Jerriann Garcia is the Program Director of the Space Mission Program and Center Director of System Mission Engineering at Sandia National Laboratories, where she is responsible for setting the strategic vision and ensuring the execution of advanced space-based technologies and systems that support national security. Since 2022, she has led a multidisciplinary organization focused on delivering innovative flight demonstrations, resilient ground architectures, high-speed communications, and data-driven solutions critical to the national security enterprise and U.S. strategic deterrence. 

With over 25 years at Sandia, Jerriann has built a distinguished career focused on national security space with deep expertise in software systems engineering, cybersecurity, and complex program leadership. She has held multiple senior R&D leadership roles, including Senior Manager of the Science and Engineering Information Systems Group, where she was responsible for overseeing secure, mission-critical information systems supporting national defense objectives. Her leadership in this role was crucial in developing and implementing secure architectures that aligned with the most sensitive national security missions. 

Jerriann also led Sandia's Product Realization Integrated Digital Enterprise (PRIDE) under the National Nuclear Security Administration and was a member of the board for the Nuclear Security Enterprise (NSE) PRIDE Management Team, a cross-site initiative aimed at advancing integrated digital solutions across the enterprise. 

She began her career at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, and her technical expertise is complemented by her entrepreneurial experience, owning two successful businesses, and serving as an adjunct professor at the University of New Mexico. She is widely recognized for building trusted, mission-aligned partnerships across the Department of Defense, Intelligence Community, Department of Energy, and Sandia Field Office, and has served as a key software and cyber advisor to NNSA Defense Programs. 

Her leadership has earned her national accolades, including the DOE Secretary’s Achievement Award and the Executive Vice President’s Award for advancing next-generation ground system architectures. Jerriann Garcia is a strategic and technical leader at the forefront of space and software innovation for national security.