I’m genuinely happy to recommend Ocean McIntyre. I’ve known her for over 20 years, and in that time I’ve seen her take on increasingly complex roles and handle them in a way that honestly doesn’t surprise me anymore but still impresses me.
Ocean is one of those people who can step into a complicated, fast moving environment and just make it work. The kind of work she’s done with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, supporting massive teams, coordinating across institutions, keeping operations running smoothly, is the kind of thing most people would find overwhelming. She doesn’t. She brings structure to it, keeps things organized, and somehow manages to keep everyone moving in the same direction.
What I’ve always noticed about her is how naturally she anticipates what’s needed. She doesn’t wait for problems to show up, she’s already thought three steps ahead. Whether it’s managing schedules, coordinating logistics, or handling communication across large groups, she’s steady, thorough, and incredibly dependable.
She’s also just very easy to work with. Ocean communicates clearly, works well with all kinds of personalities, and has a way of building trust quickly. People rely on her, and for good reason. She follows through, she pays attention to details that matter, and she takes real ownership of her work.
On a more personal note, she’s someone I would trust with just about anything. She’s thoughtful, adaptable, and consistently goes above and beyond, not because she has to, but because that’s just who she is.
I recommend Ocean without hesitation. Any team would be lucky to have her.
Gaea Clonce
PBM Business Analyst
I am very happy to recommend Ocean and to speak to the many ways she contributed to the Europa Clipper project team. In a complex, fast-moving environment, Ocean was someone we could consistently rely on to keep important details from falling through the cracks while also bringing energy, creativity, and genuine enthusiasm to the work.
Others have already highlighted Ocean’s efforts in organizing the Project Science Group (PSG) series, and I would like to add a management perspective. One of the things I most appreciated was how thoughtfully she made sure all of the stakeholders involved in PSG meetings stayed informed and connected with respect to agendas, logistics, and coordination. That kind of work can easily go unnoticed when it is done well, but it is absolutely essential to the success of a large collaborative effort—and Ocean handled it with care and professionalism.
She also had a knack for finding practical and creative ways to improve the experience for everyone involved. One memorable example was her effort to make it easier for people to identify what part of the project others represented, using visual touches such as pins, stickers, and charms on badges. It was a simple but clever idea that helped make meetings feel more connected, approachable, and effective.
Ocean also took ownership of several important operational tasks that had a real impact on how smoothly the project functioned day to day. She kept our email distribution lists current, which is never easy on a large project, but is critically important for clear communication. She also maintained the project calendar as a reliable “source of truth” and worked to make that information accessible on mobile devices, which made it much easier for team members to stay informed and coordinated.
Beyond the internal workings of the project, Ocean also stepped up in meaningful ways to support outreach and community engagement. She organized Family Day talks by project team members, helping create opportunities to share the excitement and value of our work with others. That effort reflected something I saw consistently in her: she cared not only about getting things done, but about helping people feel connected to the science and to one another.
At the bottom line, Ocean took care of many of the key details that helped keep the project running smoothly, and she often went beyond her formal responsibilities to strengthen communication, outreach, and collaboration across the project and its partner institutions. Her passion for the science was evident in everything she did. She would be a wonderful asset to any organization, especially one working in STEAM-related fields.
I recommend her wholeheartedly.
L. Alberto Cangahuala
Europa Clipper Deputy Mission Manager at NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Ocean has been the lead staff assistant and event coordinator for the Europa Clipper mission, one of NASA’s “Flagship” missions with a team of 100+ scientists and total of 500+ people. She has been a major asset of that project for more than six years, including during the challenging pandemic period.
Ocean has been a key figure for the Europa Clipper team, someone that everyone knows and reaches out to for support. A large project like Europa Clipper involves a diverse team (range of career levels, international participation, scientists, technologists, and engineers) that makes the organization of events very intensive and requires a keen attention to detail. The large Europa Clipper team meetings are complex in terms of the number of participants (several 100s), the number of meetings and activities, and the regulations that come with organizing NASA-sponsored activities. These meetings take months to organize and require keeping an eye on the ball. Her organizational and management skills are outstanding. She is very reliable, not just when things are optimal, but especially when they are not. Indeed, she performs exceptionally well under pressure. Maybe the most extreme example is when, during a Europa Clipper team meeting, a head of the mission launch, a hurricane stranded part of the team at a hotel in Cape Canaveral. This required revamping the dozens of meeting activities in a dramatic way, dealing with participants stranded at the Cape, some exiled to neighboring states, and others canceling their trips. Ocean handled the whole reorganization with excellence and grace. I cannot recommend her strongly enough as an executive assistant for your organization.
