Central Florida-based SpaceKids Global founder Sharon Hagle has been to space, and the nonprofit’s newly announced CEO Maryann Barry is scheduled to one day follow in her footsteps.

Barry, who has been the CEO of Girl Scouts of Citrus Council for the last 13 years, is slated to fly on one of Richard Branson’s future flights of his Virgin Galactic spacecraft. Hagle first flew to space on board Blue Origin’s New Shepard in 2022 with husband Marc.

But their past and future experience in space, while personally fulfilling, stands to inspire a future generation. That’s the point of SpaceKids Global, to stoke the passion for STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics) careers in elementary-age children.

Winter Park couple finally makes it to space on Blue Origin flight

Hagle founded the nonprofit in 2015 and has put a big focus in generating space enthusiasm among girls in particular, including organizing several partnerships with the regional Girl Scouts council that covers six counties.

“To position SpaceKids Global for future growth, it is important to engage an experienced leader in nonprofit youth education and outreach,” said Hagle in a press release. “Maryann’s expertise aligns perfectly with our mission to expand capacity and inspire more children to pursue careers in space and technology.”

Barry had previous roles at the Children’s Advocacy Center or Volusia & Flagler Counties, SafePort Residential Treatment Center in Key West and the Florida Department of Children and Families.

She grew up on the Space Coast, earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology from Marymount College, Tarrytown in New York and a master’s degree in women’s studies and human developmental psychology from the University of Alabama.

She wants to expand SpaceKids Global’s reach throughout the Orlando area to further grow children’s interest in careers in space exploration and technology.

“I had the pleasure of working directly with Sharon on several joint STEAM programs,” Barry said. “I quickly came to see that SpaceKids’ mission is of critical importance to our nation’s ability to meet the expanding demand for STEAM professionals, especially in the aerospace industry.”

One of those partnerships was a headline-grabbing “Making Space For Girls Challenge,” which chose 21 girls from nearly 700 Girl Scouts entrants across the nation, who were then able to send up experiments, art and essays aboard a SpaceX Cargo Dragon to the International Space Station in 2021.

Hagle will step back and become board chair, but continue to support the nonprofit as an advisor, and will be busy with space-related ventures still.

She and husband Marc, who is president and CEO of commercial property company Tricor International Corp., live in Winter Park and have a philanthropic hand in several Orlando-area ventures.

The pair, who became the first married couple to fly on a commercial space trip, plan on a return trip on a future Blue Origin flight. They were among the first to buy tickets for Branson’s Virgin Galactic flights two decades ago, although that launch date remains uncertain. They also plan to take a trip on Space Perspective’s space balloon when it begins flying with customers, as early as late 2025 or early 2026.

Barry is driven by the prediction that by 2025, there will already be 3.6 million STEM job vacancies, and there’s a real need to inspire the next generation to be able to satisfy that need.

“The future of our planet, space exploration, and quality of life is 100% dependent upon how we inspire and educate our children today,” Barry said. “I am thrilled to join the SpaceKids crew and honored to have been entrusted with leading this critical mission.”