Chris C. Kemp
Encyclopedia
Chris C. Kemp was NASA
’s first Chief Technology Officer (CTO) for IT. Before being appointed CTO for IT in March 2010, he served as Chief Information Officer and Director of Strategic Business Development at NASA’s Ames Research Center in Mountain View
, CA. Prior to joining NASA, Chris helped create a number of Internet businesses including Netran, Classmates.com
, and Escapia.
, he founded Netran, a company that launched the online grocery shopping service for Kroger. Kemp served as CEO and President of Netran from 1997-2000. At the age of 21, Kemp sold Netran to Tagnetics and joined Classmates.com as its Chief Architect. In 2002, Kemp launched Escapia, a company he conceived after trying to rent a beach house on the Internet. Kemp served as CEO and President of Escapia from 2002-2006.
in 2006 as Director of Strategic Business Development at the Ames Research Center in Silicon Valley
where he helped forge a partnership with Google. In 2007, he was appointed Chief Information Officer (CIO), making him responsible for most of the IT infrastructure at NASA Ames (networks, datacenters, systems, etc.), and several NASA-wide services, including the NASA Security Operations Center (SOC). As CIO, Kemp established a partnership with Microsoft and was the driving force behind the Nebula Cloud Computing Pilot under development at NASA Ames.
In March 2010, Kemp was appointed as the first NASA Chief Technology Officer, or CTO, for Information Technology, a new position established to lead IT innovation at the space agency. As CTO for IT at NASA, Kemp is responsible for the agency's Enterprise Architecture division and for introducing new and emerging technologies into IT planning and implementation. He is an outspoken advocate for the use of open-source software in the Federal Government.
On March 14, 2011 Kemp announced his resignation as NASA’s Chief Technology Officer for IT.
“Federal 100” and CIO Magazine’s “CIO 100” awards for his work as Chief Information Officer at NASA Ames Research Center in 2009.
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
’s first Chief Technology Officer (CTO) for IT. Before being appointed CTO for IT in March 2010, he served as Chief Information Officer and Director of Strategic Business Development at NASA’s Ames Research Center in Mountain View
Mountain View, California
-Downtown:Mountain View has a pedestrian-friendly downtown centered on Castro Street. The downtown area consists of the seven blocks of Castro Street from the Downtown Mountain View Station transit center in the north to the intersection with El Camino Real in the south...
, CA. Prior to joining NASA, Chris helped create a number of Internet businesses including Netran, Classmates.com
Classmates.com
Classmates.com is a social network service created in 1995 by Randy Conrads who founded Classmates Online, Inc.The social media website was originally designed to assist members in finding friends and acquaintances from kindergarten, primary school, high school, college, work and the United States...
, and Escapia.
Early life
Chris C. Kemp, began his career at the age of 15 working at an Apple Computer store. While studying Computer Engineering at the University of Alabama in HuntsvilleUniversity of Alabama in Huntsville
The University of Alabama in Huntsville is a state-supported, public, coeducational research university, located in Huntsville, Alabama, United States, is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award baccalaureate, master's and doctoral degrees, and is organized in five...
, he founded Netran, a company that launched the online grocery shopping service for Kroger. Kemp served as CEO and President of Netran from 1997-2000. At the age of 21, Kemp sold Netran to Tagnetics and joined Classmates.com as its Chief Architect. In 2002, Kemp launched Escapia, a company he conceived after trying to rent a beach house on the Internet. Kemp served as CEO and President of Escapia from 2002-2006.
NASA career
Kemp joined NASANASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
in 2006 as Director of Strategic Business Development at the Ames Research Center in Silicon Valley
Silicon Valley
Silicon Valley is a term which refers to the southern part of the San Francisco Bay Area in Northern California in the United States. The region is home to many of the world's largest technology corporations...
where he helped forge a partnership with Google. In 2007, he was appointed Chief Information Officer (CIO), making him responsible for most of the IT infrastructure at NASA Ames (networks, datacenters, systems, etc.), and several NASA-wide services, including the NASA Security Operations Center (SOC). As CIO, Kemp established a partnership with Microsoft and was the driving force behind the Nebula Cloud Computing Pilot under development at NASA Ames.
In March 2010, Kemp was appointed as the first NASA Chief Technology Officer, or CTO, for Information Technology, a new position established to lead IT innovation at the space agency. As CTO for IT at NASA, Kemp is responsible for the agency's Enterprise Architecture division and for introducing new and emerging technologies into IT planning and implementation. He is an outspoken advocate for the use of open-source software in the Federal Government.
On March 14, 2011 Kemp announced his resignation as NASA’s Chief Technology Officer for IT.
Awards
Kemp recently received the Federal Computer WeekFederal Computer Week
Federal Computer Week is a magazine covering technology mostly within the federal government, although coverage can also extend to state, local, tribal and international governments....
“Federal 100” and CIO Magazine’s “CIO 100” awards for his work as Chief Information Officer at NASA Ames Research Center in 2009.