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EDGAR J. JOHANSSON

Director Regional Power Resiliency Dir/LASP Liaison

Edgar Johansson is the Manager for Strategic Initiatives at the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP) at the University of Colorado Boulder (2014-present. In this capacity, he is responsible for state and federal relations, communications, and the development of new business pipeline in Colorado and all points beyond. In Edgar’s first tour with LASP (2004-2008) his responsibilities included Risk Manager on the TIM instrument for the NASA mission Glory as well as Risk Manager for TSIS on NPOESS. Through Edgar’s extensive network of federal, state and commercial contacts he was able to re-secure $4.5 million in the NASA budget for Glory TIM in 2005 and played a key role in the $34 million re-manifestation of the TSIS suite on the NPOESS C1 satellite which was announced in May 2008.

Prior to Edgar’s experience at LASP, he spent four years as the Director-Asia for the State of Colorado organizing eleven trade missions to the Far East representing over eighty Colorado companies covering nine different Asian markets. These efforts yielded many exclusive distributor contracts and between $25 to $50 million of annual sales through the export of Colorado products and services to Asia. During the same four years Edgar was also the Space Liaison to the Office of Economic Development & International Trade, the Governor’s Office, and the Office of Innovation & Technology. Edgar assumed these additional responsibilities in April of 2001 and implemented many new and dynamic programs that have added to the strength of Colorado’s economy and Colorado’s status in the global space and aerospace market.

Edgar ‘s additional history includes having been The Colorado Business Roundtable’s (COBRT) Aerospace Advocate. As COBTR Aerospace Advocate Edgar hosts the Colorado Space hour monthly on 1690 AM where he spoke with aerospace leaders from across the state and the nation. For the previous 15 years Edgar was intimately involved with the Colorado Space Business Roundtable (CSBR) where he worked himself up to both Past President & Past Chairman of the Board. Edgar sits on the board of the Colorado Space Coalition and the CO LABS. He is a graduate of the “Leadership Program of the Rockies” as well as the Leeds School of Business at the University of Colorado Boulder’s “50 for Colorado” program. Edgar was the recipient of the 2003 Communications Distinguished Alumni Award from the University of Colorado, Denver where he holds a degree in Communication (focus on international business and Asian studies). Edgar has studied the Japanese language, culture and history in the United States at Metro State College, the University of Colorado and at the Japan Center for Michigan University in Hikone, Japan.

Since 1990, Edgar has continued his pursuit of the Japanese martial art of Aikido. His commitment to this martial art has afforded him the opportunity to meet and train with some of the world’s finest aikidoka and instructors. Edgar currently holds the rank of Godan (55h degree black belt) and is dojo cho and chief instructor at Denver Aikikai (www.denveraikikai.com).