Jessica PedersenSenior Director, American Rocketry Challenge & STEM Engagement

Jessica Pedersen leads the American Rocketry Challenge, the Aerospace Industries Association’s flagship STEM program and 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. As Senior Director of the American Rocketry Challenge and STEM Engagement, she leads national efforts to advance hands-on engineering experiences, inspire the next generation of innovators, and develop partnerships that strengthen the nation’s STEM workforce pipeline. With more than 20 years of experience across the aerospace and national security sectors, Pedersen brings deep expertise in strategy, technology, and workforce development.

Before joining the AIA, Pedersen led strategic planning and technical initiatives across space and cyber domains at General Dynamics Mission Systems.

At Lockheed Martin, Pedersen strengthened strategic relationships across the Middle East and Africa and supported customer engagement with NATO, the United Kingdom, and Australia.

As a U.S. Department of State Franklin Fellow, Pedersen led the development and implementation of the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor’s first Functional Bureau Strategy, establishing its priorities and goals.

Pedersen holds a BSE in Industrial and Operations Engineering from the University of Michigan and an MBA from the University of Maryland.