Amanda Simpson
Encyclopedia
Amanda Simpson is the Special Assistant to the Assistant Secretary of the United States Army (Acquisition, Logicstics and Technology)
. She was formerly the Senior Technical Adviser in the Bureau of Industry and Security
and was the first openly transgender woman
political appointee in any administration. Simpson works in the United States Department Of Defense.
in Physics from Harvey Mudd College
in 1983, her Master of Science
in Engineering from California State University, Northridge
in 1988 on a Hughes Aircraft Fellowship and her MBA
from the University of Arizona
in 2001 on a Raytheon Fellowship.
. She earned her single engine land private pilot’s license in 1981, a commercial pilot’s license with instrument privileges in 1983 and became a certified flight instructor – airplane in 1988 and an instrument instructor in 1989. In 1988 she added a multi-engine class rating to her commercial license to qualify for transfer to Hughes Missile Systems as a project test engineer and pilot. Simpson upgraded to an Airline Transport Pilot’s (ATP) license in 1994 after adding multi-engine to her flight instructor ratings in 1991. In 1997 added single-engine sea (float planes and flying boats) to her ATP license. In 2005 she became one a few licensed pilots flying FAA certified unmanned aircraft in national airspace system.
In 1989 she co-founded Processional Pilot Training, a fixed based operation at the Burbank, Glendale, Pasadena Airport (KBUR)
focused on flight instruction (Private through Airline Transport) taught by professional flight instructors. She relinquished her ownership share of that business when she relocated to Tucson, Arizona in 1994.
Simpson was a mission director and project pilot for captive flight test activities beginning in 1988 before taking over as Director of Flight Operations in 1993 for the Integration, Test and Analysis Laboratory at Hughes Missile Systems. As a systems test pilot she flew the T-39 Sabreliner and Douglas A-3 Skywarrior in support of missile seeker technology development for Hughes Aircraft
and Raytheon Missile Systems
. In addition she flew numerous large transport category aircraft, light multi-engine and single engine aircraft modified for missile flight test purposes.
As of 2009, she has flown over 60 different makes and models of aircraft and has accumulated over 2700 flight hours.
, CA and on the AH-64 Apache Target Acquisition and Designation Sight/Pilot Night Vision Systems at Hughes Helicopter Company
in Marina Del Rey, CA.
Simpson was hired by Hughes Electron Dynamics Division in Torrance
, CA in 1983 as an engineer and program manager where she was responsible for engineering and manufacturing of the Gridded Traveling Wave Tube and Continuous Wave Illuminator for the AWG-9/APG-71 radar systems. In 1988 she transferred to the Hughes Missile Systems Company in Canoga Park, CA where she became the lead and director of flight operations for the captive flight test activities. She moved those operations to Tucson, AZ where she consolidated the Hughes activities with the missile test operations of General Dynamics
and later Raytheon
as part of corporate mergers. Simpson designed and oversaw construction of an 80,000 sq. ft. dedicated flight test facility at the Tucson International Airport (KTUS)
.
Simpson moved into project management in 1999 overseeing the daily operations of small Raytheon
, Texas Instruments Defense Systems & Electronics Group, and Standard Missile Company projects that were relocated to Tucson as part of the corporate merger.
Simpson occupied several systems engineer, systems architect, and systems integrator roles in between 2002 and 2006 on projects diverse as the Unmanned Combat Armed Rotorcraft (UCAR)
, the Joint Airborne Weapons System (JAWS) (later renamed the Beechcraft AT-6B) and a variety of advanced technology development and demonstration projects at Raytheon. Simpson also contributed to the development and/or testing of numerous operation missile systems including Maverick
, AMRAAM, Standard, Phalanx
, TOW
, RAM
, JAGM, ACM
, HARM
, JSOW, MALD
, ESSM
, SilentEyes, Sidewinder
, Sparrow
, Paveway
and Tomahawk.
She retired from Raytheon
in 2010 where she was a Deputy Director and Senior Program Manager leading teams developing advanced technology in the Advanced Missiles and Unmanned Systems Product Line.
Simpson was a candidate for Representative of District 26 in the Arizona House of Representatives
in 2004. She won the Democratic primary with over 57% of the vote, but was unsuccessful in the general election where she finished third, received 20% in the best two of four contest.
