NASA Blog: Joel Walker’s Blog: Just Getting Started

An Introduction

I’m Joel Walker, the Director of Center Operations at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. I’ve been blogging on an internal site for a couple of years now and I’ve decided to transition my writing efforts to this new site.

What Have I Got to Say?

Good question. My internal blog was all over the map, everything from major work related news, to my predictions on the weekend’s football scores. I’ll probably stay away from the more informal stuff here, but I believe work should be fun and I hope that get’s reflected somehow in my writing.

Why Blog?

I think there are a few key reason’s to write publicly. I’ve always considered it a good way to conduct mini-skip level meetings. If you want to know what’s on my mind, read what I write. I’ll tell you what I’m happy with, what I’m disappointed with, and what has my attention. I also try to relay info that I find interesting or thought provoking.

It’s also a good way to kick start some external or internal connections. Maybe somebody reads it who has similar experiences or concerns and it starts a conversation. That’s good. As the Director of an institutional organization maybe I can help you understand my org’s perspective. What do we do, why, and why does it matter? My CenterOps org tends to be involved in lot’s of stuff so we get insight into Security, Logistics, Real Estate, Construction, Plant Operations and Maintenance, plus other stuff. It’s fun and it’s exciting. I may not get to drive a spacecraft, but I get to tool around in a solar powered electric vehicle!

Why Now?

I got re-motivated by some of the younger folk around here. They said they were interested in hearing from senior managers and learning what their thoughts were. I hope they find it interesting and a little insightful at least. I always contend that we all have important jobs, just with different responsibilities. Comma’s might be in different places, scope might be unique, but in the grand scheme of things we all have to contend with how to get work done.

My Goal

My style is shorter posts (not counting this one of course) more frequently. Sorry if I misspell wurds, or use commas instead of semi-colons. I just want to get in and out quickly.

Thanks for reading, we’ll see how it goes.

Joel