Amber Rowson
President and CEO
With 25+ years leading quality assurance for NASA missions, US Navy submarine systems, and Deep Submergence Vehicle operations, Amber brings mission-critical expertise that few consultants in the country can match.
Key Credentials
Selected highlights from 25+ years of mission-critical work
Mechanical and Aerospace Engineer, University of Missouri BSME
AS9100 Lead Auditor – IAQG certified training (24+ years)
NASA Safety and Mission Assurance Expertise (20+ years)
Deep Submergence (DSS-SOC) and SUBSAFE Expertise (24+ years)
Aviation Expertise (IS-BAO SMS, airworthiness, airfield, quality, operations, maintenance, private pilot) (24+ years)
Defense Acquisition University DAWIA Level III Certification — Production, Quality and Manufacturing, 2005
Career Details
Professional history and key responsibilities
2006 – Present
Show Me Quality Consulting
President and CEO
Engineering, auditing, quality assurance, training and program management support to NAVSEA, NASA, Oceaneering, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, and VA Healthcare.
- Lead Auditor on NASA QAAR, IAOP, IPS and PA&R audits reviewing for compliance to AS9100, AS9110, IS-BAO SMS and ISO 9001
- Member of Commercial Aviation Services (CAS) Working Group and CAS Standard development
- Lead internal process and certification audits for Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and DSV ALVIN including 6500 meter upgrade
- NASA Requirements reviews and revisions
- Provide training on requirement, quality, and risk management
- Member of NASA Safety Management System Working Group (2010, 2012, 2014, 2017) achieving IS-BAO SMS registration for the Agency and all seven aero flight centers
- Develop audit results metrics programs and reports
- Core member of NASA APPEL assessment team and Engineering and Safety Center Academy assessment team
- Project Manager for NASA APPEL eLearning research report and Benchmarking project
- Core member of NASA Guidance, Navigation and Control Handbook development team
- Develop one-pagers and minimum audit points for NASA Program and Project Management Requirements
- Evaluate and develop responses to audit corrective action responses from NASA Centers
- Subject matter expert for NASA SMA Technical Excellence Program (STEP) training materials
- Training seminars for NASA Safety Center Audits and Assessment Office Annual Workshop and Goddard Supply Chain Conference
- ISO 9001 liaison for VA Hospital implementation across seven Medical Centers
2004 – 2006
Naval Sea Systems Command, U.S. Navy
General Engineer — Submarine Safety & Quality Assurance
Project engineer and certification/quality assurance technical authority for NAVSEA 07Q. Working-level System Certification Authority for Deep Submergence Systems.
- Audit and Survey Team Leader for 16 DSS certification surveys and 10 Functional Audits
- On-site System Certification Authority Representative for manned testing including certification dive to 4,356 meters on DSV ALVIN
- Developed, reviewed and ensured implementation of DSS and QA Program Requirements at Naval and commercial DSS activities
- Technical authority on DSS and associated QA requirements responsible for ensuring all certification requirements were met
- Represented NAVSEA in both technical and administrative responsibilities to all organizations concerned with assigned program management
- Program Manager for Deep Submergence Vehicle ALVIN including 2006 major overhaul and follow-on certification
2001 – 2004
Perot Systems Government Services
SRDRS & DSS Quality Assurance Director
Technical support for NAVSEA PMS350D, NAVSEA 07Q and NAVSEA 00C.
