Vice President and Navy veteran Hope DiGiusto accepts the HIRE Vets Medallion Award on behalf of Stellar Solutions. The HIRE Vets Medallion Award is the only federal-level veterans’ employment award that recognizes a company or organization’s commitment to veteran hiring, retention, and professional development.
Stellar Solutions names Hope DiGiusto Vice President, Commercial Sector
Navy veteran, aerospace engineer and seasoned professional in government sourcing and supply to fuel Stellar Solutions’ growth strategy
Los Altos, CA , August 26– Stellar Solutions, the global aerospace engineering services company, has named Hope DiGiustoas Vice President, Commercial Sector. She brings to this role a breadth of experience in building mission-impact solutions benefiting both government entities and the aerospace and technology innovators that serve them.
With a successful 22-year track record in pivotal leadership positions from mega-organizations to the military, Hope is stepping into a newly refined role that will emphasize partnerships to develop emerging nontraditional space technologies and services to solve customers’ critical needs of the future.
This builds on the accomplishments of Melissa Farrell, VP Strategic Programs, and longtime expert in emerging technologies at Stellar Solutions, who will continue to provide game-changing expertise to government and corporate investors seeking actionable commercial opportunities.
“We are thrilled to have Hope join us bringing with her a remarkable portfolio– from deep technical excellence to product development and launch skills – to deliver inventive, functional solutions to a fast-evolving marketplace,” said Janet Grondin, Stellar Solutions CEO. “Together with Melissa, she will enable commercial companies to become integrated into the defense industrial base and deepen our support of government long-term sourcing in the most efficient and innovative ways possible.”
Hopemost recently served as Senior Technical Program Manager at Amazon Devices & Service for Project Kuiper, the initiative to launch a constellation of Low Earth Orbit satellites. There she led successful proposals for commercial deployment and support for national security. Also on the commercial side, she was Senior Manager of Satellite Uplink Systems at SiriusXM, engineering connective vehicle IOT technologies and managing a macro portfolio spanning IT, operations, and acquisitions.
On the government side, Hopeheld numerous roles including Military Operations Analyst of Systems Planning and Analysis at the Naval Warfare Development Center; and Military Assistant for General Officer of the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA), where she was a nuclear enterprise professional supporting U.S. assets and military personnel abroad. Earlier she was SPAWAR Space Field Activity Program Manager for projects including a national tactical means friendly force tracking system.
She began her career as an aerospace engineer for the U.S. Naval Academy for the small satellite program, at the Atmospheric Neutral Density Experiment (ANDE). After commissioning from the U.S. Naval Academy, she started her distinguished military career in aviation including positions as Seahawk Helicopter Aircraft Commander, Night Vision Goggle Instructor, Functional Check Pilot and Airborne Tactical Officer Level II. She was awarded the individual action Air Medal for supporting Navy SEAL operations.
Hopeholds a B.S In Aerospace Engineering (Astronautics) at the U.S. Naval Academy, and an M.S. Systems Engineering (Systems Architecture), George Mason University. She is certified as a Program Management Professional (PMP)® , Space Cadre Space Expert level III; and Defense Acquisition University (DAU) Program Manager Level II. Hope’s commercial experience and classified credentials equip the Stellar Solutions team with an ability to offer new space solutions to our customer’s critical needs.
About Stellar Solutions, Inc.: Stellar Solutions, Inc. is a global aerospace and systems engineering services provider to commercial, defense, intelligence, civil and international sectors. Stellar Solutions provides systems engineering capabilities and strategic support for global communications, remote sensing, national defense, and space exploration. These solutions to customer critical needs connect technology and customers across multiple domains. With physical operations throughout the U.S. and around the globe, Stellar Solutions is a recognized leader in delivering end-to-end critical expertise and problem-solving skills. https://www.stellarsolutions.com
Stellar Solutions names Dino Murray Vice President of Stellar Advisors as Longtime VP Punch Moulton retires
Seamless transition for leadership of Stellar Solutions’ elite cadre of senior military and foreign service consultants
Los Altos, CA, July 8 – Stellar Solutions, Inc., the global aerospace engineering services company, is pleased to announce that Paul “Dino” Murray, Stellar Solutions Senior Director, is stepping into the role of Vice President of Stellar Advisors, upon the retirement of renowned VP Harold “Punch” Moulton who since 2012 has led and shaped the company’s unique team of senior military and foreign service consultants. Moulton will remain with Stellar as a part-time employee, serving on Murray’s elite team of advisors.
