William P. Bray is the principal consultant and owner of W.P. Bray Consulting, LLC. He serves as a Special Government Employee (SGE) and member of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Aerospace Space Advisory Panel (ASAP), which provides oversight and feedback to the NASA Administrator and Congress for all NASA manned flight programs and missions. From February 2021 to August 2022, Mr. Bray was the Vice President for Strategy & Business Integration at FTI, a mid-size aerospace and defense contractor located in Beavercreek, Ohio.
In September 2020, Mr. Bray retired after 36 years of government service, the last 14 years serving as a Senior Executive for the Navy. His last assignment was as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development, Test and Evaluation, reporting to the Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development and Acquisition (ASN (RD&A)). In that role, Mr. Bray was responsible for executive oversight of all matters related to Naval RDT&E Budget Activities, Science and Engineering, Advanced Research and Development, Prototyping and Experimentation, and Test and Evaluation. In addition, he was responsible for oversight and stewardship of the Department of Navy Research and Development Establishment, which included Naval Laboratories, Warfare Centers and Navy University Affiliated Research Centers.
Prior to the DASN RDT&E position, Mr. Bray was the Executive Director, Program Executive Office for Integrated Warfare Systems (PEO IWS), where he directed the acquisition and fleet support of the Surface Navy’s combat systems, weapons, radars, and related international and foreign military sales programs. Other leadership roles within the Navy included the Director, Integrated Nuclear Weapons Safety and Security at the Navy Strategic Systems Programs Office, and Major Program Manager for Surface Navy Combat Systems in PEO IWS. Mr. Bray started his career at the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Corona Division, California in December 1984.
Mr. Bray is a 1984 graduate from The Pennsylvania State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering, and earned a Master of Science in Systems Management from the University of Southern California. He was certified as Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act (DAWIA) Level III in Program Management, Systems Engineering, and Test and Evaluation. During his government career, Mr. Bray received a Meritorious Executive Presidential Rank Award in 2018, the Navy Distinguished Civilian Service Award in 2017 and 2020, and the Navy Superior Civilian Service Award in 2013.