Johnson Celebrates NASA’s Out-of-this-World Dads

In celebration of Father’s Day on June 18, NASA’s Johnson Space Center honors the amazing dads, grandfathers, guardians, and father figures who provide a source of guidance and support for future generations. These outstanding men were nominated by colleagues in recognition of their dedication to their families and commitment to advancing NASA’s mission.

Read more about Johnson’s out-of-this-world dads below.

Ricardo Montenegro, Branch Chief, Transportation and Support Services Branch, Logistics Division, Center Operations Directorate

Ricardo plays an important role in ensuring the availability of facilities and services that keep Johnson operations running smoothly. While Ricardo is relatively new to the branch chief role, he has worked in Johnson’s Contract Property Office for about 10 years, including a stint as the Johnson Industrial Property Officer. He is also the father of three children, all of whom are enthusiastic about space exploration and NASA missions. “Every day, they surprise me with new questions and requests, wanting to learn more,” Ricardo said. “It makes me very happy when we look at the night sky together and they start naming stars and planets.”

Ricardo and his wife involve their children in activities they enjoyed before they became parents, including attending ball games, concerts, and other performances. They also enjoy playing in their backyard, gardening, and building new things together. Ricardo said his three-year-old daughter is a bit of a foodie, and the family enjoys cooking together, as well. “We make our spaghetti at home from scratch, where the kids play major roles in the production of it,” he said. “My kids’ spaghetti is my favorite ‘take to work’ food.”

Reflecting on the joy and challenges of being a modern dad, Ricardo believes that greater access to information via the internet can be very helpful for connecting with other dads for advice and for finding activities he can do with his kids. He acknowledged that it can be difficult trying to “be everywhere for everything, at the same time,” now that his kids are in school and have more events that often conflict with his work schedule. “When I can’t attend, I am lucky to have my wife who does an excellent job taking pictures and videos for me,” he said.

Ricardo also credits his family-oriented colleagues in the Logistics Division with helping him navigate this challenge and find a good balance between being an active dad and his work responsibilities. “I have been very lucky to have awesome co-workers and managers who understand the parent life, and encourage me to leave work at work, and enjoy my home time with my wife and children,” he said.

Ricardo’s colleagues think he’s doing a great job. “He excels with the management of his family and leadership skills both at home and work,” said a colleague who nominated him for recognition, adding that he is always looking for innovations and best practices to improve the division’s work.

“Having kids is awesome,” Ricardo said. “When you see them learn or succeed in something, it gives you an unmeasurable amount of satisfaction and pride. If I had to leave a Yelp review on parenting for the Artemis Generation, I would give it 5 stars, and $$-$$$$.”

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Robert Fenton Blake, Deputy Director, Office of Diversity & Equal Opportunity (ODEO)                                                                                                                                       

Robert helps oversee developing and implementing policies, programs, and services that support Johnson’s diverse workforce and promote an equitable and inclusive culture. He finds the most rewarding part of his job is helping employees feel like they belong and effect culture change within the organization. “The deliberate actions we take as a community have the potential to make NASA and the Johnson Space Center a more inclusive place where I would want my children to work,” he said.

Robert is a single father to two young children. The trio is active in scouting and love to camp, hike, fish, and enjoy nature together. Robert appreciates the schedule flexibility and hybrid work options that NASA currently provides because it helps him arrange his days around his children’s needs. “I work early most mornings, before the kids wake up, just so I can be more present when they are not in school,” he said. “I juggle a lot most days, but I am grateful for the juggle because it has enabled my better (not perfect) balance.”

He is also grateful for the support and understanding of his ODEO colleagues. “As a single parent, I can’t turn off my phone or ignore the school when they call,” he said. “Whenever one of my children is sick, I must pivot my work and my meetings. I try to be all things in these moments, but I know I fall short.” In those moments, Robert said he can rely on the incredible ODEO team to help him and minimize his shortfalls.

While Robert acknowledged that single parenthood can be particularly difficult, he also noted that in the age of modern fatherhood, no parent is alone. “We are so blessed to have a community of wonderful people helping us every step of the way,” he said. “It takes a village, and, in our village, we rely on each other as a lifeline, covering for each other and even giving each other much-needed breaks.”

A colleague who nominated Robert for recognition praised his tireless efforts to ensure that his children are now and continue to become their best selves. “Rob is an outstanding father,” they said. “His commitment to his children's total wellness is and should be hailed as an example to all parents and caregivers.”

Robert believes that being a dad has strengthened his leadership and management skills. “I never take my dad hat off. I think I care for others in deeper ways, and I am a better manager for my support of all others,” he said.

