Leadership

Nahum Gat, PhD, PE

Founder, President Emeritus

Dr. Nahum Gat founded OKSI in 1991, building on approximately 15 years of aerospace and defense industry experience in project and line management. As founder and technical leader, he shaped OKSI’s mission to pioneer the combination of imaging spectroscopy and early AI-driven “knowledge systems” to address challenging problems in defense, space, precision agriculture, and medicine.

Under his leadership, OKSI was awarded hundreds of R&D contracts supporting every branch and agency across the Department of Defense (including the Army, Navy, Air Force, DARPA, MDA, SOCOM, and the Intelligence Community), all NASA centers, the DOE/NNSA, and DOC/NIST. Dr. Gat led multidisciplinary teams in developing cutting-edge EO/IR airborne, ground-based, and ocean submersible sensor systems—spanning the spectrum from UV to long-wave IR—as well as advanced modeling and simulation tools and phenomenological analyses to meet demanding technical and mission requirements. He also guided the transition of OKSI’s proprietary technologies into commercial products and successful spinoff companies, earning the firm the prestigious SBA Tibbetts Award for SBIR commercialization.

Dr. Gat holds degrees in Aerospace Engineering with an emphasis on airbreathing and rocket propulsion. He is a registered Professional Engineer, a Senior Member of SPIE, and an MSS (Military Sensing Symposium) Fellow. He currently serves as President Emeritus, continuing to contribute his expertise as a subject matter expert in advanced sensing and engineering science and technology.

Chris HolmesParker, PhD

Chief Executive Officer

Dr. Chris HolmesParker leads OKSI as Chief Executive Officer, bringing more than a decade of experience advancing autonomous systems, GPS-denied navigation, precision guidance, and EO/IR sensing. An award-winning researcher, he has led technology development for defense, NASA, and commercial customers. He also co-founded Guiding Photonics and Nokturnal AI, OKSI spinoff companies. He holds a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from Oregon State University, with a focus on autonomous systems and machine learning.

Ilana Gat, PhD

Chief Financial Officer

Dr. Ilana Gat serves as OKSI’s Chief Financial Officer, combining aerospace engineering expertise with experience in strategic growth and technology commercialization. A former systems engineer at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, she co-founded Guiding Photonics and Nokturnal AI to bring advanced optical and autonomous technologies to market. She holds a Ph.D. in Aeronautics from Caltech.

Jeff Raymond

Chief Operating Officer

Jeff Raymond oversees engineering, manufacturing, and program execution as OKSI’s Chief Operations Officer. He brings more than 25 years of leadership experience spanning the U.S. Air Force, unmanned aircraft programs at Insitu, a Boeing subsidiary, and startup operations. His approach combines disciplined program management with entrepreneurial agility. He holds a master’s degree in Organizational Leadership from Gonzaga University and a bachelor’s in Aerospace Engineering from Embry-Riddle.

Justin Young

Vice President, Business Development

Justin Young serves as Vice President of Business Development at OKSI, overseeing the company’s seeker, precision guidance, autonomy, and counter-UAS portfolios. He brings 25 years of experience spanning conventional and special operations, defense acquisition, and advanced technology development. Before joining OKSI, Justin established and led the Emerging Technologies Lab supporting USSOCOM, bridging emerging technologies with operational requirements. A U.S. Air Force veteran, Justin served as a Tactical Air Control Party specialist and qualified Joint Terminal Attack Controller, supporting conventional and special operations forces during several combat deployments. He holds a Master of Business Administration in Marketing.

Carlos Merino

Director, Growth & Strategy

J. Carlos Merino serves as OKSI’s Director of Strategy & Growth, bringing more than 25 years of experience spanning military service, operational support, and business development. A U.S. Navy and Army National Guard veteran, he combines firsthand operational experience with a focus on building strategic partnerships and finding technology gaps to solve for customer demands. Before joining OKSI, he held business development leadership roles at HUXWRX Safety Co. and Beyond Clothing. His background  serving in defense and other agency’s government give great perspective with our customers and technical integration and that addresses real-world mission requirements.

Mary Corrado

Director, Commercialization

Mary Corrado serves as Director of Commercialization at OKSI, bringing nearly 15 years of experience in the defense and aerospace industry, from small businesses to primes. She specializes in building brands from the ground up, taking complex technologies to market through strategic positioning, brand development and customer engagement. Her experience spans from soldier-borne protection, to autonomy at the edge, and space imaging systems, connecting technical innovation with customer needs and business growth. She is also dedicated to supporting nonprofit organizations that protect and enhance veterans’ health. Mary holds a bachelor’s degree in Public Relations with a minor in International Business and a Master of Business Administration (MBA).