- Horseback Riding
- Stand-up Paddleboarding (SUP)
- I like looking at the stars and learning about constellations
- Volunteering
- Volunteering for community initiatives to give back to local communities and make a positive impact
- Documenting and sharing travel experiences
Daesha Roberts
Laguna Niguel
Summary
Incumbent Executive Specialist at NASA Headquarters with more than 10 years of federal contracting experience providing strategic and technical expertise to senior NASA leadership. Currently serving under the NASA Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (NSTEM) contract for the Office of STEM Engagement (OSTEM) Minority University Research and Education Project (MUREP), and seeking to continue under the Consolidated Program Support Services (CPSS) contract.
In this role, I translate leadership priorities into guidance for Managers and staff, keeping projects aligned with agency priorities. My work focuses on program strategy, federal award oversight, policy alignment, and interagency coordination, including agency responses to White House directives and congressional priorities. I am trusted to prepare executive briefings, analyze performance data, and recommend process improvements that support informed decision-making.
My approach is people-focused and mission-driven: ensuring teams have the clarity, tools, and coordination needed to deliver with excellence, while advancing NASA’s STEM engagement and workforce initiatives.
Overview
11
11
years of professional experience
Work History
Executive Specialist, Minority University Research and Education Project (MUREP)
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Federal Contractor
12.2017 - Current
- Provide support to Technical Officers in managing the performance of federal awards totaling over $30M annually, ensuring technical progress, cost efficiency, and schedule compliance.
- Collaborate with the Project Management Office and Technical Officers on the development and implementation of annual management planning processes, ensuring federal and agency policy compliance and alignment with Mission Directorate priorities.
- Assist the Project Management Office and Technical Officers in managing the full lifecycle of federal awards, including solicitation development, award implementation, and technical oversight for grantee performance.
- Contribute to the formulation of task orders by collecting requirements, analyzing data, and preparing supporting documentation, ensuring alignment with federal regulations and NASA's strategic objectives. This work is performed under the guidance of authorized NASA personnel, adhering strictly to contractor protocols.
- Lead planning and preparation for bi-annual strategic meetings, focusing on the integration of programmatic and operational strategies to advance NASA's DEIA initiatives.
- Collaborate with Budget Analysts and Data Teams to leverage financial systems such as the Federal Procurement Data System (FPDS) and Business Operations (BOBJ) to collect and assess budget data, conduct trend analyses, and support strategic assessments.
- Produce analytical findings and reports to recommend solutions for improving operations and enhancing decision-making and operational transparency.
- Prepare analytical reports and verify performance data to support NASA's strategic assessments and responsiveness to White House directives and policies, ensuring alignment with Federal priorities and NASA's Mission Directorates.
- Evaluate project performance against agency standards, recommending process improvements and corrective actions to ensure compliance.
- Collaborate with Technical Officers and Budget Analysts to conduct annual site visits and manage day-to-day operations of grantees, ensuring compliance with NASA’s grants and cooperative agreement requirements.
- Work with Technical Review Committees to monitor grantee performance, including cost and schedules. Prepare comprehensive site visit reports, documenting technical progress, cost management, and schedule adherence, enhancing stakeholder communication and informing management decision-making.
- Monitor and assess technical milestones through regular evaluations, contributing to continuous improvement in project delivery.
- Coordinate with NASA Mission Directorates and Mission Directorate embeds to ensure project alignment with agency mission objectives.
- Provide critical support in managing and aligning strategic planning, federal awards, and policy development to NASA's mission objectives, ensuring compliance with federal regulations and promoting equity and inclusion.
- Lead cross-agency teams in developing annual Agency White House Plans for MSIs, ensuring policy compliance with Federal mandates.
- Facilitate high-level strategic meetings between projects and Mission Directorates, enhancing project visibility and fostering strategic collaborations with internal and external stakeholders.
- Contribute to the Agency Equity Action Plan (EAP) and Strategic Plan for DEIA, ensuring alignment with NASA’s Mission Directorates and federal priorities.
- Support the development and execution of educational activities, focusing on enhancing NASA STEM education outreach for MSIs and championing DEIA within agency-wide initiatives.
- Support leadership in shaping policies and strategies aligning with White House Federal Executive Orders for MSIs and DEIA.
- Facilitate alignment of existing NASA projects with DEIA strategic goals, supporting compliance with agency-wide initiatives and enhancing the impact of federal investments in MSIs and underserved communities.
- Collaborate with Technical Officers to integrate DEIA objectives into project management plans and solicitations, fostering inclusivity and accessibility in project implementation.
- Draft and coordinate responses to ad hoc agency and congressional inquiries related to NASA’s engagement with MSIs and DEIA initiatives.
- Serve as a NASA liaison in White House Interagency Working Groups (IWGs) for Hispanic and Black Americans and Asian American Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) initiatives.
- Co-Lead cross-agency coordination of White House Plans related to MSI and DEIA Executive Orders, contributing to the development and execution of policies that advance equity and inclusion across NASA programs.
