Keynote Speaker Highlights 

Opening Keynote:  Sunday, February 16, 2025,

presented by International Education Evaluations

Trent Martin

Senior Vice President of Space Systems

Intuitive Machines

Big Dreams for Small Teams

Mr. Martin’s opening keynote will address the power of imagination and dreams fueled by ingenuity and teamwork to achieve great outcomes.  He holds degrees from two SACRAO-member institutions and his message is sure to be inspiring and hopeful.

Mr. Martin is the Senior VP of Space Systems for Intuitive Machines, named one of Time100’s Most Influential Companies of 2024. Mr. Martin led a team of engineers that designed, built, tested, launched and landed a lunar lander on the south pole of the moon in February 2024. As the first ever commercial company to land a spacecraft on the moon, his team made history and put the first U.S. built spacecraft on the moon since 1972.

“No one achieves great things without dreaming audacious dreams. Our dream was somewhat unimaginable… When you ask what's next for us, you simply need to ask, what audacious goal can you imagine? That is probably what we will do next!”

Mr. Martin holds a Masters of Business Administration from the University of Houston Clear Lake, and a Bachelors of Science in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Texas.  

Experience:

Intuitive Machines (Present) – As the Senior VP of Space Systems, he manages all aspects of products and services for space flight missions for Intuitive Machines.

NASA & Lockheed Martin – Engineering Directorate Associate Director for Advanced Development Projects – he managed all advanced development projects at the Johnson Space Center (JSC) in Houston.  This position included 200 civil servants and 400 contractors at JSC and interfacing with all other NASA centers and NASA Headquarters. He was the project manager for the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer, the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) JSC Thermal Vacuum Chamber A upgrade, and he ran the JSC Manufacturing facility.

Closing Keynote: Wednesday, February 19, 2025

Cié Gee

Associate Vice Provost

The University of Texas at San Antonio

Alone in the Dark with Dinosaurs

Sometimes working in Higher Education can feel like wandering through a dark room full of scary unknowns.  But even when we're unsure of what lies in the shadows, we must keep moving forward. How do we act with confidence when we feel out of place?  How do we push forward amid ambiguity and discomfort? We'll explore how small, everyday interactions can boost confidence, productivity, and morale, even when the outcomes are unclear. Because sometimes, all it takes is a tiny spark to light up the whole room.

Cié (pronounced “C”) has roots that begin in rural Texas. Raised in a small farming/ranching community, she knows her way around livestock and muddy creek beds. Growing up she wanted to be a Paleontologist (still does).

Cié is a torchbearer for innovative approaches in higher ed leadership development. Her specific topics of interest are interpersonal/intrapersonal communication, self-doubt and failing forward, and empathetic leadership. She currently serves as the Associate Vice Provost of Career Engaged Learning, Director of the Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP), and clinical faculty member at The University of Texas San Antonio (UTSA). With over 18 years of experience in various facets of higher education, she has held key roles in Enrollment Management, Strategic Planning and Assessment, Admissions, and Registrar offices. She also led a faculty and staff executive leadership development program for 10 years.

Cié served as the 2020 president of SACRAO and has also served as SACRAO Journal Editor and Newsletter Editor. She was awarded outstanding presenter for SACRAO and AACRAO and has received other accolades for her presentation skills. In 2022 she received Honorary membership to SACRAO. Cié is a graduate of the AACRAO Strategic Enrollment Management Endorsement Program and has served as an evaluator for future graduates. She has been published in SEM Quarterly, the SACRAO Journal, and AACRAO’s Field Notes. She just completed her first book, The Door Holder. The Art of Leadership Navigation: Transforming Challenges into Opportunities.

Cié holds a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Communication and a Doctorate in Educational Leadership. Her dissertation focused on the journey to leadership for senior level women in higher education.