Chris Knoell’s 43-year career serving a single contract
Having worked for 43 years on the same contract for NASA, Chris Knoell has led a singular career. While NASA’s contract changed hands several times over the decades, Chris remained a constant fixture.
“I love my work and my team. I’m still dedicated to this client and to the work we do,” he says.
A four-decade (and counting) NASA career
Chris grew up on the island of Oahu in Hawaii. At 17, he had two goals: find a way to pay for college and see the world. So, like many others, Chris joined the Navy.
“I enlisted with the hope of being sent somewhere like Japan,” he says. “Instead, they stationed me seven miles down the road from where I grew up and graduated high school.”
Chris remained in Hawaii during all four years with the Navy. While his military service didn’t send him on any distant tours, his Navy benefits did help pay for his education. After earning his degree, Chris took a role on a contract for NASA in 1981, and he’s remained on the same contract ever since.
“When they offered me the job, I jumped on it. And I’ve never had a reason to leave,” he says, noting that he joined right as the Space Shuttle Program was launching. “I was thrilled to be working for NASA — still am.”
It turns out that when Chris’s grandchildren came along, they felt the same way, never taking for granted that “Paw-paw” works for NASA. In fact, Chris says that his job at the space agency made it quite easy for him to please his grandkids.
“Every Christmas and birthday, all they wanted was NASA stuff. I gave one grandson a real NASA space suit, and he just thought that was the best gift ever.” Two of his four grandchildren even got to attend space camp in Huntsville, Ala.
Over the years, Chris transitioned into various roles — from specialized technician in secure communications to technical support analyst to manager of operations — before earning his current position: manager of wide area network (WAN) engineering.
His team designs communication IT services for NASA, transporting voice, video, scientific and corporate data between terrestrial networks and partners to support agency projects and missions. The IT infrastructure they design and maintain is known as the WAN backbone and Routed Data Services, transporting all data via what is essentially NASA’s private internet service.
“My team is so smart — they make this contract look good every day,” he says. Chris praises his team’s incredible work ethic and their critical thinking and problem-solving skills, adding: “They make sure all our designs give NASA the biggest bang for the buck.”
Working with an outstanding team (and for a customer he admires) has given Chris no reason to consider retirement.
“They can’t get rid of me. I love my work, my customer, and my team so much. We’re like family. I’m almost 67 and still don’t have a retirement plan. My only goal for the future is to keep supporting my customer and my company however I can,” he says.
Maintaining stability and purpose amid contract transitions
The NASA contract Chris serves has had many different names over the years — and seven owners. Leidos won the contract in 2022 and was fortunate to keep Chris and his team onboard.
There are always slight changes when a contract transitions, but Leidos facilitated as smooth and seamless a transition as possible, both for the employees and our client. I’ve also been glad to see that Leidos and my team share the same mission priority: making sure we have a happy customer by consistently meeting or exceeding NASA’s expectations.
Chris Knoell
Manager, WAN Engineering
Chris offers this advice to anyone working on a contract that’s changing hands: “Don’t panic or start looking for another job.” He explains that many people assume they’ll lose their jobs when the contract they serve is going to switch to another employer, but he maintains that people shouldn’t jump to that conclusion.
“The job still has to be done regardless of who owns the contract, and the new contract holder will be glad to hold onto your experience and knowledge,” he says. “Give yourself and the new company an opportunity to see how things go.”
For those who prefer to be proactive ahead of a contract change, Chris recommends reaching out to someone at the new company and expressing that you look forward to working with them. After all, it’s worked out for Chris seven times.
“In all 43 years, I’ve experienced nothing but outstanding managers,” he says, and that’s with seven different employers over four decades.
If you, too, have worked on a contract with Leidos, we’d love to stay in touch! Join our Alumni Network to stay connected, make referrals and browse current opportunities to rejoin.
