Q&A with Gateway: Meet Simone Hutchinson, Gateway Resource Integrator

NASA’s Gateway program is continuing to make strides toward establishing a sustainable presence on and around the Moon. Behind the scenes, people like Simone Hutchinson are working hard to make the Gateway a reality. 

Get to know more about her! 

What is your role in the Gateway program?

I serve as the Gateway resource integrator. 

What do you do as a resource integrator?

My primary responsibilities are budget formulation and budget execution for the Gateway program. This includes program, planning, budgeting and execution, monthly and quarterly reporting processes, phasing plan development, marks development, and coordination of resources across nine NASA centers. I also work extensively with the Gateway Planning and Control Manager Office to provide expert advice to the Gateway senior program management in all areas of resource management. 

What are you excited to share about Gateway and what it will do for human exploration as part of the Artemis program?

I am excited that Gateway will be the orbiting lunar outpost and will be a part of taking humans back to the Moon. It will be a testbed for technologies that will eventually be used when humans journey on to Mars.

How has your own personal background influenced your work for the Gateway program? 

I have always been a person who loves math and numbers. My mother worked in budget management for the local school district, and she was the head of the finance committee at our church. Going to work with her from time to time always made me want to work with money and budgets. That love of numbers now allows me to look at budgets without bias, perform excellent analysis of resource performance, and provide fiscal advice to the technical community when hard decisions need to be made.

Being surrounded by such a high-performing group of people, what’s a great piece of advice you’ve learned?

I have continued to see that diverse groups of people/thoughts are imperative to accomplishing any and all missions. We all bring valuable experience to the team and are necessary to get us back to the Moon and on to Mars.

Now, more about you. Where did you grow up?

I am an army brat. My father was in the U.S. Army, so I grew up overseas and ended up moving multiple times within the United States. I completed high school in Fort Myers, Florida, and graduated from Florida A&M University in Tallahassee.

How long have you been at JSC?

It has been 14 years as of next month.

Describe yourself in five words.

Hardworking, family-oriented, friendly, optimistic, and a good listener.

Favorite thing(s) to do to unwind.

Have a glass of wine or a tasty cocktail, spend time with family and friends, and do some online shopping!

When this pandemic is over, what can’t you wait to do?

Travel overseas with family and friends after my passport is renewed!

What is one thing you like about teleworking?

Seeing my kids throughout the day and not having to get dressed up for work.

Tell us a fun fact about you.

I was born in Germany and lived in Alaska as a child.

At Johnson, we are laser-focused on the next: going forward to our lunar neighbor to build outposts in uncharted territory while revolutionizing the strategies and technologies that will eventually open up the universe. The Gateway is a critical component of the Artemis program and embodies Johnson's Dare Unite Explore vision: We dare to expand frontiers. We unite with our partners to complete bold missions. We explore space to benefit humanity.

DARE | UNITE | EXPLORE