NAVSEA PMS350D:
- Certification support for Submarine Rescue Diving and Recompression System (SRDRS)
- Developed comparison of PRMS Statement of Work and System Certification Procedures and Criteria Manual for Deep Submergence Systems
- Developed Certification Survey Plan for the Pressurized Rescue Module System
- Managed technical support team of two full-time and one part-time on-site personnel
NAVSEA 07Q:
- Technical comments on VIRGINIA Class, SSGN and USS JIMMY CARTER documentation
- Managed revision of System Certification Procedures and Criteria Manual for Deep Submergence Systems
- Developed technical presentations on DSS-SOC
- Audit and certification survey support for NAVSEA DSS Functional Audits and Certification Surveys
- Reviewed and provided technical comments on NAVSEA DSS Functional Audit Corrective Action Responses
- Provided support for VIRGINIA Class Fly-By-Wire Software Assurance IPT and other software certification efforts
- Participated in preparation and development of 2000 and 2001 SUBSAFE Trend Analysis
- SUBSAFE fastener problem and Weld Wire Issue Problem analysis
NAVSEA 00C:
- Managed revision of U.S. Navy Diving and Manned Hyperbaric Systems Safety Certification Manual including addition of electrical and re-entry control appendices
ISO 9000:
- Performed as Assistant ISO 9000 Representative
- ISO 9000 training on Document Management, Procedure Writing, Closed-Loop Resolution, and Data Collection
- Leader of ISO 9000 registration effort for SUBSAFE Quality Assurance Directorate including identifying key processes, assigning personnel ownership, and managing procedure development
1999 – 2000
Toyoda Gosei Missouri Corporation
Quality Engineer
- Platform Engineer for Toyota Camry major model change (pre-production)
- Responsible for all quality aspects, functioned as customer window for TG Missouri and interface with Japanese mother company
- International travel to Japan for new product injection-molding trials, product quality evaluation and customer fitting trials
- Integral member of Defect Reduction Team with twice-daily analysis of process and equipment failures
- Member of Toyota Sienna Minivan team — responsible for all quality aspects for 16 interior plastic-injected automotive parts including QS 9000 documentation
- Maintained corporate customer satisfaction through customer/supplier interface and problem resolution
1998
University of Missouri
Teaching Assistant — Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering 295 (Senior Design)
- Teaching AutoCAD R14 to senior design students
- Evaluating students through grading technical papers
- Assisting with problems by answering student questions during office hours
Education
University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri
BS, Mechanical Engineering
Honors, Awards & Certifications
EIT Certified, 1999
Defense Acquisition University DAWIA Level III Certification — Production, Quality and Manufacturing, 2005
Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME) Certified on Advanced Product Quality Planning (APQP), Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA), Control Plans and Mistake Proofing, 2000
American Society for Quality (ASQ) Member
Recipient of NASA's Aviation Operations Excellence Award, April 2017
Selected as a member of the University of Missouri Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Industrial Advisory Committee Board, May 2015 – present
NASA Group Achievement Award for outstanding achievement in implementing the first NASA-wide Safety Management System for aircraft operations in accordance with international civil aviation standards, June 2011
NASA Group Achievement Award for outstanding leadership in the development and execution of improvements to the OSMA/NSC audit and the conduct of the annual Audit and Assessment Workshops, June 2011
Letter of Appreciation from the NASA Safety Center for efforts in helping Ames Research Center achieve AS9100 compliance, October 2010
Letter of Appreciation from the Johnson Space Center Director for efforts on audit, February 2009
Letter of Appreciation from the Marshall Space Flight Center Director for efforts on audit, December 2008
Team Submarine Special Act Award, May 2006
Team Submarine Special Act Award, December 2005
Perot Systems Government Services Exceptional Rating, January 2004
Perot Systems Government Services Exceptional Rating, January 2003
Perot Systems Government Services Exceptional Rating, April 2002
Professional Training
ISO 14001 Training, 2000
AS 9100D Lead Auditor Training — Plexus Corporation, 2018
Transitioning to AS 9100C — Plexus Corporation, 2009
AS 9100 Lead Auditor Training — Plexus Corporation, 2008
Understanding ISO 9001:2000 — Plexus Corporation, 2001
Quality System Documentation ISO 9001:2000 — Plexus Corporation
Internal Quality Auditing ISO 9001:2000 — Plexus Corporation
Capturing the Federal Opportunity — Advantage Consulting, Inc.
