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Donna Shirley

Management Consultant & Author; Former Manager of the Mars Exploration Program

Management Consultant & Author; Former Manager of the Mars Exploration Program

Travels From Travels From:
Tulsa, OK, USA
Speaking Fee Speaking Fee:
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Donna Shirley Biography

With more than forty years of experience in the engineering of aerospace and civil systems; instruction at the University of Oklahoma as an assistant dean; and management over the Mars Exploration Program, Donna Shirley retired in 2003 to develop her company, Managing Creativity. As the president of Managing Creativity, Donna offers her advice through speaking, consulting, and training on the management of creative teams.

In 1998, Shirley retired as the manager of the Mars Exploration Program after a 32-year career with NASA in the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). She was the first woman to manage flight hardware at the JPL in Pasadena, California; the first woman to manage a spaceflight program; the first woman to manage a NASA program; and the first woman engineer at the JPL.

On July 4, 1997, the entire world watched as the Mars Pathfinder and the Sojourner Rover successfully landed on Mars. Donna led the Sojourner Truth team, the first team of any planetary rover. This robotics team developed a revolutionary robot that landed on Mars aboard the Pathfinder. The Pathfinder Mission was the United States’ first attempt at landing on Mars in 20 years, and Sojourner was the world’s first robotic planetary rover, proving rovers could work on Mars.

After the discovery that rovers could work on Mars, the next rover missions from Spirit and Opportunity are still operating on the red planet.

Sojourner exceeded all expectations, as it sent spectacular images of the Martian landscape back to earth. Millions of people tracking mission progress watched over the Internet as the first images emerged.

In 1997, was inducted into the Women in Technology Hall of Fame. Shirley went on to win the Washington Award in 2000, which is an award for American engineers and was formally inducted into the Oklahoma Women’s Hall of Fame in 2003. She is also the recipient of four honorary doctorates.

Shirley is the author of "Managing Martians," published in 1998 and 1999, and "Managing Creativity: A Practical Guide to Inventing, Developing, and Producing Innovative Products."

Donna Shirley Videos

  • Oklahoma Stories: Donna Shirley, Honorary Martian
  • Donna Shirley, Retired Manager, Mars Exploration Program, 1997
  • Donna Shirley - YouTube

Donna Shirley Books

  • Managing Martians
    Managing Martians

FAQs on booking Donna Shirley

  • How do I book Donna Shirley to speak at my event?

    Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like Donna Shirley for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment since 2002. Click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page to check availability for Donna Shirley, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get speaking fee information and check availability for Donna Shirley or any other speaker of your choice.
  • What are the speaker fees for Donna Shirley

    Speaking fees for Donna Shirley, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. The estimated fees to book Donna Shirley are for live events and for virtual events. For the most current speaking fee to hire Donna Shirley, click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak directly with an experienced booking agent.
  • What topics does Donna Shirley speak about?

    Donna Shirley is a keynote speaker and industry expert whose speaking topics include Adventurers, Astronauts, Business, Consulting, Creativity Speakers, Leadership Speakers, Science and Technology, Technology Speakers, Virtual Speakers.
  • Where does Donna Shirley travel from?

    Donna Shirley generally travels from Tulsa, OK, USA, but can be booked for private corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. For more details, please contact an AAE Booking agent.
  • Who is Donna Shirley’s agent?

    AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully booked keynote speakers like Donna Shirley for clients worldwide since 2002. As a full-service speaker booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Please click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page including the details of your event, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book Donna Shirley for your next private or corporate function.
  • What is a full-service speaker booking agency?

    AAE Speakers Bureau is a full-service speaker booking agency, meaning we can completely manage the speaker’s or celebrity’s engagement with your organization from the time of booking your speaker through the event’s completion. We provide all of the services you need to host Donna Shirley or any other speaker of your choice, including offer negotiation, contractual assistance, accounting and billing, and event speaker travel and logistics services. When you book a speaker with us, we manage the process of hosting a speaker for you as an extension of your team. Our goal is to give our clients peace of mind and a best-in-class service experience when booking a speaker with us.
  • Why is AAE Speakers Bureau different from other booking agencies?

    If you’re looking for the best, unbiased speaker recommendations, paired with a top-notch customer service experience, you’re in the right place. At AAE Speakers Bureau, we exclusively represent the interests of our clients - professional organizations, companies, universities, and associations. We intentionally do not represent the speakers we feature or book. That is so we can present our clients with the broadest and best performing set of speaker options in the market today, and we can make these recommendations without any obligation to promote a specific speaker over another. This is why when our agents suggest a speaker for your event, you can be assured that they are of the highest quality with a history of proven success with our other clients.

Donna Shirley is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics . The estimated speaking fee range to book Donna Shirley for your event is $5,000 - $10,000. Donna Shirley generally travels from Tulsa, OK, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Alyssa Carson, Abigail Harrison, Cady Coleman, Mary Ellen Weber and Story Musgrave, M.D.. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling Donna Shirley for an upcoming live or virtual event.

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