Although surrounded by the big and bold missions of human spaceflight, Margaret Kennedy, an aerospace systems engineer on the Human Health and Performance Contract, still appreciates the little things. Ask about her favorite NASA experience to date and she will tell you it is getting to show her badge to the gate guards at Houston’s Johnson Space Center every day. “Knowing I get to be a part of things that can change the world – that I’m helping to make it possible for astronauts to do their job safely, which in turn supports life on Earth – is very rewarding,” she said.
Kennedy joined the Johnson team as a contractor with Aegis Aerospace in October 2019. Since then, she has spent most of her time as a systems engineer for the Human Research Program’s Program Integration and Strategic Planning group. That role required her to collect technical information for various projects and to ensure systems were in place to correctly track and manage program documents and agreements. This spring, Kennedy transitioned to a new role in which she provides systems engineering for flight hardware supporting Gateway and exploration missions to the Moon and Mars.
She started engaging with Johnson’s Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) shortly before the COVID-19 pandemic and jumped at the chance to get more involved once employees came back onsite. “A few people have been surprised when I tell them I’m really an introvert, not an extrovert, but I had to get out of my shell or I’d still be stuck in my apartment,” she said. “The ERGs were a way for me get out of my space and have allowed me to grow.”
Kennedy is thankful the Johnson Parenting ERG started allowing contractors to serve as secretaries because that led to similar opportunities with other ERGs. She served as the membership secretary for both Emerge and Out & Allied ERG (OAERG) in 2023 and is currently OAERG’s executive secretary. “I help keep our chair and co-chair up to date,” she said. “I have my finger on everything that’s happening in the ERG.” Filling these roles gives Kennedy numerous opportunities to support diversity, equity, and inclusion at Johnson, the most recent of which was her participation on a panel during the center’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility Day.
“The main advice I’d give to others wanting to get involved is find your people and don’t be afraid to take a risk,” she said. “Many of us deal with risk every day in our work so find a way to buy down risk by finding allies and a support system. Even if you only get a hair’s width outside your zone of comfort, it makes a difference.”
She also said that simply participating in ERG meetings and events – whether in person or virtually – is another great way to get involved. “The ERGs can’t do what we do without you,” she said. “We do it because it’s important to us and to others, but we sometimes struggle to know what people want. We need your thoughts and your ideas because it helps us provide programming and inform the center about what is happening.”
Being a part of OAERG in particular has helped Kennedy personally and professionally. “It has provided me with a space to be my authentic self and bring that person to both the world and work,” she said. “In the long line of LGBTQI+ letter soup, I end up in the + on the end more times than not. Out & Allied has given me a way to not only embrace my identity but also help spread awareness about it.” Professionally, the ERG has helped her network with a range of people, including upper and middle management, and strengthen her communication, problem solving, and leadership skills.
Kennedy acknowledged that change can take time, noting that while Johnson’s safety-oriented culture is a strength, it can sometimes slow the pace of initiatives that may not be considered mission critical, as can staffing shortages in some areas. “Things like accessible walkways and gender-neutral bathrooms are still important,” she said, adding that leadership is working on it.
Kennedy encourages everyone at Johnson to check in with their teammates and have “water cooler moments” with their colleagues as a way of promoting inclusivity. “Be patient and willing to give everyone some grace,” she said. “We can get so focused on the mission and what we need that we sometimes forget there are things happening in other people’s lives that can affect their work.”
