosters partnerships between industry, government, and universities to enhance diversity in the engineering workforce.
Prior to her time in industry, she spent 15 years as a NASA aerospace engineer before being appointed as a senior executive at Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, AL.
She was the first female senior executive in Safety and Mission Assurance for Propulsion Systems and the first Black woman appointed as director of safety and mission assurance at the Kennedy Space Center, where she oversaw over 35 successful launches.
Her accolades include being named the federal government’s “Supervisor of the Year” and receiving the NASA Exceptional Service Medal, the Southwest Alliance Leadership Award, and being recognized as a Tucson Woman on the Move.
For over 25 years, Goodson has held certifications as a Six Sigma expert.
A certified speaker, trainer, and coach, she served as a speaker for NASA, the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, YWCA, and major Department of Defense contractors.
Her latest books include Astronomical Leadership, The Authority of a Leader, and How to Unlock Your Full Potential: 11 Keys to Leader Success.