Murray is a retired United States Air Force Brigadier General and Command Pilot with over 2800 flying hours. He has worked closely with Moulton, himself a retired USAF Major General, over the last year, ensuring a seamless leadership transition for Stellar Advisors. This 70-plus cadre of professionals includes Generals, Admirals, Ambassadors, PhDs, and high-end systems engineers and scientists. Together they offer clients a broad portfolio of expertise in cyberspace, missile defense, warfighter support, international defense, and commercial strategy.
“Stellar Solutions is extraordinarily proud of the leadership that Punch and Dino have exemplified in positioning Stellar Advisors to deliver on our customer critical needs in times of peace and conflict,” said Stellar Solutions CEO Janet Grondin. “Punch created a bedrock of gravitas and strategic impactfor senior leaders across the globewhile enabling expansion of the portfolio around Dino’s deep experience involving recent conflict scenarios,” she added.
An evaluator pilot in the F-16 with over 580 combat hours, Murray excelled at every level of leadership and command. Prior to his role at Stellar Solutions, Murray served as Deputy Director of Operations at the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD). His 29 years of military experience spans integrated air and missile defense, joint operations, strategic planning, cyber operations, space operations, and homeland defense.He is intimately familiar with NORTHCOM, CENTCOM, INDOPACOM and EUCOM areas of responsibility where he served and commanded at the wing, group and squadron levels. Murray earned a BS in Aeronautical Engineering from the U.S. Air Force Academy, holds a MS in National Security & Strategic Studies from the Naval War College, and a MS in National Security Strategy from the National War College.
About Stellar Solutions, Inc.: Stellar Solutions, Inc. is a global aerospace and systems engineering services provider to commercial, defense, intelligence, civil and international sectors. Stellar Solutions provides systems engineering capabilities and strategic support for global communications, remote sensing, national defense, and space exploration. These solutions to customer critical needs connect technology and customers across multiple domains. With physical operations throughout the U.S. and around the globe, Stellar Solutions is a recognized leader in delivering end-to-end critical expertise and problem-solving skills. https://www.stellarsolutions.com
Stellar Solutions Names Jeffrey Langhan as Chief Financial Officer
High-growth financial expert succeeds retiring Stellar Solutions CFO Craig Fairlee
Los Altos, CA, June 20 – Stellar Solutions, Inc., the global aerospace engineering services company, is pleased to announce that Jeffrey Langhan has joined as Chief Financial Officer. He brings to the role nearly two decades in high-growth financial operations across government contracting, aerospace and technology services. He succeeds Stellar Solutions’ longtime leader and CFO Craig Fairlee, who remains as a strategic advisor to the company throughout the transition in anticipation of his planned retirement at the end of the year.
“Stellar Solutions is thrilled to have Jeff join us as CFO at a time when our growth is accelerating in the dynamic global aerospace industry. We are enormously grateful to Craig Fairlee for driving a continuous improvement culture that led to this growth posture. Now, with Jeff in the seat and Craig advising, we have the dream team in place to fully transform our professional operations and maximize our capacity, efficiency and talent,” said CEO Janet Grondin, CEO of Stellar Solutions, a woman-owned, Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award-winning company that for 29 years has served customers across the Defense, Intelligence, Commercial, Civil and International sectors.
In his numerous financial management roles, Langhan has supported both M&A and organic growth. For the last three years, he was CFO and Senior Vice President at MicroTechnologies LLC, providing telecommunications, cyber security, infrastructure and professional services. Prior to that, he led financial operations as Senior Director of Finance at MAG Aerospace, a private-equity-backed enterprise in the government contracting aerospace industry. Earlier he spent eleven years in numerous financial roles at Leidos, formerly SAIC (Science Applications International Corporation). Langhan holds an MBA and Bachelor of Science, both from Virginia Tech. He will operate at Stellar Solutions’ Chantilly, VA, office.
