Candidate Statement

My relationship with AIAA began as a student member of the University of Washington chapter, where I served as Student Vice President — so when I think about what this organization has meant to my career, it spans the full arc of my 37 years in aerospace. I am running for Section Chair because I want to give back to the community that has supported and challenged me throughout that journey.

As Chair, I want to build a Section that delivers real value to its members at every career stage — through technical speaker events, an annual symposium, and programming that bridges experienced professionals with the next generation of aerospace engineers. I believe strongly in knowledge transfer and mentorship, and I see the PNW AIAA Section as a unique platform to connect industry, academia, and students across our region.

I bring technical credibility, leadership experience, and a genuine passion for developing people and the broader aerospace community here in the Pacific Northwest.

Candidate Bio

Dave Krismer is a Technical Fellow at Agile Space Industries and a 37-year veteran of the aerospace industry. Prior to joining Agile Space in January 2025, he spent 36 years at Aerojet Rocketdyne and its predecessor companies, serving as Technical Fellow for Pressure-Fed Liquid Propulsion System Architecture and Integration and Chief Systems Engineer for Launch and In-Space Chemical Propulsion Systems. His technical expertise spans the full lifecycle of liquid propulsion development — from concept design and system architecture through engine development, propulsion system integration, and on-orbit performance — across spacecraft, launch vehicle, and tactical missile programs. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Washington (1988) and is an Associate Fellow of AIAA.

Candidate Statement

Serving as Treasurer of the Pacific Northwest AIAA Section this past year has been a meaningful way to give back to our aerospace community. When I stepped into the role, the Section had run a deficit for the preceding five years. In this council year, we reversed course and closed the year in the green. As part of that turnaround, our annual Symposium more than paid for itself thanks to strong registration and generous sponsors.

I’d like to keep that momentum going. My goals for a second term are simple: keep our operations lean so more of every dollar reaches members, sponsorships, and events; share clear financial updates so the Council can make confident decisions; and build up reserves to support bigger Symposium events, more Young Professional gatherings, and stronger pre-college STEM outreach. With a healthier foundation in place, the Section is well positioned to invest in the next generation of aerospace in the Pacific Northwest.

Candidate Bio

Scott Koysh is a Program Manager (former Engineer) and AI/ML Trainer at L3Harris (Aerojet Rocketdyne), where he directs a large rocket engine and space electronics program. In addition, he develops AI/ML curriculum delivered to audiences of 100–400+ engineers across the enterprise. His 12+ year aerospace and defense career spans rocket propulsion, space electronics, systems engineering, quality, and test, with prior roles at Kratos Defense and Collins Aerospace.

Scott holds an M.Eng in Engineering Management from Oregon State University and an M.S. in Systems Engineering from Colorado State University and is currently completing a second M.S. in Data Analytics with an Applied AI/ML focus at Oregon State. He earned his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Texas at San Antonio. He is a Certified Systems Engineer, Certified Quality Engineer, and Certified Quality Auditor.

Candidate Statement

Being involved with organizations like AIAA has always been important to me because they create meaningful opportunities for students and young professionals to grow both technically and professionally. Through my experiences mentoring students at the career office during graduate school at Georgia Institute of Technology and during my undergraduate studies at Northeastern University, I developed a strong passion for helping students navigate career decisions and connect with opportunities in the aerospace industry. Those experiences reinforced the importance of mentorship, community, and professional development, which is why I am excited about the opportunity to contribute to the AIAA council and support its mission.

Candidate Bio

Nimit Chovatia is a Project Engineer at L3Harris Technologies with experience in aerospace systems, mechanical design, prototyping, and multidisciplinary engineering projects. He earned his Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology and his undergraduate degree in Mechanical Engineering from Northeastern University. Throughout his academic and professional career, he has worked across engineering environments involving hardware development, manufacturing, systems integration, and technical project execution. In addition to his industry experience, Nimit has been involved in mentoring students and helping peers navigate engineering career opportunities through university career initiatives and professional development efforts.

Candidate Statement

It has been a joy serving as your Communications Lead this past year, and I am excited to ask for your support in continuing this work.

When I stepped into this role, I set out to make our section more visible, more connected, and more welcoming — especially to the next generation of aerospace engineers. I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished together: our LinkedIn following has grown by 20%, expanding the reach of every announcement, event, and member spotlight we share. We organized and executed two STEM outreach events with local high school students, giving them a window into the aerospace careers that once felt out of reach to many of us. And I had the privilege of developing and co-leading a networking event for UW undergraduates that brought together over 100 students and 40 aerospace professionals in one room — sparking conversations, mentorships, and opportunities that are still unfolding.

These moments remind me why communication matters in a technical society: it is how we turn a membership list into a community, and how we open doors for the students and early-career engineers who will shape the future of flight.

If re-elected, I will keep building on this momentum — growing our digital presence, deepening our partnerships with local universities and industry, and making sure every member, from high schooler to senior engineer, feels they have a place in our section.

Candidate Bio

Chelsea Johnson, Ph.D., is an aerospace engineer specializing in computational fluid dynamics for high-speed flows. She earned her Ph.D. and M.S. in Aerospace Engineering from Georgia Tech, where her dissertation developed a coupled wall-model framework for large eddy simulation of shock-wave/boundary-layer and fluid-structure interactions. Her research spans wall-stress modeling, synthetic eddy methods, and conjugate heat transfer, with published work in the Journal of Fluids and Structures and across AIAA SciTech and Aviation forums.

Chelsea is a recipient of the National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate (NDSEG) Fellowship and winner of the Georgia Tech Women in High Performance Computing Poster Competition. Beyond her research, she has mentored numerous M.S. and undergraduate students and currently serves as Communications Chair for the AIAA Pacific Northwest Section, where she champions STEM outreach and connecting students with the aerospace community.