Mindy Tautfest

Founder and CEO, Secretary of the Board

Mindy Tautfest is the Founder and CEO of the International UFO Bureau (IUFOB), a federally recognized 509(a)(2) nonprofit dedicated to advancing transparent, scientific investigation into UFOs and UAP. As the steward of the organization originally founded in 1957 by Hayden C. Hewes, she leads IUFOB’s mission to illuminate the past, understand the present, and guide the future of anomalous research.

In 2023, Tautfest oversaw the recovery, preservation, and digitization of the IUFOB’s historic archives, safeguarding decades of pioneering research including material connected to President Jimmy Carter’s UFO sighting, the Heaven’s Gate investigation, and case files spanning the modern UFO era. Her work integrates documented historical data with modern technological analysis to better understand the nature, origins, and capabilities of UFO and UAP phenomena.

Before relaunching IUFOB, she developed national training systems for field investigators within established UFO research institutions, drawing on her professional background as an ICU nurse and disaster relief volunteer to bring analytical rigor and crisis-response insight into the field. Her research has been featured on the History Channel’s Ancient Aliens and The Proof Is Out There, and she is a frequent speaker at conferences and media events.

Tautfest is also the author of Dying to Meet Them: One Woman’s Incredible Journey from NDE to UAP, which explores the intersection of Near Death Experiences and UFO encounters - a continuation of the work pioneered by Dr. Kenneth Ring’s Omega Project. She resides in Oklahoma City, where she focuses on assisting experiencers, advancing public understanding, and leading IUFOB’s expanding global initiatives.

For author inquiries, contact: NDEtoUAP@gmail.com