This year, Bell highlighted two top-performing employees at the heart of Engineering. Meet Keirsten Gomez and Danielle Markham, who use their creativity and expertise to solve complex challenges and drive innovation.
Keirsten Gomez grew up in Amarillo, Texas near the Bell Assembly Center, where the roar of a Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey was the sound of home. She reflects on the last 10 years at Bell – not only her first job, but also a full circle moment.
While early days were spent as a CO-OP student studying material science and engineering, Gomez is now a principal project engineer within the Flight School Next initiative. Flight School Next seeks to provide the Army with a comprehensive turnkey solution that will transform its flight training program. Throughout her career, Gomez has taken on several significant projects from materials testing and laboratory renovations to project planning and supplier management, gaining significant insight in each path.
Danielle Markham wouldn’t visit Bell’s Amarillo Assembly Center until later in her career but recalls a pivotal moment that secured her interest in flight. While watching Apollo 13 as a child, she was inspired by the challenge of fixing an aircraft using only a limited amount of available spare parts. Her excitement and curiosity led to a career in aviation, and now she is celebrating 15 years in her career at Bell.
As a Program Manager on the H-1 team, Markham leads the Structural and Power Improvements for NextGen Effects initiatives (SPINE) for the United States Marine Corps. The SPINE program is responsible for upgrading and modernizing the H-1 helicopter fleet, allowing the Marines to stay mission-ready.
Markham has worked on both commercial and military sides of the business and describes the culture as a “one team, one fight” mentality. “You’re able to engage at all levels and across the entire enterprise. Leadership is invested in what you’re doing and where you’re going. They take a stake in your career,” she said.
Thanks to Textron’s higher education benefits, Gomez went on to complete her master’s degree in material science and engineering, leading to an additional four years in the Chemical Process Lab. She was selected to join the Bell Operations Alignment team, assisting executive leadership, streamlining communication, and ensuring cross functional collaboration throughout Bell. She credits this program as an instrumental part of her journey and encourages young engineers to learn business acumen. “It helps you see the why behind some major decisions,” Gomez explains.
While Gomez is passionate about the planning process, she also encourages people to explore career opportunities within Finance, Supply chain and Operations. Engineers take on pivotal roles within the Bell Textron enterprise. Whether it’s testing new materials for aircraft, providing executive briefings, or planning projects in Primavera, Gomez is a prime example of how working at Bell makes an impact in aviation and beyond.
Markham also understands the benefit of exploring outside your standard discipline and has valuable advice for young professionals, “stay curious, ask questions, and try new things. That takes courage,” she added.
Along the way, Markham has had several mentors, including President and CEO of Textron Lisa Atherton. Witnessing Atherton’s career trajectory was proof that Bell values their people. “Bell understands goals and priorities change through different stages of your life and career and are very supportive,” Markham said.
Various leaders at Bell also became champions for Gomez. Each saw something special about the work she was doing. They recognized her achievements, made professional recommendations, and provided guidance that helped shape Gomez’s career.
Her advice to anyone starting their journey at Bell is to never underestimate the importance of networking. “Everybody contributes to the business in a different way. I would encourage you to find mentors, meet people outside of your current group, and form relationships that help get the job done,” Gomez said.
Having worked on H-1 aircraft for nearly 10 years, Markham was thrilled about her team’s 2025 journey to Amarillo. They were able to see first-hand how their efforts were impacting the military. She describes a surreal experience, “Watching government pilots fly an aircraft to Amarillo, excitedly return to see the first complete SPINE modification, then later fly away in it – knowing that the Bell team completed a huge modification – was incredible. We got the chills,” she said.
A trip to visit the fleet at Camp Pendleton also served as a testament to the small daily tasks making up a larger picture at Bell. “I’ll never forget that moment seeing how many of our aircraft are on the flightline and ready to support our military at a moment’s notice,” she says.