Phil Larson

Phil Larson is chief government relations officer and secretary to the board of managers of the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL), the nation’s largest university affiliated research center. Prior to this appointment, he managed strategic relations in APL’s Space Exploration Sector. Prior to joining APL, Mr. Larson served as chief of staff of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory’s Planetary Science Directorate, where he was responsible for the directorate’s government affairs, policy and budget development, strategic communications, and outreach to space community partners. From 2017 to 2020, he served as chief of staff and assistant dean for strategy, planning, and communications at the University of Colorado Boulder’s College of Engineering and Applied Science. From 2015 to 2017, Mr. Larson was senior manager for corporate projects and communications for SpaceX. From 2009 to 2015, he served as senior advisor for space and innovation in the White House’s Office of Science and Technology Policy. In that role, Mr. Larson led and coordinated overall strategy for the Obama administration’s science, technology, and innovation policies. Mr. Larson holds a bachelor’s degree in aerospace studies from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and completed graduate coursework at George Washington University.