Chief Nancy Miyamoto goes back to her roots
2015-05-05
For Asian-American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, Johnson Space Center is honoring a few employees whose character, courage and commitment have helped shape them into the people they are today.
Born in Okinawa, Japan, Chief of the Infrastructure Resources Management Division Nancy Miyamoto has uncovered more of her heritage as a Japanese-American as an adult than she had as a child. Raised as a military child, Miyamoto followed her father’s Air Force career around the world, living in different cities and often changing schools.
She started her college career at North Dakota State for engineering, but decided she was tired of doing math problems. Miyamoto then enrolled in the business administration program, where she later had the opportunity to apply to the co-op program at Johnson Space Center. She started working for the Office of the Chief Financial Officer (OCFO), where she has now been for 25 years, proving to the business world that NASA is not just for engineers and scientists.
“I think people are often surprised when we have infrastructure that needs support,” Miyamoto said. “There is a place for people with non-STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) disciplines at JSC and NASA.”
Miyamoto has held a variety of positions at JSC within her organization, including Human Research Program resources team lead and assistant chief for the Central Budget Office, among others. Her management presence is outgoing and ambitious, and she has used it to her advantage in her career.
“Go into situations that are uncomfortable,” Miyamoto said. “Those opportunities give you a presence when working with others. That helped me become successful. I took on challenges that no one else would.”
Miyamoto has won many awards, including the NASA Exceptional Service Medal, NASA Equal Employment Opportunity Medal, and was a Space Flight Awareness honoree.
Balancing her work and social life in correlation with the roots of her heritage is important to Miyamoto. Though her mother is Japanese and her father is American, she never learned a proficient amount of Japanese because her mother was worried about her fitting in with the other students.
“It’s easy to lose your heritage when you are trying to adapt to new environments,” Miyamoto said. “My mother was really concerned for my success.”
Now that Miyamoto is married to a Japanese-American, she finds it is easier to keep in touch with her heritage. She does this by practicing Japanese at home and seeking out experiences that connect her to the places she came from.
Inclusion and innovation is a priority for Miyamoto. She has worked on center initiatives and leads the OCFO’s Diversity, Inclusion and Innovation team to help promote an environment that accepts people from all backgrounds.
“It’s important to find your place here,” Miyamoto said. “But also stay in touch with your culture as an adult.”
Miyamoto has taken the best of her experiences around the world and has used her heritage to enrich her life and build a competitive career.
Anna Seils
NASA Johnson Space Center
Born in Okinawa, Japan, Chief of the Infrastructure Resources Management Division Nancy Miyamoto has uncovered more of her heritage as a Japanese-American as an adult than she had as a child. Raised as a military child, Miyamoto followed her father’s Air Force career around the world, living in different cities and often changing schools.
She started her college career at North Dakota State for engineering, but decided she was tired of doing math problems. Miyamoto then enrolled in the business administration program, where she later had the opportunity to apply to the co-op program at Johnson Space Center. She started working for the Office of the Chief Financial Officer (OCFO), where she has now been for 25 years, proving to the business world that NASA is not just for engineers and scientists.
“I think people are often surprised when we have infrastructure that needs support,” Miyamoto said. “There is a place for people with non-STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) disciplines at JSC and NASA.”
Miyamoto has held a variety of positions at JSC within her organization, including Human Research Program resources team lead and assistant chief for the Central Budget Office, among others. Her management presence is outgoing and ambitious, and she has used it to her advantage in her career.
“Go into situations that are uncomfortable,” Miyamoto said. “Those opportunities give you a presence when working with others. That helped me become successful. I took on challenges that no one else would.”
Miyamoto has won many awards, including the NASA Exceptional Service Medal, NASA Equal Employment Opportunity Medal, and was a Space Flight Awareness honoree.
Balancing her work and social life in correlation with the roots of her heritage is important to Miyamoto. Though her mother is Japanese and her father is American, she never learned a proficient amount of Japanese because her mother was worried about her fitting in with the other students.
“It’s easy to lose your heritage when you are trying to adapt to new environments,” Miyamoto said. “My mother was really concerned for my success.”
Now that Miyamoto is married to a Japanese-American, she finds it is easier to keep in touch with her heritage. She does this by practicing Japanese at home and seeking out experiences that connect her to the places she came from.
Inclusion and innovation is a priority for Miyamoto. She has worked on center initiatives and leads the OCFO’s Diversity, Inclusion and Innovation team to help promote an environment that accepts people from all backgrounds.
“It’s important to find your place here,” Miyamoto said. “But also stay in touch with your culture as an adult.”
Miyamoto has taken the best of her experiences around the world and has used her heritage to enrich her life and build a competitive career.
Anna Seils
NASA Johnson Space Center