Kelly Maloney founded Pacific Aerospace Launch & Spaceport (PALS) to address a critical gap in Washington’s space ecosystem: infrastructure connecting the state’s extraordinary aerospace and space capabilities with launch and reentry.

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Kelly has been appointed by Governor Bob Ferguson to Washington Space Council. She is also co-founder and Chair of the Board of Space Northwest, a nonprofit organization working to strengthen and elevate the Pacific Northwest space economy. She represents Space Northwest on the Commercial Space Federation’s State and Local Council, where Washington joins other leading space regions in the U.S. in addressing national priorities including launch infrastructure, workforce, supply chains, advanced manufacturing, and U.S. space capacity.

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Her career has spanned aerospace and space industry leadership, economic development, public policy, government relations, advanced manufacturing, and strategic growth. She previously served as President and CEO of both the Aerospace Futures Alliance and the Washington State Space Coalition, representing and advancing Washington’s aerospace and space industries. Kelly was the Chief Growth Officer for Altek, a manufacturer based in E. Washington serving the space industry. 

 

She has has served in numerous industry and public-sector advisory roles focused on aerospace, manufacturing, economic development, and workforce. Earlier in her career, she was appointed by Governor Jay Inslee to co-lead the Governor’s Choose Washington New Mid-Market Airplane Council.

 

Throughout her work, Kelly has focused on building connections among industry, government, communities, education, and economic-development organizations to turn large strategic opportunities into practical initiatives.

 

PALS grew from that same approach: identifying what Washington’s space economy will need next and building the partnerships, infrastructure, and long-term strategy required to make it possible.

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