American Society for Quality's 2003 Annual Quality Congress Software Track
Introduction to LEAN Principles, 2004 — NAVSEA
Defense Acquisition University — ACQ 101: Fundamentals of System Acquisition Management
Defense Acquisition University — PQM 101: Production, Quality and Manufacturing Fundamentals
Defense Acquisition University — ACQ 201A & 201B: Intermediate Systems Acquisition Course
Defense Acquisition University — PQM 301: Advanced Production, Quality and Manufacturing
NASA's 2003 Annual Software Assurance Symposium
Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corp — 3 years leadership coursework
Key Achievements
Quality Assurance Subject Matter Expert on NASA Safety Center Assessments including HALO Life Cycle Assessments
QA Team Member — Goddard Space Flight Center (April 2010, September 2013, June 2017)
QA Team Member — Jet Propulsion Laboratory (May 2010, May 2013, February 2017, October 2021)
QA Team Member — Stennis Space Center (July 2010, July 2013, July 2016, February 2021)
QA Team Member — Glenn Research Center including Plumbrook Station (September 2010, October 2014, October 2018)
QA Team Member — Armstrong Flight Research Center and Building 700 in Palmdale, CA (October 2010, August 2014, July 2018)
QA Team Member — Marshall Space Flight Center (March 2011, February 2014, April 2018, February 2021)
QA Team Member — Michoud Assembly Facility (April 2018)
QA Team Member — Wallops Flight Facility (May 2011, May 2014, May 2017)
QA Team Member — Ames Research Center (December 2011, June 2015, August 2019)
QA Team Member — Langley Research Center (February 2012, October 2015)
QA Team Member — Kennedy Space Center (June 2012, February 2015, May 2019)
QA Team Member — Johnson Space Center (September 2012, March through April 2016)
QA Team Member — White Sands Test Facility (August 2012, March through April 2016)
QA Team Member on NASA/OSMA Institutional Programmatic Support Audits at Marshall, Glenn, JPL, Stennis, Dryden, Kennedy, Johnson, Langley and Ames Research Centers
IAOP Reviews — Glenn Research Center (September 2009, September 2012, April 2015)
IAOP Reviews — Ames Research Center (March 2010, July 2012, April 2014, January 2015, January 2018)
IAOP Reviews — Armstrong Flight Research Center and Building 700 in Palmdale (May 2010, February 2013, August 2015, September 2018)
IAOP Reviews — Kennedy Space Center (February 2011, May 2013, April 2016)
IAOP Reviews — Johnson Space Center at Ellington Airfield and El Paso International Airport (April 2011, March 2014, May 2022)
IAOP Reviews — Langley Research Center (September 2011, January 2014, June 2016, January 2020)
IAOP Reviews — Wallops Flight Facility (October 2011, June 2014, April 2017)
IAOP Reviews — Jet Propulsion Laboratory (September 2017)
Team member and logistics lead — NASA Commercial Aviation Service Provider Audits, Quality Assurance and Airworthiness, 2021 to present
NASA Safety Management System Working Group — first Federal Agency to reach IS-BAO Stage II (2012) and Stage III (October 2014)
QA Team Member — NASA Programmatic Audit and Review of Lockheed Martin's International Space Station Work
QA Team Member — JSC Space Shuttle Audit of Solid Rocket Booster Assembly and Refurbishment Facility, May 2008
QA Team Member — Constellation Program audits at Glenn Research Center, Dryden Flight Research Center, and Lockheed Martin
Special Processes Auditor — Marshall Space Flight Center audit of InfoPro (Valve supplier), May 2009
GSFC Supply Chain Auditor — Northrop Grumman (September 2014) and BAE Systems (June 2014)
ISO 9001 Gap Visits for 7 VA Medical Centers, 2014
Team Leader for 18 and team member for 4 initial and sustaining certification surveys on US Navy Deep Submergence Systems including DSRV MYSTIC, SRCs, VIRGINIA Class LOTs, SSGN LOCs, SEAL Delivery Vehicles, DSV ALVIN, Dry Deck Shelters and others
Internal audits for Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, 2010 through 2024
On-site System Certification Authority Representative for manned testing evolutions including onboard certification dive to 4,356 meters on DSV ALVIN
Team Leader for 1 and Assistant Team Leader for 5 NAVSEA Functional Audits at Draper Labs, NEDU, WHOI, Oceaneering, Lockheed Martin, COMSUBDEVRON FIVE and others
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