Robert “Skip” Vaughn joined the National Institute of Standards and Technology in November, 2016 as the Chief Facilities Management Officer and the Director of the Office of Facilities and Property Management. As the Chief Facilities Management Officer, Skip provides advice and counsel to the NIST Director and senior NIST leadership on matters affecting the operation and administration of the NIST sites. In this capacity, Skip also provides leadership and oversight to a staff of over 320 personnel in the delivery of a wide range of facility management services for NIST at sites located in Gaithersburg, MD; Boulder, CO; Fort Collins, CO; and Kauai, HI. These services include: Space and Real Property Management, Capital Improvements Planning, Engineering and Design, Boulder Construction and Renovation, Building Systems Operation and Maintenance, Mail Distribution, Printing and Reproduction Services, Janitorial Services, Ground Maintenance, Transportation, and Personal Property Management.
Prior to serving as the Chief Facilities Management Officer for NIST, Skip had a diversified career in multiple facets of facilities operations, management, design and construction. Skip spent 14 years in the U.S. Coast Guard specializing in facilities and construction management, followed by 6 years in the private sector as a general construction contractor and construction manager. He then served 8 years with the U.S. General Services Administration working on the design and construction management for modernizations of headquarters buildings for the Department of the Interior, U.S. General Services Administration and the Department of Commerce. Just prior to joining NIST, he spent 2 years at the Architect of the Capitol overseeing project development and construction for modernization of the Cannon House Office Building.