AIIA Navigating Digital Government Summit – National Launch “Future State”

NASA Astronaut, Medical Doctor, Tech Entrepreneur

Dr Scott Parazynski is a highly decorated and broadly experienced NASA Astronaut, Spacewalker, Physician, Entrepreneur and Product Developer with extensive leadership and team skills. Scott is a prolific inventor who’s passionate about the ability for technology to meet some of our world’s most challenging needs.

Scott has lived and traveled all over the world, spending many of his grade school and high school years in places such as Dakar, Senegal; Beirut, Lebanon; Tehran, Iran; and Athens, Greece. A graduate of Stanford University and Stanford Medical School, he went on to train at Harvard and in Denver in preparation for a career in emergency medicine and trauma. Dr. Parazynski has numerous publications in the field of space physiology with particular expertise in human adaptation to stressful environments.

In 1992 he was selected to join NASA’s Astronaut Corps and eventually flew 5 Space Shuttle Missions and conducted 7 spacewalks (EVAs). In his 17 years as an Astronaut, he served in numerous senior leadership roles, including EVA Branch Chief and the Lead Astronaut for Space Shuttle Thermal Protection System Inspection & Repair (in the aftermath of the Space Shuttle Columbia tragedy). Mission highlights include a global ozone mapping mission on STS-66; leading the first joint US-Russian spacewalk during STS-86 while docked to the Russian space station Mir; serving as Senator John Glenn’s crewmate and “personal physician” during STS-95; and conducting EVA assembly of the Canadian-built space station arm during STS-100.

Significant large-project strategy, analysis, budget development, and management skills proven in settings ranging from NASA space shuttle operations through technology start-up ventures. A life-long explorer who’s also summited Mount Everest, rappelled to the “shoreline” of Masaya volcano’s lava lake, and free dived into the summit caldera lake atop Licancabur, one of the world’s highest.

Specialties:

• Strategic Business Plan Development
• Technology Development & Launch
• Management Development & Leadership
• Technical Training & Facilitation
• Performance Planning & Improvement
• Startup & New Venture Development
• P&L and Budget Development
• Medical Research & Development

ACT Government & Australian Smart Communities Association

Brook is a senior executive of the ACT Government, leading the government’s regulatory reform, smart city, transport improvement, and digital service innovation agendas.

He is also Vice President of the Australian Smart Communities Association, working with counterparts across Australia to promote smart city solutions that improve liveability, sustainability and productivity in our cities.

Brook is a 2015 Churchill Fellow, studying the drivers of digital transformation in leading global cities. As part of this study, Brook visited cities in Asia, Europe and the Americas in 2016.

Current projects includes the modernisation of the ACT’s taxi and rideshare industry, establishment of the new Transport Canberra agency, delivering a smart parking trial in Manuka, and reforming ACT industry licensing.

Brook is an experienced leader, strategic planner, digital city exponent, public administrator, economist, and policy analyst. He has a passion for public service, innovation and leadership.

Recent achievements include:

• reforming the ACT’s taxi and on-demand transport sector – the first city in Australia (and first capital city in the world) to regulate for ridesharing
• developing a draft Strategic Plan and Dividend/Capital Structure Model for the ACT Land Development Agency
• delivering Digital Canberra, the ACT Government’s vision and action plan to be a world leading digital city
• delivering CBRfree, Canberra’s own free public wifi network, to be the biggest single city network in Australia
• establishing the Regulatory Reform Branch, and leading reform efforts across ACT Government
• authoring and implementing the ACT Government’s Evaluation Policy
• delivering 4 red tape reduction bills, passed by the ACT Legislative Assembly

Western Australia’s first ICT Minister