OFFICERS / STAFF
Officers
The NACME officers’ team is comprised of individuals with outstanding careers in education, science, research, publishing, marketing, finance, and financial aid management.President and Chief Executive Officer
Michele Lezama, began her role as President and CEO of the National Action Council for Minorities in
Engineering in March 2018.
Lezama has extensive experience in both university and corporate
settings. She most recently served as a strategist for Purdue University’s, nationally recognized, Minority
Engineering Program (MEP) and she was an employee of the University of Notre Dame in her role as executive
director of The National GEM Consortium (GEM).
GEM is a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to
increasing the number of under-represented individuals who pursue and receive a masters or PhD in
engineering or science by providing full fellowships.
Lezama is credited for creating a national
program called GRAD Lab (Getting Ready for Advanced Degree Laboratory). GRAD Lab leveraged GEM’s national
network of university partners to provide students with critical information on the STEM graduate
application process and national funding opportunities. During her tenure at GEM, she strategically
positioned the consortium for advancement by moving their headquarters from its 30-year home in South Bend,
Indiana to the Washington, DC metropolitan area. She successfully positioned GEM as a stand-alone
organization where she reported solely to the GEM Board of Directors.
Prior to GEM, Lezama served
as Executive Director of the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE), a 501(c)(3) student run
organization whose mission is to increase the number of culturally responsible Black Engineers who excel
academically, succeed professionally and positively impact the community. Lezama is credited for turning
around the organization’s financial position from risking payroll to acquiring a new headquarters facility,
tripling the organization’s capital position and creating a long-term investment
structure.
During her tenure at NSBE the Board of Corporate Affiliates (BCA) doubled in size,
significantly increasing contributions to the organization. Under Lezama’s leadership, NSBE received a
Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring awarded by the White
House’s Office of Science and Technology.
Lezama is proud of her engineering background, having
held technical leadership roles with Home Box Office (HBO), a Time Warner Company, as their Director of
Satellite Scrambling Operations and Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) where she served as the Associate
Director of Broadcast Operations and System Integration.
Prior to her media career, Lezama held
multiple industrial engineering positions, with increasing responsibilities, at IBM Corporation. Lezama
credits IBM for building a strong foundation of integrity and engineering excellence in her first full-time
engineering role after college.
Lezama earned her BS in Industrial Engineering at Northeastern
University and both her MS in Industrial Engineering and MBA in Finance and Accounting from Columbia
University. Lezama was inducted into Tau Beta Pi, Alpha Pi Mu and is an alumnus of the NACME scholarship
program, Robert Toigo Financial Services and The National GEM Consortium fellowship programs. Lezama is
originally from New York City. She is married and has two daughters.
Vice President - Career Center, Community, and Partnerships
Aileen Walter is NACME’s Vice President - Career Center, Community, and Partnerships. She began her career with NACME as vice president of scholar management. In her current position, she is responsible for the management and direction of the NACME Career Center (careers.nacme.org).
In 2003, Ms. Walter helped lead NACME’s student support strategy. This strategy has expanded formal partnerships with academic institutions. She also was responsible for laying the groundwork for NACME’s NASA partnership and alumni outreach activities. The most recent addition to her responsibilities is management and outreach for the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Minority Ph.D. Program and Indigenous Graduate Partnership.
She has more than 20 years of experience in scholarship management, having served as director of financial aid at the Stevens Institute of Technology prior to joining NACME.
Ms. Walter has been a member of the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators, and she has served on the boards of the American Indian Science and Engineering Society, the National Society of Black Engineers, and the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers.
She holds a B.A. degree in English literature from Montclair State College and an M.A. degree in higher education administration from New York University.
Staff
Each NACME employee brings special skills and talents to the organization: balancing experience with innovation and a respect for tradition with an eye on the latest technology, and blending an awareness of our environment with a passion for diversity. (Click on name to send e-mail message.)This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., Program Manager, Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Graduate Scholarship Programs
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., Executive Assistant to the President and CEO
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., Director, Information Technology
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., Program Manager, Undergraduate Scholarship Programs
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., Manager Finance/Administrative Services/Human Resources