Kristin Fretz

Dr. Kristin Fretz has served as the managing executive for the Space Exploration Sector at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) since October 2023. In this role, she leads a team of approximately 1,300 technical and scientific staff.  She is responsible for developing and maintaining the technical capabilities necessary to support the Space Formulation, Civil Space Flight, and National Security Space mission areas, ensuring excellence in performance and quality. Prior to her current role, Dr. Fretz held several leadership roles within the Space Exploration Sector, including deputy managing executive, supervisor of the Space Systems and Analysis Branch, and supervisor of the Space Systems Engineering Group. She has more than 20 years of experience in space systems engineering, fault management, and reliability engineering and has contributed to numerous high-profile missions. Dr. Fretz holds a B.S. in mathematics and health and exercise science from Wake Forest University as well as an M.S. and Ph.D. in reliability engineering from the University of Maryland.