When Pinnacle residents first met the Deylami family in our October issue, we introduced Amir, Bliss, and their two daughters, Alexandria and Zamira, as a warm, active, close-knit family who had quickly made Pinnacle Country Club feel like home.

This month, we are zooming in a little closer on Amir.

On the surface, Amir Deylami’s career sounds almost impossible to summarize in one sentence. He is the Chief Operating Officer and Associate Center Director of NASA Ames Research Center in Silicon Valley, helping lead operations for a 2,000-acre national research and development campus tied to some of the most exciting work in aerospace, artificial intelligence, advanced systems, and deep space exploration.

But spend a few minutes listening to Amir talk, and what stands out most is not the title, the scale, or even the connection to NASA’s mission to the Moon, Mars, and beyond. It is his humility. His gratitude. His deep respect for people. His belief in hard work, family, community, and using whatever doors open in your life to help open doors for others.

And yes, this all comes from a neighbor who lives right here in Pinnacle Country Club.

Amir has spent 17 years with NASA, with experience at Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, NASA Headquarters in Washington, D.C., and now NASA Ames Research Center on the West Coast. Today, he helps oversee a campus with more than 200 facilities, millions of square feet of space, and billions of dollars in assets, all supporting NASA’s mission to push humanity forward in ways most of us can only imagine.

For many people, NASA immediately brings to mind rockets, astronauts, and images of launch pads. For Amir, the work is also about systems, partnerships, people, and trust. NASA’s boldest goals cannot be accomplished by one team alone. They require collaboration across government, industry, academia, research institutions, and private innovators. It is an ecosystem, and Amir’s role is to help make sure that ecosystem has the structure, resources, and leadership needed to succeed.

That is part of what makes this July issue so special. As our country celebrates America’s 250th birthday, we are also looking ahead to the next great chapter of American innovation. In the pages following this feature, Amir gives residents an insider’s look into NASA, Artemis II, and the remarkable vision of building humanity’s first moon base.

It is a fitting reminder that the American story has always been about more than looking back. It has also been about dreaming forward.

Amir’s own story began in Huntsville, Alabama, where his family had immigrated years earlier and built a life rooted in hard work. His father, Ali Deylami, had a mechanical engineering background but became a small business owner, running convenience stores and gas stations.

By age five, Amir was already helping at the cash register. By his early teen years, his parents were trusting him with real operational responsibility.

At the time, he did not fully realize the gift he was being given. Like any child, he wondered why he was not outside playing or spending more time with friends. Looking back now, he sees those years as one of the greatest foundations of his life.

He learned accountability. He learned discipline. He learned how to talk with people from every walk of life. Most importantly, he watched his father lead with integrity and care. His father was not simply running a business. He was serving a community. People knew him, trusted him, and loved him.

That example has stayed with Amir throughout his career.

Amir attended the University of Alabama in Huntsville, where he played Division II soccer and served as vice president of finance for the Student Government Association. During college, he applied for internship opportunities and eventually landed at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, the organization known for building the big rockets.

It was his foot in the door, but what happened next says a lot about who Amir is.

Early in his NASA career, a new opportunity opened in the Office of the Chief Technologist. While others were unsure about the assignment, Amir raised his hand. He wanted to learn. He wanted to grow. He wanted to understand something new from the ground up.

That curiosity led to more opportunities, including work connected to NASA Headquarters, Congress, and even presentations at the White House early in his career. What began as an internship became a path of increasing responsibility, shaped by what Amir describes as curiosity, grit, and the willingness to be a sponge around great leaders.

Although Amir works in rooms filled with elite talent, world-class researchers, and some of the brightest minds in the country, his leadership philosophy is refreshingly simple.

It starts with people.

He believes the best leaders build trust. They take time to know the individuals around them. They create environments where people can speak honestly, solve problems quickly, and move forward together. In high-stakes work, especially work connected to national assets, astronauts, and missions that have never been done before, trust is not optional. It is essential. Amir has said he has never walked into a room thinking he is the smartest person there. In fact, if that were the case, he would believe he was in the wrong room. Instead, he values surrounding himself with people who bring different perspectives, expertise, and ideas.

For him, leadership is not about having all the answers. It is about bringing the right people together, setting bold goals, building strong systems, and creating the kind of culture where others can do their best work.

This year, Amir was named to Arkansas Business’ 40 Under 40, an honor recognizing young leaders making a meaningful impact across the state. The recognition highlighted his role at NASA Ames, his leadership in major operational transformation, and his work helping drive public-private partnerships and innovation.

He was also honored by his alma mater, the University of Alabama in Huntsville, as a Distinguished Alumni Fellow during the university’s first Sapphire Excellence Awards. The award recognizes graduates who have made a lasting impact in their professions, in society, or at the university through achievement, leadership, and service.

For Amir, both honors point back to something deeper than career accomplishment. They reflect a life shaped by mentors, family, and the desire to invest in the next generation.

One of the ways he is doing that in Arkansas is through his role as Executive in Residence at the University of Central Arkansas College of Business. During his visits to campus, Amir spent time with students and faculty, sharing not only career advice but also encouragement. He saw students who were hungry to grow, eager to lead, and working to create new opportunities for themselves and their families.

His message to young people is clear: get started early, stay disciplined, be curious, and do not wait until everything is perfectly figured out. Know where you want to go, understand the steps it may take to get there, and be willing to walk through the doors that open along the way.

For all the extraordinary places Amir’s career has taken him, Northwest Arkansas has become home for the Deylami family.

Amir and Bliss moved to Pinnacle with their daughters, Alexandria and Zamira, and quickly found the balance they were hoping for: strong schools, meaningful friendships, a welcoming neighborhood, access to culture and restaurants, and a community where their family could truly thrive.

Their girls are growing up with bike rides, pool days, tennis lessons, church, family traditions, and the kind of everyday neighborhood moments that make a place feel special. Amir often speaks with gratitude about the community here, the momentum of Northwest Arkansas, and the quality of life his family has found.

“I am happy my kids are happy. I am happy my wife is happy,” he shared in a recent interview. “I am happy.”

That may be the simplest and most meaningful measure of success.

As your turn the page from this Meet Your Neighbor feature into Amir’s NASA article, it is exciting to realize that our community has such a direct connection to one of the most ambitious chapters in American exploration.

From a family business in Huntsville to a leadership role at NASA, from Silicon Valley innovation to family life in Pinnacle Country Club, Amir’s story is one of hard work, humility, faith, vision, and service.

And as America celebrates 250 years, his work reminds us that some of the country’s greatest achievements are still ahead.

Not just reaching the Moon again.

Building there.

Dreaming beyond it.

And inspiring the next generation to believe they may have a place in that story too.