Lou Wheatcraft
Lou is a senior instructor/consultant in requirement development and management, who educates organizations on the importance of writing good requirements and helps them implement requirement definition and management processes. Lou has spoken at Project Management Institute (PMI) Chapter meetings, International Council of System Engineering (INCOSE) conferences and NASA’s PM Challenge conference and delivered tutorials to PMI and INCOSE chapters at multiple locations.
Lou has taught over 100 requirement seminars over the last 9 years since joining ReqExperts. Lou works with both government and industry clients to tailor training for their organizations and provides just in time team training for specific projects. As project manager of ReqExperts’s requirement development and management training for NASA’s Chief Engineer Office’s Academy of Program, Project, and Engineering Leadership (APPEL), Lou provides training at each of NASA’s Centers as well as Project Management and System’s Engineering core classes at NASA’s training facility at Wallops Island, VA. Lou served as a moderator for Villanova University’s Essentials of Business Analysis certification online course.
Prior to joining ReqExperts, Lou had over 34 years experience in the aerospace industry, including 22 years in the United States Air Force. While in the Air Force, Lou was directly involved in the Titan III, Atlas, and Space Shuttle operations. Since retiring from the Air Force in 1988, Lou worked for Barrios Technology, developing operational concepts for all phases of the Naval Research Laboratory’s Clementine mission, one of the first generation faster, better, cheaper missions. Following the Clementine mission, Lou was transferred to Johnson Space Center where he worked five years in the Astronaut Office’s Space Station branch, developing operational concepts, requirements, ground rules, and constraints for how the astronauts are living and working on the International Space Station.
Lou is a member of the PMI, INCOSE, Toast Masters International, and the World Futures Society. He is also a co-chair of INCOSE’s Requirements Working Group.
Lou has a BS degree in Electrical Engineering from Oklahoma State University, an MA degree in Computer Information Systems from the University of Houston – Clear Lake, an MS degree in Environmental Management from the University of Houston – Clear Lake, and has completed the course work for an MS degree in Studies of the Future from the University of Houston – Clear Lake.
Lou was awarded the Silver Snoopy Award for engineering excellence and exceptional support of the manned space flight program and Space Shuttle astronauts. He was nominated for the prestigious Rotary Stellar Award in recognition for his accomplishments in furthering the nation’s future activities in space. NASA honored Lou for his exceptional support to the Astronaut Office and Space Station Program by awarding him with the Public Service Medal, the highest award given by NASA to non-NASA personnel.
Publications by Lou
"Developing Requirements for Technology-Driven Products", presented at the INCOSE 15th International Symposium 2005, Rochester, NY.
"Delivering Quality Products That Meet Customer Expectations", CrossTalk, Vol.16 No.13, January 2003.
"The Importance of Scope Definition Prior to Developing Space System Requirements", INCOSE INSIGHT, Vol. 4 Issue 4, January 2002