In the 2004 election Simpson was elected precinct committeeperson, and was elected a state committeeperson by the Legislative District 26 Democratic Party in 2006. She was also elected to the Executive Board and held the office of District Treasurer in 2008. All these posts she continued to hold until her resignation due to accepting a post in President Obama’s Administration in 2009. In 2005, Simpson was one of the founders of the Democrats of Oro Valley Club. She was also the first vice chair of the Arizona Democratic Party LGBT caucus.
At the Arizona Democratic State Convention in 2008, Simpson was elected as an Arizona Delegate for Hillary Clinton to the 2008 Democratic National Convention.
In late 2009, Simpson accepted an appointment by the Obama Administration. where she served in the Department of Commerce as the Senior Technical Adviser to the Bureau of Industry and Security
. In July 2011, Simpson was reposted to the Pentagon
as the Special Assistance to the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics and Technology (ASA/ALT)
.
, Out and Equal Workplace Advocates
, and the Southern Arizona Chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).
While an employee at Raytheon
, she served on the boards of the Raytheon Women’s Network (RWN), Raytheon Global Women’s Network, the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender and Allies Alliance (GLBTA) and the Raytheon Diversity Council.
Simpson is an Associate Fellow with the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics
and served on the Systems Engineering Technical Committee from 2007 to 2009.
2011 Echo Hall of Fame by Echo Magazine
2011 Named one of the Hidden 105 by OUT Magazine
2010 OUTstanding Individual Award (OUT for Work)
2010 Louise Young Award (Raytheon)
2006 Raytheon Missile Systems Team Excellence Award
2005 Arizona Human Rights Fund Individual Award
2004 Tucson YWCA Woman on the Move
2001 Raytheon Woman on the Move
1999 DARPA Award for Significant Technical Achievement
United States Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics, and Technology
The Office of the United States Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics, and Technology is known as OASA...
. She was formerly the Senior Technical Adviser in the Bureau of Industry and Security
Bureau of Industry and Security
The Bureau of Industry and Security is an agency of the United States Department of Commerce which deals with issues involving national security and high technology. A principal goal for the bureau is helping stop proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, while furthering the growth of United...
and was the first openly transgender woman
Trans woman
A trans woman is a male-to-female transsexual or transgender person and the term trans woman is preferred by some individuals over various medical terms. Other non-medical terms include t-girl, tg-girl and ts-girl...
political appointee in any administration. Simpson works in the United States Department Of Defense.
Education
Simpson received her Bachelor of ScienceBachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
in Physics from Harvey Mudd College
Harvey Mudd College
Harvey Mudd College is a private residential liberal arts college of science, engineering, and mathematics, located in Claremont, California. It is one of the institutions of the contiguous Claremont Colleges, which share adjoining campus grounds....
in 1983, her Master of Science
Master of Science
A Master of Science is a postgraduate academic master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is typically studied for in the sciences including the social sciences.-Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay:...
in Engineering from California State University, Northridge
California State University, Northridge
California State University, Northridge is a public university in Northridge, a neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley area of Los Angeles, California, United States....
in 1988 on a Hughes Aircraft Fellowship and her MBA
Master of Business Administration
The Master of Business Administration is a :master's degree in business administration, which attracts people from a wide range of academic disciplines. The MBA designation originated in the United States, emerging from the late 19th century as the country industrialized and companies sought out...
from the University of Arizona
University of Arizona
The University of Arizona is a land-grant and space-grant public institution of higher education and research located in Tucson, Arizona, United States. The University of Arizona was the first university in the state of Arizona, founded in 1885...
in 2001 on a Raytheon Fellowship.
Flying
Simpson participated in the Bates Aeronautics Program while a student at Harvey Mudd CollegeHarvey Mudd College
Harvey Mudd College is a private residential liberal arts college of science, engineering, and mathematics, located in Claremont, California. It is one of the institutions of the contiguous Claremont Colleges, which share adjoining campus grounds....
