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David Pierce has over 32 years of project/program management experience at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC). He is currently the director of NASA GSFC’s Wallops Flight Facility (WFF), leading suborbital and launch range services to meet government and commercial sector needs for accessing flight regimes worldwide from the Earth’s surface to the moon and beyond.

Mr. Pierce served as deputy director for Institutions, Programs, and Business Management in the Science and Exploration Directorate (SED) at GSFC from 2016 to 2018, where he oversaw SED’s institutional, new business, technology, and business management functions. Between 2011 and 2016, Pierce served as the senior Program Executive for Suborbital Research in NASA’s Science Mission Directorate (SMD) at NASA Headquarters (HQ), overseeing implementation of SMD’s Suborbital Program, a broad portfolio of aircraft, scientific balloons, sounding rockets, and CubeSat research missions. He also previously served as the WFF Deputy Director from 2012 to 2014, assisting the WFF Director in the management of the directorate and its project/program elements.

Pierce served as NASA's Balloon Program Office chief from 2004 to 2011, where he was responsible for overseeing the safe implementation of the balloon program, as well as the Columbia Scientific Balloon Facility (CSBF), located in Palestine, Texas. Pierce also served as Mission Manager within the Explorers Program from 1998 to 2004, managing the University-class Explorer (UNEX) and Small Explorer (SMEX) missions. He started at NASA working as an aerospace engineer in the GSFC/WFF Aircraft Programs Branch, modifying research aircraft to meet airborne science community needs and serving as mission manager on airborne science field campaigns.

Mr. Pierce earned his Bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering from North Carolina State University in 1986, and his Master’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Virginia in 1994. He has received individual and group achievement awards throughout his career, and was awarded NASA’s Exceptional Service and Exceptional Achievement Medals.