Fairlee joined Stellar Solutions in October 2014 following 20 years at Thermo Fisher Scientific and its predecessor company that had reached $1.5-billion during his tenure as Vice President of Finance. He has led Stellar Solutions through its own significant growth with aerospace engineers and expert teams in 30 states, as well as in England and France. Fairlee championed Stellar Solutions’ application of the Malcolm Baldrige Quality Award that it won in 2017, and which subsequently led to the company’s enduring relationship with the Foundation for the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award. Since winning the Baldrige award, Fairlee continued to drive process improvement under Board Chair and Founder Celeste Ford who subsequently won the E. David Spong Lifetime Achievement Award in 2021. He holds a Master of Science from Golden Gate University and Bachelor of Science from California State University, Chico.
About Stellar Solutions, Inc.: Stellar Solutions, Inc. is a global aerospace and systems engineering services provider to commercial, defense, intelligence, civil and international sectors. Stellar Solutions provides systems engineering capabilities and strategic support for global communications, remote sensing, national defense, and space exploration. These solutions to customer critical needs connect technology and customers across multiple domains. With physical operations throughout the U.S. and around the globe, Stellar Solutions is a recognized leader in delivering end-to-end critical expertise and problem-solving skills. https://www.stellarsolutions.com
Stellar Solutions Director Mary Stevenson Wins Women in Aerospace Allyship Award
Los Altos, CA – Mary Stevenson, Director of Enterprise Defense Programs at Stellar Solutions, Inc., the global aerospace engineering services company, has been selected as the recipient of the Women in Aerospace (WIA) Allyship Award. This award honors Stevenson for her exemplary leadership and support of women, and her dedication to collaborative inclusion in the aerospace community.
The WIA Awards celebrate women’s professional excellence in aerospace, annually recognizing female leaders who have made outstanding contributions to the aerospace community and to the advancement of women in the field. Stevenson is one of only seven awardees in various categories of leadership that will be presented at the WIA Awards Dinner on December 13, 2023, at the Ritz-Carlton Pentagon City Hotel in Arlington VA.
“The Stellar Solutions team is incredibly proud of Mary Stevenson and so pleased that she will be honored by Women In Aerospace with the coveted Allyship Award. As a catalyst for productive collaboration and positive change, Mary is respected by women and men alike, throughout the industry, for both her expertise and total commitment to bringing out the best in every team member she encounters. At Stellar Solutions, we are grateful for Mary’s passion for building a culture of inclusion and we see this come to life in every project she participates in and leads,” said Janet Grondin, CEO, Stellar Solutions..
Stevenson joined Stellar Solutions in 2016, where she is a senior system engineer, senior program manager, and lean-agile transformation coach. Her track record in managing and motivating teams for maximum efficiency and impact has fortified both client success and professional development. In particular, she has been instrumental in engaging women engineers in significant positions of responsibility and mentoring them to exceed expectations.
Stevenson’s talent-building is rooted in her extensive experience both in business as well as a career in the US Air Force. She is expert in all aspects of spacecraft development from concept definition, contract negotiation, system design, integration and test, launch and orbit raising, and in-orbit operation.
Prior to joining Stellar Solutions, Stevenson served as an Acquisition Principle Senior Analyst for Alion Science and Technology supporting the Secretary of the Air Force Acquisition (SAF/AQ) in planning, coordinating, and executing Joint ISR exercises with NATO.
Previously, she was the NATO Mid-Term (NMT) Program Manager in The Netherlands from 2003-2011 responsible to upgrade the backend of the NATO Airborne Warning & Control System (AWACS) fleet. During her service in the US Air Force from 1982 –2004, her roles included leading a NATO Joint Force Command Headquarters Training Division in developing training programs for NATO International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) mission in Afghanistan.
Stevenson holds a Master of Science in Systems Management at the College of Notre Dame. In her undergraduate years at the USAF Academy, where she attained a Bachelor’s of Science, she had the distinction of being part of one of the first three graduating classes of women, and first two graduating classes of African-American women.
Women in Aerospace (WIA), is a leading professional organization dedicated to expanding women’s opportunities for leadership, education and visibility in the aerospace community. To learn more about WIA, visit: www.womeninaerospace.org.
About Stellar Solutions, Inc.: Stellar Solutions, Inc. is a global aerospace and systems engineering services provider to commercial, defense, intelligence, civil and international sectors. Stellar Solutions provides systems engineering capabilities and strategic support for global communications, remote sensing, national defense, and space exploration. These solutions to customer critical needs connect technology and customers across multiple domains. With physical operations throughout the U.S. and around the globe, Stellar Solutions is a recognized leader in delivering end-to-end critical expertise and problem-solving skills. https://www.stellarsolutions.com/