Jay Wittner has been a space advocate for over thirty years. He has been a member of the National Space Society, the Planetary Society, and the Space Studies Institute for two decades. Wittner is also a member of the Mars Society. He has previously served as Vice President of Membership for NSS. Wittner has been a Visionary Donor to NSS over the past several years. Wittner founded the Southwest Florida Chapter of NSS which was named “The Most Promising New Chapter” at the 2007 Dallas ISDC. 

Since 1990, Wittner has been the Vice President of Jess Jewelers in Bradenton, Florida. His responsibilities include preparing budgets, creating financial models, developing financial statements, and analyzing multi-year business plans. From 1989 to 1992, Wittner operated American Space Enterprises. The company managed property, published a newsletter regarding space activities, and provided financial consulting services. From 1983 to 1989, he worked for Wittner Companies as a Financial Analyst, Assistant Controller, and Projects Manager. Firm operations included real estate development, banking, and insurance.

A native of Tampa Florida, Wittner graduated from Jesuit High School in Tampa and earned his bachelors of Business Administration from Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia in 1983. Mr. Wittner is an avid reader of science fiction and credits his early interest in space development to the Apollo Program, Robert Heinlein, Gerard O'Neill, Gene Roddenberry, and Harvey Wittner.