. She earned her single engine land private pilot’s license in 1981, a commercial pilot’s license with instrument privileges in 1983 and became a certified flight instructor – airplane in 1988 and an instrument instructor in 1989. In 1988 she added a multi-engine class rating to her commercial license to qualify for transfer to Hughes Missile Systems as a project test engineer and pilot. Simpson upgraded to an Airline Transport Pilot’s (ATP) license in 1994 after adding multi-engine to her flight instructor ratings in 1991. In 1997 added single-engine sea (float planes and flying boats) to her ATP license. In 2005 she became one a few licensed pilots flying FAA certified unmanned aircraft in national airspace system.
In 1989 she co-founded Processional Pilot Training, a fixed based operation at the Burbank, Glendale, Pasadena Airport (KBUR)
Bob Hope Airport
Bob Hope Airport is a public airport located 3 miles northwest of the central business district of Burbank, a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States...
focused on flight instruction (Private through Airline Transport) taught by professional flight instructors. She relinquished her ownership share of that business when she relocated to Tucson, Arizona in 1994.
Simpson was a mission director and project pilot for captive flight test activities beginning in 1988 before taking over as Director of Flight Operations in 1993 for the Integration, Test and Analysis Laboratory at Hughes Missile Systems. As a systems test pilot she flew the T-39 Sabreliner and Douglas A-3 Skywarrior in support of missile seeker technology development for Hughes Aircraft
Hughes Aircraft
Hughes Aircraft Company was a major American aerospace and defense contractor founded in 1932 by Howard Hughes in Culver City, California as a division of Hughes Tool Company...
and Raytheon Missile Systems
Raytheon Missile Systems
Raytheon Missile Systems Company is a subsidiary of Raytheon Company. Headquartered in Tucson, Arizona, its president is Taylor W. Lawrence. Formerly, known as Hughes Missile Systems Company before being acquired by Raytheon Company....
. In addition she flew numerous large transport category aircraft, light multi-engine and single engine aircraft modified for missile flight test purposes.
As of 2009, she has flown over 60 different makes and models of aircraft and has accumulated over 2700 flight hours.
Aerospace career
While an undergraduate, Simpson spent her summers working as a student engineer in the customer service organization on the DC-8/DC-9/DC-10 electrical systems at the Douglas Aircraft facility in Long BeachLong Beach, California
Long Beach is a city situated in Los Angeles County in Southern California, on the Pacific coast of the United States. The city is the 36th-largest city in the nation and the seventh-largest in California. As of 2010, its population was 462,257...
, CA and on the AH-64 Apache Target Acquisition and Designation Sight/Pilot Night Vision Systems at Hughes Helicopter Company
Hughes Helicopters
Hughes Helicopters was a major manufacturer of military and civil helicopters from the 1950s to the 1980s.The company began in 1947, as a unit of Hughes Aircraft, then was part of the Hughes Tool Company after 1955. It became the Hughes Helicopter Division, Summa Corporation in 1972, and was...
in Marina Del Rey, CA.
Simpson was hired by Hughes Electron Dynamics Division in Torrance
Torrance, California
Torrance is a city incorporated in 1921 and located in the South Bay region of Los Angeles County, California, United States. Torrance has of shore-front beaches on the Pacific Ocean, quieter and less well-known by tourists than others on the Santa Monica Bay, such as those of neighboring...
, CA in 1983 as an engineer and program manager where she was responsible for engineering and manufacturing of the Gridded Traveling Wave Tube and Continuous Wave Illuminator for the AWG-9/APG-71 radar systems. In 1988 she transferred to the Hughes Missile Systems Company in Canoga Park, CA where she became the lead and director of flight operations for the captive flight test activities. She moved those operations to Tucson, AZ where she consolidated the Hughes activities with the missile test operations of General Dynamics
General Dynamics
General Dynamics Corporation is a U.S. defense conglomerate formed by mergers and divestitures, and as of 2008 it is the fifth largest defense contractor in the world. Its headquarters are in West Falls Church , unincorporated Fairfax County, Virginia, in the Falls Church area.The company has...
and later Raytheon
Raytheon
Raytheon Company is a major American defense contractor and industrial corporation with core manufacturing concentrations in weapons and military and commercial electronics. It was previously involved in corporate and special-mission aircraft until early 2007...
as part of corporate mergers. Simpson designed and oversaw construction of an 80,000 sq. ft. dedicated flight test facility at the Tucson International Airport (KTUS)
Tucson International Airport
Tucson International Airport is a joint civil-military public airport located six miles south of the central business district of Tucson, in Pima County, Arizona, United States, and is the second largest and busiest airport in Arizona, after Sky Harbor International Airport in Phoenix.- Overview...
