Mr. Chris Blackerby

Mr. Chris Blackerby served as the NASA Attaché for Asia, the senior space policy official in the U.S. Embassy Tokyo, from 2012-2017. In that capacity he identified multiple opportunities for cooperation in the region; served as strategic space advisor to the U.S. Ambassador to Japan and senior U.S. Government officials; acted as an official intermediary between NASA and its partners in Asia in negotiating agreements and resolving disputes; and participated in numerous outreach events highlighting NASA activities. Blackerby began working for NASA as a Presidential Management Fellow in 2003. While at NASA he was a leader in forging international cooperative partnerships around the world in the fields of Earth science, space science and human space exploration. From 2005-2007 Blackerby was the Executive Director of the NASA Advisory Council, which provided advice to senior NASA officials on future policies and plans. He received a B.A. in History and Education from the University of Richmond (Va.) in 1995 and an M.A. in International Relations from the University of Rhode Island in 2002. In 2009 he earned an MBA from the McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University.