Once Christina Mancinelli ’03 ’04 sets her sights on a goal, she doesn’t let up — and that determination has defined her path from the very beginning.
Clear for Launch
At Lehigh, Mancinelli majored in electrical engineering, a demanding discipline that pushed her to work harder. By senior year, her GPA earned her a place in the President's Scholars program, giving her the opportunity to pursue a second degree in finance. She took advantage, growing both her technical expertise and her understanding of business.
That momentum carried her into an internship with Lockheed Martin, where she was drawn to the breadth of possibilities the company offered. Before she graduated, she had already secured a full-time role.
Building Velocity
Mancinelli began her career in Lockheed’s Engineering Leadership Development Program, rotating through a range of roles across the organization. Weekly sessions with company fellows offered insight into real-world challenges and leadership lessons, while the rotations allowed her to explore, adapt, and grow her skill set.
Over the next 23 years, Mancinelli steadily took on greater responsibility. Today, as vice president of global communications and navigation at Lockheed Martin, she leads more than 1,500 employees across 20 programs, supporting space and ground systems that enable national security space missions.
No two days look exactly the same, but her approach remains consistent: ask questions, set a clear vision, and trust the people around her.
“When I think back, the most rewarding moments of my career involved accomplishing tasks that were the hardest and most stressful,” she says. “Through trusting my gut, motivating my team, building strong bonds, and pushing through those things you thought were impossible. I learned the most in those moments.”
Beyond the Horizon
Now, Mancinelli is focused not only on what’s ahead, but on who she can bring with her. She prioritizes mentorship, and the advice she shares reflects the mindset that shaped her own journey.
“Be curious, challenge yourself, and don’t be afraid of failure,” she says. “There’s no single path to success. I always tried new things, volunteered for opportunities outside my role, and took chances. I’d encourage others to do the same.”
Mancinelli credits her husband, Dean Mancinelli ’84, a fellow engineering graduate, for being a solid support system. Her children, Nicolas (7) and Mia (4), are already fascinated by space.
She remains closely connected to Lehigh and the surrounding community, attending Musikfest and other local events. She jokes that her children aren’t quite ready for Le-Laf yet, but when they are, they’ll be proudly repping their brown and white.
The Global Positioning System (GPS) is one of the missions she is most proud to support. It touches nearly every part of daily life around the world. At home, it’s also the source of a running family joke: Despite her husband’s having worked much longer on GPS, he still can’t find his way out of their neighborhood, while she’s known for having the better sense of direction.
“Last month, Lockheed Martin achieved a major accomplishment in support of the Artemis II mission,” Mancinelli says. “I am incredibly inspired and proud of all the impact our teams are making at Lockheed Martin — how far we have come and how we continue to push the boundaries of what is possible each and every day.”
Looking ahead, she hopes to share this love of space and future launches with her children, watching together as the work that has shaped her career continues to reach new heights.