.
Simpson moved into project management in 1999 overseeing the daily operations of small Raytheon
Raytheon
Raytheon Company is a major American defense contractor and industrial corporation with core manufacturing concentrations in weapons and military and commercial electronics. It was previously involved in corporate and special-mission aircraft until early 2007...
, Texas Instruments Defense Systems & Electronics Group, and Standard Missile Company projects that were relocated to Tucson as part of the corporate merger.
Simpson occupied several systems engineer, systems architect, and systems integrator roles in between 2002 and 2006 on projects diverse as the Unmanned Combat Armed Rotorcraft (UCAR)
Unmanned Combat Armed Rotorcraft
The Uninhabited Combat Armed Rotorcraft or UCAR was a program carried out by DARPA and the United States Army in 2003-2004 to develop an unmanned combat helicopter....
, the Joint Airborne Weapons System (JAWS) (later renamed the Beechcraft AT-6B) and a variety of advanced technology development and demonstration projects at Raytheon. Simpson also contributed to the development and/or testing of numerous operation missile systems including Maverick
AGM-65 Maverick
The AGM-65 Maverick is an air-to-ground tactical missile designed for close-air support. It is effective against a wide range of tactical targets, including armor, air defenses, ships, ground transportation and fuel storage facilities....
, AMRAAM, Standard, Phalanx
Phalanx CIWS
The Phalanx CIWS is an anti-ship missile defense system. It is a close-in weapon system and was designed and manufactured by the General Dynamics Corporation, Pomona Division...
, TOW
BGM-71 TOW
The BGM-71 TOW is an anti-tank missile. "BGM" is a weapon classification that stands for "Multiple Environment , Surface-Attack , Missile ". "TOW" is an acronym that stands for "Tube-launched, Optically-tracked, Wire command data link, guided missile"...
, RAM
RIM-116 Rolling Airframe Missile
The RIM-116 Rolling Airframe Missile is a small, lightweight, infrared homing surface-to-air missile in use by the American, German, South Korean, Greek, Turkish, Saudi and Egyptian navies. It was intended originally and used primarily as a point-defense weapon against anti-ship cruise missiles...
, JAGM, ACM
AGM-129 ACM
* Missile of the same class** Ra'ad ** TAURUS KEPD 350 ** Storm Shadow -Notes:# Alleged violations of the Antideficiency Act in the Air Force’s procurement of advanced cruise missiles.FILE B-255831, Office of the General Counsel, United States General Accounting Office.# Union Calls for Strike by...
, HARM
AGM-88 HARM
The AGM-88 High-speed Anti-Radiation Missile is a tactical, air-to-surface missile designed to home in on electronic transmissions coming from surface-to-air radar systems. It was originally developed by Texas Instruments as a replacement for the AGM-45 Shrike and AGM-78 Standard ARM system...
, JSOW, MALD
ADM-160 MALD
The ADM-160 MALD is a decoy missile developed by the United States of America.-DARPA MALD program:The Miniature Air-Launched Decoy program was begun in 1995 by DARPA as an effort to develop a small, low cost decoy missile for use in the suppression of enemy defences...
, ESSM
ESSM
The RIM-162 Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile is a development of the RIM-7 Sea Sparrow missile used to protect ships from attacking missiles and aircraft. ESSM is designed to counter supersonic maneuvering anti-ship missiles...
, SilentEyes, Sidewinder
AIM-9 Sidewinder
The AIM-9 Sidewinder is a heat-seeking, short-range, air-to-air missile carried mostly by fighter aircraft and recently, certain gunship helicopters. The missile entered service with United States Air Force in the early 1950s, and variants and upgrades remain in active service with many air forces...
, Sparrow
AIM-7 Sparrow
The AIM-7 Sparrow is an American, medium-range semi-active radar homing air-to-air missile operated by the United States Air Force, United States Navy and United States Marine Corps, as well as various allied air forces and navies. Sparrow and its derivatives were the West's principal beyond visual...
, Paveway
Paveway
Paveway is a generic term for Laser Guided Bombs .Pave or PAVE is sometimes used as an acronym for precision avionics vectoring equipment; literally, electronics for controlling the speed and direction of aircraft...
and Tomahawk.