Julie Castillo-Rogez
Chief Scientist for Planetary Flight Missions at NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory
I had the true pleasure of working with Ocean for nearly eight years on communications, media and education on behalf of NASA’s Europa Clipper mission. She was indispensable. She ran not only the day-to-day administration of the science team (including hundreds of scientists working at JPL and institutes around the world) – she also organized multi-day conferences of those members. The logistics that she’s able to juggle with grace, professionalism and precision are honestly mind-boggling. And she was absolutely integral to our communications team; she kept us on track (recalling details long lost to the rest of us!).
But what makes Ocean one of a kind is how she somehow is able to manage layers of challenges while inspiring those around her to keep learning and stay curious about the world we inhabit. She sets an example for her team – of remembering to ask the bigger questions and make the work great.
Gretchen Parker McCartney
Media Strategy | Science and Technology Communications | Storytelling | Stakeholder Relations | Multimedia Project Management |
Senior Media Relationship Officer
UCLA, Former NASA/JPL, USC, AP
Ocean is one of the most professional, reliable, conscientious people I know. She is skilled at keeping highly complex (and sometimes a bit chaotic) teams organized, planning all aspects of events for hundreds of attendees (from agendas to meeting details to social events), and volunteers as a Solar System Ambassador in addition to her role as a Science and Staff Assistant.
Ocean is highly proficient on a variety of software suites and brings a wealth of technical understanding to her roles. She is skilled at dealing with a variety of people, maintaining a level of professionalism and empathy simultaneously. She is persistent when needed and committed to her team and organization.
I am happy to recommend Ocean for executive assistant, chief of staff, and many other roles in which she will excel.
Marguerite Syvertson
NASA Programs Director for New Glenn at Blue Origin
It is a pleasure to recommend Ocean McIntyre for a position as an Executive Staff Assistant or Event Planner. She worked at NASA JPL for 5.5 years for the Europa Clipper Mission, for which I serve as the Deputy Project Scientist.
She is an expert at planning large events that include a group of diverse participants from around the country (and a few international ones). She organized a team to implement all aspects of our twice yearly Project Science Group meetings, from setting up agendas, doing complex audio-visual set-ups, and food, to organizing side meetings, excursions, team dinners, teacher workshops, and hotel sleeping rooms. There were typically 200-300 participants in these meetings. Ms. McIntyre also speaks several languages and is an expert user of all key digital platforms. She is also a public speaker and over-all science enthusiast.
In short, I recommend her highly for an Executive Staff position.
Bonnie Buratti
Principal Scientist at NASA Jet Propulsion Lab Caltech
I have had the pleasure of working with Ocean at JPL, and I can personally attest to her exceptional professionalism, dedication, and commitment. Ocean is someone who consistently goes above and beyond to ensure the success of the team. She does this with a focus on the well-being of others and utmost consideration for her colleagues. She is always willing to help, offer support, and provide guidance to those around her.
Ocean's work ethic is impressive, and she consistently demonstrates a strong commitment to getting the job done. She is diligent, thorough, and meticulous in her approach, ensuring that every task is completed to the highest standard. Her honesty and integrity are beyond reproach, and she has always conducted herself with the utmost professionalism, even in challenging situations.
I highly recommend Ocean for any future opportunities. Her exceptional skills, combined with her outstanding personal qualities, make her an invaluable asset to any team.
Paul Lumsdaine
Design Ops Lead, Accessibility Program Manager
I worked with Ocean on several process improvement initiatives at NASA/JPL, and she brought a deep systemic and strategic knowledge of how to bridge these complex systems to support her teams. I've never seen an administrative knot that Ocean couldn't untie, to the satisfaction of both ends of the cords. She's a deft communicator, organized and careful.
I strongly recommend her for any role where autonomous and collaborative organization and execution are the key measures of success, and I would gladly work with her again, on any project, any where, any time.
Lynn Boyden
interdisciplinary information professional with a 25-year career spanning UX, information architecture, analytics, and human-centered research
Ocean is a proactive problem solver who gets things done. Her attention to detail and willingness to go above and beyond made her a go to person to get help. She takes great care to think through all scenarios and details so the best outcome and experience happens. In my time working with Ocean she had to plan complex programming and events across the US with many rules and budgetary limitations and she rose to the occasion every time.
Heather Doyle
STEM Engagement Manager
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