Department of the Air Force’s Office of Commercial and Economic Analysis (OCEA)
Zachary Hickman is the Space Portfolio Manager for the Department of the Air Force’s Office of Commercial and Economic Analysis (OCEA). OCEA is situated under the Secretary of the Air Force and seeks to understand, preserve, and protect economic advantages of the U.S. Air Force and the broader U.S. Department of Defense. In his current role, he oversees studies, analyses, and assessments of the commercial space industry for government stakeholders across the Department of Defense and other agencies. He leads a team of market analysts to advise the U.S. Space Force (USSF) on financial viability and economic trends that impact USSF future plans.
Prior to joining OCEA, Mr. Hickman worked in the Office of the Undersecretary of the Air Force for International Affairs, Space Division, overseeing multiple International Cooperative Agreements, Foreign Military Sales cases, and Key Leader Engagements. He was the secretariat for the Responsive Space Capabilities Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), as well as the Navigation Warfare (NAVWAR) Technology Demonstrator and System Prototype (TDSP) MOU and the GPS Research, Design, Test and Evaluation MOU. He was also the Department of the Air Force’s desk officer for Italy, Switzerland, and NATO. Prior to his time as a government civilian, Mr. Hickman worked for a consultant in Manhattan advising clients on Sarbanes-Oxley Act Compliance. He was also a U.S. Air Force Communications Officer and has served in both Iraq and Afghanistan. Mr. Hickman earned his master’s degree in political science from the University of Hawaii, Manoa through the East-West Center Fellowship and a bachelor’s of science from the U.S. Air Force Academy.