She retired from Raytheon
Raytheon
Raytheon Company is a major American defense contractor and industrial corporation with core manufacturing concentrations in weapons and military and commercial electronics. It was previously involved in corporate and special-mission aircraft until early 2007...
in 2010 where she was a Deputy Director and Senior Program Manager leading teams developing advanced technology in the Advanced Missiles and Unmanned Systems Product Line.
Political career
Simpson served as a commissioner on the City of Tucson Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Commission from 2001 until 2008, representing Councilwoman Carol West.Simpson was a candidate for Representative of District 26 in the Arizona House of Representatives
Arizona House of Representatives
The Arizona House of Representatives is the lower house of the Arizona Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Arizona. Its members are elected to two-year terms with a term limit of four consecutive terms...
in 2004. She won the Democratic primary with over 57% of the vote, but was unsuccessful in the general election where she finished third, received 20% in the best two of four contest.
In the 2004 election Simpson was elected precinct committeeperson, and was elected a state committeeperson by the Legislative District 26 Democratic Party in 2006. She was also elected to the Executive Board and held the office of District Treasurer in 2008. All these posts she continued to hold until her resignation due to accepting a post in President Obama’s Administration in 2009. In 2005, Simpson was one of the founders of the Democrats of Oro Valley Club. She was also the first vice chair of the Arizona Democratic Party LGBT caucus.
At the Arizona Democratic State Convention in 2008, Simpson was elected as an Arizona Delegate for Hillary Clinton to the 2008 Democratic National Convention.
In late 2009, Simpson accepted an appointment by the Obama Administration. where she served in the Department of Commerce as the Senior Technical Adviser to the Bureau of Industry and Security
Bureau of Industry and Security
The Bureau of Industry and Security is an agency of the United States Department of Commerce which deals with issues involving national security and high technology. A principal goal for the bureau is helping stop proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, while furthering the growth of United...
. In July 2011, Simpson was reposted to the Pentagon
The Pentagon
The Pentagon is the headquarters of the United States Department of Defense, located in Arlington County, Virginia. As a symbol of the U.S. military, "the Pentagon" is often used metonymically to refer to the Department of Defense rather than the building itself.Designed by the American architect...
as the Special Assistance to the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics and Technology (ASA/ALT)
United States Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics, and Technology
The Office of the United States Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics, and Technology is known as OASA...
.
Non Profit Board Service
Simpson has served on the boards of the Wingspan Community Center, the Southern Arizona Gender Alliance, the Arizona Human Rights Fund, the National Center for Transgender EqualityNational Center for Transgender Equality
The National Center for Transgender Equality is a nonprofit social justice organization, founded in 2003 by transgender activist Mara Keisling...
, Out and Equal Workplace Advocates
Out & Equal
Out & Equal Workplace Advocates is a United States non-profit organization headquartered in San Francisco, California....
, and the Southern Arizona Chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).
While an employee at Raytheon
Raytheon
Raytheon Company is a major American defense contractor and industrial corporation with core manufacturing concentrations in weapons and military and commercial electronics. It was previously involved in corporate and special-mission aircraft until early 2007...
, she served on the boards of the Raytheon Women’s Network (RWN), Raytheon Global Women’s Network, the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender and Allies Alliance (GLBTA) and the Raytheon Diversity Council.
Simpson is an Associate Fellow with the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics
American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics
The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics is the professional society for the field of aerospace engineering. The AIAA was founded in 1963 from the merger of two earlier societies: the American Rocket Society , founded in 1930 as the American Interplanetary Society , and the Institute...
and served on the Systems Engineering Technical Committee from 2007 to 2009.
Recognition
2011 LGBT Icon by Equality Forum2011 Echo Hall of Fame by Echo Magazine
2011 Named one of the Hidden 105 by OUT Magazine
2010 OUTstanding Individual Award (OUT for Work)
2010 Louise Young Award (Raytheon)
2006 Raytheon Missile Systems Team Excellence Award
2005 Arizona Human Rights Fund Individual Award
2004 Tucson YWCA Woman on the Move
2001 Raytheon Woman on the Move
1999 DARPA Award for Significant Technical Achievement