Hector Chavez, Associate Electrical Engineer
Hector joined Vista Photonics in July 2017. He is a graduate of
the University of Texas, El Paso with a BS in Electrical Engineering where he focused on renewable energy, electronics and microelectronics,
signal processing, and circuit design. After completing the NASA Electrostatic Discharge Level 1 course, Hector became the ESD
Facilities Monitor for Vista Photonics. He is in charge of maintaining all ESD requirements to ensure compliance with ANSI/ESD and
NASA standards. Hector has also completed Soldered Electrical Connections Through-Hole and Surface Mount courses to become certified
in IPC and NASA standard, and holds a certification to Workmanship Standard for Crimping Interconnecting Cables, Harnesses, and wiring
to NASA standard.
J. Taylor Pilgrim, Quality System Manager
Taylor Pilgrim joined Vista Photonics in November 2017. He attended both New Mexico Junior College and Santa Fe Community College, and worked as a Field Service Technician at Comcast/Xfinity prior to joining the Company. Taylor is a member of the American Society for Quality and has received Certified Lead Auditor training and Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI) training. He is tasked with the obligation to ensure all company products meet customer expectations and demands using key performance indicators. He maintains our focus on customer quality improvement activities across the organization by overseeing all product development procedures to identify deviations from quality standards. Taylor performs and coordinates internal quality audits and assures appropriate levels of corrective actions. He is always on the lookout for opportunities for improvement and the development of new, efficient procedures.
Bailey Montano, Support Specialist
Bailey Montana joined Vista Photonics in June 2020. She attended New Mexico State University and studied Mechanical Engineering. While there, she worked as a lab technician for a group that specialized in feed, seed, fertilizer and pesticide compliance. Prior to joining the company, she worked with a contractor at White Sands Missile Range that managed telecommunication throughout the range. She has over five years of experience in office work, customer support, and database management. She is responsible for providing administrative support to all staff members and assists with purchasing, inventory, and compliance. Bailey also works with the Quality department to oversee the Bonded Inventory and document deliverables storage.
Paul Kittsmiller, CAD Technician
Paul Kitsmiller (PK) joined Vista Photonics in March 2022. Previously, he worked 16 years as
a Manufacturing Engineer for Jabil Defense and Aerospace. Prior to that, he attended Colorado Mesa University and studied Computer
Aided Design and Drafting while also working for Hamilton Sundstrand as a top tier Aerospace Machinist with engineering responsibilities.
PK is a U.S. Army Veteran having served 3 years active duty in Army Aviation working on Helicopter powertrain systems. PK provides
CAD modeling/drafting and mechanical design support to Vista Photonics. He is responsible for creating and maintaining Engineering
drawings, and designing of custom tooling and fixturing. He also assists with manufacturing process development, BOM management, materials
research, dimensional inspection, mechanical assembly, and procurement activities.