Amanda Renae Simpson (born March 26, 1961) is an American pilot, businesswoman and politician. She serves as vice-president for Research and Technology at Airbus Americas and was the former deputy assistant secretary of Defense for Operational Energy. Previously Simpson was the executive director of the U.S. Army Office of Energy Initiatives leading the Army's efforts to implement large-scale renewable energy projects. Her first posting in the Army was as the special assistant to the Army Acquisition Executive. In that role she was a principal advisor to the United States assistant secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics, and Technology on all matters relating to Army acquisition, procurement, research & development and logistics. Upon her appointment to the position of senior technical advisor in the Bureau of Industry and Security in 2010, she became the first openly transgender woman political appointee of any presidential administration. Simpson worked in the United States Department of Defense. She is Jewish. Early life and education Simpson was born in Chicago as the oldest of four siblings. Simpson received her Bachelor of Science in physics from Harvey Mudd College in 1983, her Master of Science in engineering from California State University, Northridge, in 1988 on a Hughes Aircraft Fellowship, and her MBA from the University of Arizona in 2001 on a Raytheon Fellowship. Flying Simpson participated in the Bates Aeronautics Program while a student at Harvey Mudd College. She earned her single engine land private pilot's license in 1981, a commercial pilot's license with instrument privileges in 1983, and became a certified flight instructor – airplane in 1988 and an instrument instructor in 1989. In 1988 she added a multi-engine class rating to her commercial license to qualify for transfer to Hughes Missile Systems as a project test engineer and pilot. Simpson upgraded to an airline transport pilot (ATP) license in 1994 after adding multi-engine to her flight instructor ratings in 1991. In 1997 she added single-engine sea (float planes and flying boats) to her ATP license. In 2005 she became one of only a few licensed pilots flying FAA-certified unmanned aircraft in the national airspace system. In 1989 she co-founded Processional Pilot Training, a fixed based operation at the Burbank, Glendale, Pasadena Airport (KBUR) focused on flight instruction (private through airline transport) taught by professional flight instructors. She relinquished her ownership share of that business when she relocated to Tucson, Arizona, in 1994. Simpson was