"Meeting Risk with Precision" A conversation with Jeff Conner, NASA Project Manager
Episode Summary:
Jeff Conner spent 43 years at NASA managing high-stakes, multi-team projects where risk was constant and precision was non-negotiable. In this episode, Jeff and Trina explore what it takes to lead complex programs, align teams without modern tools, and turn risk into an opportunity for excellence. A must-listen for anyone in project leadership, PMO strategy, or enterprise-scale coordination.
Show Notes:
In this episode of Wear Your Cape to Work, Trina sits down with her cousin Jeff Conner, who spent 43 years as a project manager at NASA. From the early days of the shuttle program to coordinating recovery efforts after the Columbia accident, Jeff’s career spans some of the most mission-critical projects in NASA’s history.
This conversation explores Jeff’s career path, his family legacy in aerospace, and the mindset it takes to lead when failure is not an option.
Topics covered:
The family connection: Trina and Jeff as cousins
Jeff’s father’s role at NASA in the Air Force physical standards lab
Starting his NASA career as a mechanical engineer
Payload integration projects and contributing to the construction of the International Space Station
Installing payloads aboard space shuttle missions
Planning for shuttle emergency landings and alternate recovery locations
Project management in the 1980s: printed schedules, phone calls, and couriered memos
Reflecting on a bygone work era before nonstop email and instant messaging
The Columbia accident and Jeff’s role in the Air Boss helicopter recovery operations
Risk as a defining factor in space projects and how to lead within it
Jeff’s superpower: identifying risks early and turning them into opportunities for precision and excellence
How teams can minimize compounding issues when working on large, hazardous systems
Leading diverse teams through complexity, pressure, and change
If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to manage projects where the margin for error is zero, this episode is for you.
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