Mr. Mounce is the Director of the Technology Engagement Office for the Air Force Research Lab in New Mexico where he oversees technology transfer, commercialization, economic development, community engagement & outreach, and marketing & publicity for Directed Energy and Space technology.  He is also a cofounder and strategic advisor of SpaceWERX, the U.S Space Force’s Commercial Innovation office.  In this role, he oversees a portfolio that includes direct oversight of the Space Force Accelerators Hyperspace Challenge (Albuquerque) and Catalyst Space Accelerator (Colorado Springs) focused on connecting the entrepreneurial start-up community to the US Space Force enterprise.  He also leads the SpaceWERX Orbital Prime initiative on behalf of the US Space Force aimed at accelerating the market for in space logisitics.  

He’s made several media appearances to share his passion for space, New Mexico, and building a strong economy and workforce including a TEDxABQ talk in July 2022.   

Prior to this, Mr. Mounce served as the Program Manager for the Air Force Research Lab’s Space Electronics Program where he oversaw Air Force & DoD technology research focused on increasing the reliability, survivability and performance of the microelectronics used in US Air Force and DoD space systems.  He has 25 years of experience in the Defense technology and acquisition sector and has led numerous technology programs for the Air Force & DoD.  

Mr. Mounce is also a Colonel in the USAF Reserve where he serves as a Senior Reservist supporting US Space Command at Vandenberg Space Force Base.  He previously served as Senior Reservist to Space System Command in New Mexico and as the AFRL Cyber liaison to the Air Force Operational Test & Evaluation Center where he led a team to win the Reserve Team of the Year for conducting cyber vulnerability analysis on the entire Air Force weapon system inventory. 

Mr. Mounce previously served on active duty in several roles to include interim Director for the Missile Defense Agency’s Airborne Laser Advanced Capabilities Office, Assistant Director of Operations for an Air Force unit conducting Electronic Warfare and Space testing, and Lead Engineer on the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Antenna Evaluation Program.  He has degrees from New Mexico State University and the Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT) in Electrical Engineering.  Born and raised in Carlsbad, NM, he is passionate about New Mexico and showcasing it as a great place to live and work.