Richard L. "Larry" Griffin

Larry Griffin has more than 40 years experience in the aerospace industry as a designer/developer, program manager, test pilot, military commander, business leader, and consultant. His experience covers the full spectrum of business development, engineering, management, and operations in manned and unmanned spaceflight as well as aviation programs.

Larry, a Distinguished Graduate of Air Force pilot training, began his flying career as a fighter pilot in the F-86 and in the ensuing 30 years flew numerous fighter aircraft up through the F-15. He flew 250 missions as a Forward Air Controller in Vietnam. He became a test pilot in 1967 and progressed through several operational and staff positions before becoming a test squadron commander as a Lt. Colonel. He amassed 3,500 hours of flying time, almost all in fighter aircraft. Shortly after his promotion to Colonel he was selected to serve at NASA Headquarters as the liaison between the Secretary of the Air Force and NASA’s Space Shuttle Level I Program Office. He was later detailed to the Johnson Space Center as a Special Assistant to the Space Shuttle Level II Program Manager and the JSC Center Director, responsible for coordinating Air Force and NASA Shuttle operational planning. During this assignment he also was selected as the Mission Commander for the Space Shuttle “Enterprise”/Boeing 747 tour of North America and Europe where it was featured at the Paris Air Show in 1983.

After a total of five years with NASA Larry became the first Commander of the 2nd Space Wing (now the 50th Space Wing) of the Air Force Space Command and was responsible for managing the operational development, test and evaluation, and activation of the $1 billion Consolidated Space Operations Center (CSOC) at Schriever Air Force Base near Colorado Springs. He reported directly to the Commander of the Air Force Space Command, a four-star General. Larry’s responsibilities included organizing and staffing the 6,000 person wing and integrating the operations of several unique organizations with widely different missions. He also coordinated program activities of numerous contractors, various Air Force organizations, and several other government agencies. Those program responsibilities included the Space Shuttle, GPS navigation satellite, MILSTAR communications satellite, DMSP weather satellite, and Strategic Defense Initiative ballistic missile defense programs.

Since retiring from the Air Force, Larry has held positions as the Vice-President for Business Development of Eagle Aerospace, Inc., a NASA support contractor and as Executive Director of the Clear Lake Area Economic Development Foundation, the non-profit organization responsible for economic development in the area surrounding the Johnson Space Center in Houston. In addition, Larry served under then-Governor George W. Bush as Executive Director of the Texas Aerospace Commission, responsible for insuring the continuing competitive viability of the State of Texas in the international aerospace arena. Since becoming a consultant, Larry continues to serve on the boards of several private and governmental boards and committees.

Larry holds a B.S. degree in Aeronautical Engineering from Texas A&M University and a Masters of Business Administration degree from Auburn University. He is also a graduate of the Industrial College of the Armed Forces in Washington D.C. He has written extensively in technical and professional journals and has extensive experience in business proposal and contract proposal writing and evaluation of proposals written by others.

Larry is a member of several professional organizations including the Society of Experimental Test Pilots, the National Aeronautic Association, and the NASA Alumni League. He has received numerous honors and awards including the U.S. Air Force Legion of Merit - with one oak leaf cluster, the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Air Force Air Medal - with 12 oak leaf clusters. Larry also received the NASA Exceptional Service Medal and the Texas A & M University College of Engineering Alumni Honor Award.