Bill Hurd

I retired from a 40-year career at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory in 2007. For most of this time, I worked on communications between the Earth and spacecraft that explore the planets and outer space. I did research and development, system engineering and technical management.

When I discovered that JPL had a Solar System Ambassador Program where space professionals like me can volunteer within our own communities, I signed up.

My wife, Elaine, and I now split our time between Mesquite, Nevada, and Steamboat Springs, Colorado. In Steamboat, we enjoy skiing in winter and the beautiful green and relatively cool summers. We spend spring and fall in Mesquite with a comfortable desert climate and world-class golf courses.

Elaine and I have done extensive volunteer work for charities since our marriage in 1995. In 2009, I became a Certified Specialist in Planned Giving, primarily because I want to advise my peer group on the advantages of legacy giving. I volunteer for my undergraduate school, Clarkson University in Potsdam, New York, where I learned many of the skills and principles which built the foundation for my success.

I enjoy helping people be more effective in their charitable giving, especially scholarship endowments, so students have the same opportunities I had. Of course, I can talk endlessly about the technical aspects of space communications. I love to star gaze and am fascinated about our exploration of space. I welcome the opportunity to talk to students and others who share the same passion I have.