Joe Edwards

NAS Technical Director

Joe Edwards, a world-renowned astronaut, aviator, and test pilot, is the Technical Director for NAS. He has more than 30 years’ experience in the military and defense/aerospace industry, including operational, developmental and experimental flight tests of multiple hypersonic vehicles, aircraft and weapons systems. He earned the U.S. Navy’s only peacetime Distinguished Flying Cross. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in aerospace engineering from the U.S. Naval Academy and postgraduate degrees in systems engineering, industrial management and engineering flight test.

Mark Bymaster

Performance Assurance Director

Mark Bymaster is the director for Performance Assurance for National Aerospace Solutions, LLC. Bymaster has nearly 30 years of experience at AEDC in a number of roles, including as a test customer while working as a Test Development Engineer at GE Aircraft Engines for 10 years. He has also served as a lead test operations engineer, a section manager for Aeropropulsion for Test Operations Engineering, and Branch Manager for Aeropropulsion Products under a previous AEDC operating contractor. Most recently, Bymaster served in the role of integration manager for the Hypersonic Test and Evaluation Investment Portfolio for a small business supporting AEDC. Bymaster is a graduate of Purdue University, as well as a certified Maintenance and Reliability Professional, an instrument certified commercial pilot, and a certified airframe and powerplant mechanic.​

Ronnie Skipworth

Base Operations & Support Director

Ronnie Skipworth oversees the Utilities, Facilities and Services, Capital Projects and Work Control areas for NAS at the Arnold Engineering Development Complex (AEDC). He brings 29 years of AEDC experience with prior assignments in utilities, design/project management, plant operations and maintenance, planning/scheduling and testing. Ronnie hired into AEDC as a test installation engineer and later became a system engineer before he entered the management arena. Prior to his employment at AEDC, Ronnie worked for Milliken and Company in LaGrange Ga.

Jonathan Ragan

Mission Support Director

Jonathan Ragan is the Mission Support Director for NAS. He oversees Prime Contracts; Project Controls; Finance; Human Resources; Acquisitions; Project Management; Information Systems and Technology; Engineering; Office and Administrative Services; Operations and Maintenance; and Public Affairs. Prior to joining the NAS team, Jon served as Assistant Project Manager for the Pueblo Chemical Agent-destruction Pilot Plant in Pueblo, Colorado. He has also worked on Bechtel programs in Kentucky, Virginia, Maryland, Alaska and Alabama. Jon has a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Old Dominion University.

Jeff Henderson

Mission Execution Director

Jeff Henderson is the Director for the Mission Execution for NAS. Jeff has more than 30 years’ service at AEDC, having started as a co-op in 1982. He has held a series of technical, operational, and management positions of increasing responsibility in test and plant operations and maintenance, as well as in engineering. He began his career as a test engineer in Aeropropulsion, working three core engine test projects over that portion of his career (the most complex turbine engine tests ever conducted at AEDC). He was the project engineer on a complete renovation of the J1 test cell, a multimillion dollar capital improvement effort that included redesign and replacement of the inlet, thrust stand, and exhaust gas management system. He has successfully led numerous special projects and initiatives involving leading safety culture change, organizational and change management, and efficiency improvements. Prior to becoming the Director for Mission Execution, Henderson served as the Director for the Performance Assurance directorate, and before that was the Deputy Director for the Mission Execution directorate. Henderson is a licensed Professional Engineer, a Certified Maintenance and Reliability Professional and has extensive Six Sigma Black Belt training. He graduated with honors from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville with a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering.