Rick Davis
Santa Maria,CA
Summary
Dynamic military officer with over 26 years of progressive leadership experience in program and project management, consistently increasing in scope and complexity. Proven track record in strategic thinking, decision-making, and effective communication, successfully engaging stakeholders while leading multidisciplinary teams to exceed performance targets. Expertise in navigating complex regulatory frameworks and fostering interagency collaboration enhances the ability to drive organizational excellence. Recognized for operational transformation and process innovation, excelling in the execution of high-impact programs across Learning and Development, Performance Evaluation, Continuous Improvement, and Business Operations Optimization.
Overview
10
10
years of professional experience
Work History
Director, Executive Initiatives
U.S. Space Force
01.2023 - 01.2025
- Principal advisor to Delta 1 Commander, leading strategic communications, organizational initiatives, and executive engagements across five departments and 14 subordinate teams.
- Led a leadership summit uniting department heads across the enterprise to align mission priorities, workforce development, and quality-of-life initiatives.
- Championed accreditation of foundational training programs, established education parity for all new members of the U.S. Space Force.
- Developed and executed a tri-agency partnership agreement embedding 34 hours of specialized curriculum into core training pipelines.
Standards & Evaluations Manager
533rd Training Squadron
01.2022 - 01.2023
- Oversaw evaluation of 1,500+ training hours across two enterprise-level qualification programs valued at $4.2B—ensured instructional quality and alignment with national priorities.
- Established and scaled a new remote unit supporting top organizational readiness priorities—cut training time by 50% and increased personnel throughput by 60%.
- Engineered and implemented the internal compliance inspection framework—accelerated audit timelines by 87% while improving readiness across three operational and administrative lines.
Advanced Training Program Manager
55th Combat Training Squadron, U.S. Space Force
01.2021 - 01.2022
- Onboarded 23 officers from Army, Navy, and Air Force into U.S. Space Force—created the first standardized transition program for interservice integration.
- Led a high-performing team in developing 192 hours of advanced technical training; recognized as “Outstanding Team of the Quarter” for excellence in program design and delivery.
- Delivered cross-functional training to 426 personnel across multiple service branches—enhanced operational capabilities for 33 units.
- Created and directed international training for Australia, Canada, France, New Zealand, and United Kingdom on behalf of U.S. Space Command—established enduring allied education framework.
Orbital Warfare Analyst
Combined Space Operations Center (CSpOC), U.S. Space Force
01.2018 - 01.2020
- Led a 12-person multinational team during $4.5B national launch operations—recognized as Group Spacelift Professional of the Year.
- Collaborated with U.S. intelligence agencies and global partners to produce 700+ precision space safety assessments—protected 1,400 satellites and five astronauts.
- Oversaw orbital threat tracking and managed the Joint Chiefs of Staff Satellite Target List—provided real-time operational support during international contingency events.
- Directed 10K+ multinational laser operations and 6.5K threat assessments, protecting $300B in space infrastructure and supporting safe operations for over 4,900 satellites.
Operations Manager
30th Operations Group, U.S. Space Force
01.2017 - 01.2018
- Managed launch training and mission readiness certification for Vandenberg Air Force Base; delivered 1,000+ hours of incident-free training and fielded 62 fully qualified personnel.
- Served as Range Operations Commander for $34M strategic launch; led mission-critical support to U.S. nuclear deterrence demonstration for senior leaders in Air Force Space Command.
- Led emergency preparedness program, training 26-person team in crisis management operations for natural disaster and emergency response scenarios.
Chief, Mission Readiness Training
30th Operations Group, U.S. Space Force
01.2016 - 01.2017
- Directed $499M SpaceX launch operations; ensured successful payload delivery and booster recovery for national security mission.
- Oversaw certification of 20+ instructors and 750+ training hours, enabling 16 successful launch operations supporting orbital and ICBM missions.
- Revamped unit’s entire mission readiness training pipeline—cut certification time by 45% and mitigated personnel shortages across five functional areas.
Range Operations Commander
30th Space Wing, U.S. Space Force
01.2015 - 01.2016
- Supervised 213 assets and 500+ personnel in the execution of national launch operations—led five successful launches within 40 days amid high operational tempo.
- Led overhaul of operational manuals, rewriting 187 pages and 119 checklists—corrected 224 errors and improved compliance to 100%.
- Secured a 105% increase in operating budget to meet mission demands—ensured continued execution of complex launch activities.
- Resolved a pre-launch documentation flaw that posed a critical public safety issue—delivered a rapid fix that preserved mission integrity and safety.
Education
Executive Master of Business Administration (EMBA) -
Quantic School of Business and Technology
Bachelor of Science - Sports Medicine
American Military University
Skills
- Relationship building
- Stakeholder engagement
- Strategic planning
- Verbal and written communication
- Decision-making
- Operations management
- Team management
- Project management
- Charismatic leader
- Partnerships and alliances
- Problem-solving
- Leadership development
Timeline
Director, Executive Initiatives
U.S. Space Force
01.2023 - 01.2025
Standards & Evaluations Manager
533rd Training Squadron
01.2022 - 01.2023
Advanced Training Program Manager
55th Combat Training Squadron, U.S. Space Force
01.2021 - 01.2022
Orbital Warfare Analyst
Combined Space Operations Center (CSpOC), U.S. Space Force
01.2018 - 01.2020
Operations Manager
30th Operations Group, U.S. Space Force
01.2017 - 01.2018
Chief, Mission Readiness Training
30th Operations Group, U.S. Space Force
01.2016 - 01.2017
Range Operations Commander
30th Space Wing, U.S. Space Force
01.2015 - 01.2016
Bachelor of Science - Sports Medicine
American Military University
Executive Master of Business Administration (EMBA) -
Quantic School of Business and Technology
Military & Executive Leadership Training
- Electronics principles
- USAF Airman Leadership School (ALS)
- Air Force Readiness Reporting
- AF Counter-Improvised Explosive Device (C-IED) Awareness
- Six-Sigma Green Belt Certification
- USAF Noncommissioned Officer Academy (NCOA)
- Basic Instructor Course
- Principles of Instructional Systems Development (ISD)
- Objectives and Tests Development
- Training Supervisor Course
- Technical Writer Principles
- Technical Engineering
- Space & Missile Systems Electronic Maintenance Superintendent
- USAF Senior Noncommissioned Officer Academy (SNCOA)
- Officer Training School (OTS)
- Officer Space Operations Course
- Advanced Orbital Mechanics
- Squadron Officer School (SOS)