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Dustin Kinnison, Education Project Manager, Office of STEM Engagement (OSTEM)

In his role with OSTEM, Dustin manages NASA’s Minority University Research and Education Project (MUREP) Innovation and Tech Transfer Idea Competition (MITTIC). The competition provides multi-disciplinary teams of diverse college students with the opportunity to pitch spinoff concepts for NASA intellectual property. “The most rewarding part of my job is seeing students realize opportunities to engage with NASA and overcome their imposter syndrome,” Dustin said.

Similarly, Dustin says seeing his boys grow and succeed is the most rewarding part of being a dad. “Sometimes they fail first, which can be hard to watch, but seeing them learn from that failure and experience the joy of discovery is absolutely the best.” His favorite way to spend time with his kids is by reading books and playing games. “Our current favorite is all things Mario,” he said. “Mario Bros. U, Mario Party, Mario Kart, we play it all!” Dustin also coaches his older son’s baseball team.

Dustin sees the biggest challenge and best part of modern fatherhood to be two sides of the same coin. Managing his kids’ screen time is a challenge, he said, but today’s technology provides greater access to learning resources and materials for parents. Dustin strives to always put his family first and says that being organized and making the most of his time in the office helps him balance work and home life. “Whether I’m with my kids or in a meeting at work, I make sure I’m present in the moment so that I can maximize my effectiveness with both,” he said.

“Dustin does a masterful job of shepherding his teams of college students through the MITTIC activity,” said a colleague who nominated him for recognition. “You can definitely see his skills as a parent coming through as his students navigate their onsite activities. He is an amazing team player and valuable contributor in the Office of STEM Engagement here at Johnson.”

Dustin said being a dad makes him want to create a better world with more access and increased opportunities for the next generation. He encourages the Artemis Generation to find joy in the work they do. “If you don’t find enjoyment in doing it, do something else,” he said.

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Claude Jenkins, Software Engineer

A talented software engineer with two young daughters, Claude was recognized by one of his colleagues as a dad who really goes above and beyond. “He's constantly involved is his kids' lives, always making sure they are enriched and engaged, even participating in coaching their sports teams,” the colleague wrote.

Being such an active dad is relatively easy, Claude said, because he can be somewhat flexible with his schedule. “It’s only tough when the kids have after school activities that start before 5 p.m.,” he said. “When that happens, I can work the difference after the activities end.”

Claude’s favorite way to spend time with his daughters is by playing board games together and being silly while they watch TV or YouTube videos. “The most rewarding part about being a dad is watching someone grow up taking on your traits and silliness,” he said.

Like Dustin, Claude sees living in a digital age as both the biggest challenge and the best part about modern fatherhood. On the one hand, today’s dads must contend with their kids spending time on social media sites and “trying to be validated by people they do not know.” On the other, digital tools make it easier to keep track of kids’ activities and make sure they are being safe online.

Claude said being a dad helps him interact with younger colleagues, and that working with amazing people is the most rewarding part of his job. “I hope to pass on to the Artemis Generation that it still takes hard work to be successful and nothing is handed out for free,” he said.

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Noel Skinner, Task Order Manager

Noel has been a part of the NASA team for more than twenty years. In his current role as a KBR task order manager, Noel helps other team members accomplish planned tasks successfully and on schedule with the efficient use of agency resources. His previous NASA experience includes serving as the life sciences coordinator for the Reduced Gravity Research Program that concluded in 2014. “I experienced thousands of parabolas, met lots of interesting researchers, astronauts, and students, and got to see the testing of hardware and procedures that eventually made their way onto the space shuttle and the International Space Station,” he said.

“Noel is an amazing colleague within the NASA family! With years of experience under his belt, Noel is always welcoming and encouraging to his teammates,” said a colleague who nominated him for recognition.

Noel and his wife, Kathy, have two sons and four grandchildren. The family spends time together outside, whether fishing, hunting, boating, or riding ATVs. Noel also enjoys playing on the floor with his grandkids and watching hem ride battery-powered vehicles in the driveway. Their time together “most certainly involves meals around the table with the whole family.” 

Noel observed that parenthood is different for every generation. Today’s parents face more distractions, and potentially more complex challenges with greater consequences. “As a father and a grandfather, I have the privilege to guide and direct, and have a positive influence on the next generation and the one after that,” he said. “My wife and I raised our sons as best we could and taught them core values to live by, and we see that they are doing the same with their own families.”

Noel hopes to continue passing those values on to the Artemis Generation. “Faith, hope, love, honesty, integrity, persistence, and teamwork will help you overcome challenging times and will lead you to accomplish great things,” he said. “Think clearly, in advance, about the potential consequences of an action you might take. Your success, happiness and well-being may depend on it!” 

Noel also encourages other parents to try to be the best they can wherever they are and in whatever role they are filling. “When you are at work, focus on work and your co-workers. When you are at home, focus on your family,” he said, adding that it’s important to remember small acts of kindness. “Those little things that you did for a co-worker or a family member, which may not take much effort, likely made a big difference for them and will be remembered.”