CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (FNN) – Janet Petro made history in April of 2007 when she became the first female Deputy Director of Kennedy Space Center (KSC).

Janet was born in Detroit, Michigan in 1960 and moved to Satellite Beach, Florida in 1962 when her father, who worked for Chrysler Corporation, was transferred to Florida to work at the space center. Having grown up around NASA and the space program, she naturally gravitated to aeronautics and aerospace as a career path. She also wanted to be an engineer like her dad.

President Gerald Ford opened up the military academies to women in 1975, and Janet was in only the second class to have female cadets. She pursued a degree in engineering and said one reason she picked West Point was that she would be able to continue to play sports while she was there.

In a recent phone interview with Florida National News, Petro said that her time there was “the most foundational years of her life,” teaching her leadership and teamwork, and that the Army had done a good job preparing the upperclassmen and instructors for opening the academy to women. She said that bad behavior was not tolerated and although some let it be known that they didn’t think women belonged there, it was a good experience overall. Petro still remains close to her classmates, who supported her then and now.

In 1981, Petro graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in engineering and began her career as an active duty commissioned officer in the United States Army, flying helicopters in Germany. Janet, however, wanted to be an engineer like her father, so after a very difficult decision, she left the Army to do just that.

Petro also holds a Master of Science in Business Administration from Boston University’s Metropolitan College.

Petro’s first job outside the military was with McDonald Douglas working on classified payloads for the Department of Defense where she met Bill Parsons, who would later become Director of Kennedy Space Center. She would hold several more engineering jobs before applying to become Deputy Director of the space center in April 2007.

When asked about becoming the first woman to hold the position of Deputy Director at KSC she said that the hardest part was coming in and not knowing the people there. Petro said that at KSC most everyone who works there started early in their careers and hardly ever leave, so coming in as the Deputy Director and basically an outsider was difficult.

In those days, KSC revolved around the space shuttle, but everyone knew that the shuttle program would be coming to an end and what drew her to the job was being part of the team that would lead the change for KSC to become a multi-user spaceport. That too was something difficult for those working there to accept, because in their minds only NASA could build and launch rockets or put astronauts in space. They did not understand the concept of commercial companies being able to do that.

Petro led the effort with the FAA and the United States Air Force to streamline governmental processes and support commercial space operations, to increase governmental efficiency and limit redundancy as KSC moved toward becoming a multi-user spaceport.

Janet served a 12-month appointment at NASA headquarters in Washington DC as the Deputy Associate Administrator and acting Director for the office of Evaluation. From 2017 to January 2020, she served as the Program Executive leading the phased implementation to restructure all mission-enabling functions to ensure efficient and effective support of all NASA missions at KSC.

Petro helped lead the senior management team that was awarded the 2019 Samual J. Heyman Service to America Sammies Management Excellence Medal. She has also earned the President’s Distinguished Executive Award and the astronaut-selected Silver Snoopy Award for Outstanding Performance for contributing to flight safety and mission success. Janet was inducted into the Florida Women’s Hall of Fame in 2018.

Petro says that it is an exciting time to be working at KSC and NASA and she is very grateful to have the opportunity to see the space center grow and change. Today, KSC operates with 90 commercial partnerships and has an average of one or two launches a week. She said that Space X will be launching its Crew II mission in late April and that NASA’s Artemis I, which will take the first women to the moon, is one target for a launch date in November of 2021.

Petro continues to lead the way for women at KSC by being the Executive Champion for the Kennedy Networking Opportunities for Women and is leading the way forward for the space center as Chair of the Kennedy Partnership Board.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (FNN) – The Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Environment, and General Government met on February 16, 2021.

The committee received an update on Florida’s Hemp Program from Holly Bell, Director of Cannabis for the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Affairs (FDACS). Ms. Bell said that Florida’s program has become a model program for other states.

A short overview of the program showed that:

• Florida’s Hemp Plan was approved by the USDA in April 2020
• Along with paper applications, FDACS accepts applications and issues licenses via an online portal
• FDACS issued its first cultivation license in late April 2020
• USDA issued the final rule as of January 19, 2021, and it was supposed to take effect March 22, 2021, but the new administration is reviewing all rules
• Florida rules align very well with the USDA’s final rule

Ms. Bell said that there are three divisions within FDACS that regulate the program, and they are the Division of Agriculture and Environmental Services which oversees the seeds, pesticides, fertilizers, and animal feed; the Division of Plant Industry which regulates the cultivation; and the Division of Food Safety which oversees processing, manufacturing and retailing.

As of this meeting, the following permits/licenses have been issued:

• 18 – Seed dealer permits
• 29 – Hemp animal feed distribution permits
• 800+ – Cultivation licenses
• 7,194 – Retail licenses
• 280 – Manufacturing licenses
• 219 – Warehouse licenses
• 38 – Distribution licenses
• 15 – Processors/Extractors licenses

The committee then heard about the invasive plants and animals in the state from Mellisa Tucker, FWC’s Director of Habitat and Species Conservation, and Fish and Wildlife Conservation. Ms. Tucker gave the following breakdown of the impacts of invasive fish, wildlife, and plants:

1. Ecological Impacts
   1. Competition with native species
   2. Habitat alteration
   3. Direct predation by animals
   4. Diseases and parasites
2. Human Health and Safety
3. Economic Impacts
   1. $120 billion annually in the United States

FWC fights invasive species in several ways:

• Prevention
  • Risk assessment/screening
  • Regulation
  • Enforcement
  • Education and Outreach
• Control and Management
  • Early detection/rapid response
  • Removal
• Research Support and Innovation
• Partner and Stakeholder Coordination

Ms. Tucker said that FWC’s invasive species budget for 2020/21 breaks down like this:

• Nonnative Fish and Wildlife Program – $3.63 million
• Invasive Plants – $40 million
• Lionfish Control – $1.22 million
• Law Enforcement – $5 million
  • Total of $49.95 million

The committee also unanimously passed SB 524 – FWC Trust Funds. The FWC has 13 agency-administered trust funds and all are scheduled for review during the 2021 legislative session. Some of the trust funds require updating so that they are in line with the other trust funds, this bill is intended to do just that, and SB 588 which designates the Southeast Florida Coral Reef Ecosystem Conservation Area as the Kristen Jacobs Coral Reef Ecosystem Conservation Area, after the late Florida State Representative Kristen Jacobs who died of cancer in April 2020. Representative Jacobs was a huge supporter of conservation and climate change policies.

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Lynn DeJarnette is a reporter for Florida National News. | info@floridanationalnews.com

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (FNN NEWS) – Party with a purpose! Celebrate the life, legacy, and birthday of legendary Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. while raising awareness and funds to provide college scholarships for youth this coming weekend.

In Dr. King’s honor, join the Iota Beta Lambda Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, in service and celebration at the Radisson Resort Convention Center at the Port on Saturday, January 18, 2020. Central Florida’s own Cece Teneal & Soul Kamotion will perform live. There will also be a cash bar and a buffet at the I AM KING Scholarship Benefit Ball. Doors open at 6:30pm for open seating. Celebration begins at 7:00pm followed by dinner at 7:30pm. The event is for 21+ only, and formal attire is strongly encouraged. General admission is $50.