- Salary: 108,000 USD Monthly
- Hours per week: 40
- Supervisor: Keya Briscoe, keya.briscoe@nasa.gov
- Okay to contact this Supervisor: Yes
Minority University Research and Education Project (MUREP) Fellow
Aerospace, Education, Research, Operations (AERO) Institute – A NASA Partner
05.2015 - 11.2017
- Served as a MUREP Education Fellow at NASA Headquarters in the Office of STEM Engagement (OSTEM).
- Maintained position while dually serving as a Senior Specialist for the NASA MUREP Institutional Research Opportunity (MIRO), managed by NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center.
- Assisted in the coordination of agency solicitations for competitive grant and cooperative agreement awards to MSIs. Developed process documentation, training material and work instructions for solicitation development and execution, national conference leadership and agency reporting.
- Ensured successful engagement that achieved the goals, objectives, and outcomes of senior management.
- Coordinated and collaborated with internal and external personnel, Federal Representatives, Industry Partners, University Administration and Faculty, and other Education leaders.
- Maintained a broad knowledge of NASA programs and activities at various organizational levels and the ability to relate these particularly, though not exclusively to educational needs in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).
- Prepared responses to congressional data calls, and internal and external agency inquiries, regarding the status of NASA’s involvement with specific MSIs and underrepresented and underserved populations.
- Coordinated and led annual meetings among project staff, according to management requests and budget, while managing and exceeding expectations.
- Salary: 75,000 USD Bi-Weekly
- Hours per week: 40
- Supervisor: Ms. Joeletta Patrick, joeletta.o.patrick@nasa.gov
- Okay to contact this Supervisor: Yes
Senior Project Specialist, NASA MUREP Institutional Research Opportunity (MIRO)
Aerospace, Education, Research, Operations (AERO) Institute – A NASA Partner
06.2014 - 10.2016
- Served as the MIRO Senior Project Specialist at NASA Armstrong Research Flight Center in the Office of STEM Engagement (OSTEM).
- Assisted in the full range of solicitation activities including but not limited to solicitation development, review, selection, award and renewal for grants and cooperative agreements.
- Co-authored and coordinated solicitations for funding to higher education institutions and administered the peer review process for submitted proposals.
- Developed tools and processes to support the operation of the project and maintained guidebooks, instruction manuals and other project documentation in response to new or revised guidance from agency leadership.
- Assisted in the grant close out process, verifying the completion of deliverables, the submission of final documentation and proper process for award closeout.
- Participated in meetings, conferences and trainings related to agency policies and procedures.
- Developed and disseminated correspondence to grantees to distribute information, communicate updates and collect documentation.
- Supported the Agency Project Manager in responding to internal and external inquiries requiring the interpretation of program policies and procedures and facilitated training and technical assistance workshops for grantees.
- Maintained a status of the project and delivered regular briefings and presentations to the Project Manager and grantees.
- Served as a site visit reviewer to grantee Institutions to evaluate Grantee Institutions for regulatory compliance to specific terms and conditions of the award agreement, including proper budget monitoring and tracking to mitigate returned funding at the end of the award.
- Supported request requiring editing, problem solving and administrative skills.
- Salary: 60,000 USD Bi-Weekly
- Hours per week: 40
- Supervisor: Ms. Katrina Emery, katrina.y.emery@nasa.gov
- Okay to contact this Supervisor: Yes
Education
Bachelor's Degree - Bachelor of Arts, Psychology
California State University, Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA06.2014
Skills
- Project management expertise
- Evaluation of data insights
- Goal-oriented planning
- Performance evaluation
- Stakeholder collaboration
- Execution of STEM education strategies
- Grant oversight
- Workflow optimization
- Technical writing
- Instructional program development
- Skilled in project reporting tools
- Trend analysis proficiency
- Presentation development and delivery
- Advanced PowerPoint expertise
Accomplishments
- Agency Excellence in Collaboration Award – NASA STEM Better Together Conference (2023)
- Agency Appointment STEM Engagement Council (SEC) Working Group (2020 – 2022)
- Agency White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities “Service Award” (2018 and 2023)
- NASA Intern, Armstrong Flight Research Center (2004 – 2008)
- California Future Leaders of America Award (2009) "Miss Community Spirit" Award - Miss High Desert Scholarship Pageant (2009)
- California State University Bakersfield, Dean’s List (2011 – 2014)
Affiliations
- Toastmasters
Interests
Community Leadership
The District Church, Life Group Lead Facilitator and Volunteer Grant Writer, Washington, DC, 2016, Present, Life Group Lead Facilitator and Volunteer Grant Writer, The District Church, Washington, DC (2016 – Present)
Timeline
Executive Specialist, Minority University Research and Education Project (MUREP)
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Federal Contractor
12.2017 - Current
Minority University Research and Education Project (MUREP) Fellow
Aerospace, Education, Research, Operations (AERO) Institute – A NASA Partner
05.2015 - 11.2017
Senior Project Specialist, NASA MUREP Institutional Research Opportunity (MIRO)
Aerospace, Education, Research, Operations (AERO) Institute – A NASA Partner
06.2014 - 10.2016
Bachelor's Degree - Bachelor of Arts, Psychology
California State University, Bakersfield