During his early years in key positions at the facility and while serving on temporary duty at NASA Headquarters, Estess came to be known as a "straightshooter."

When the facility's manager, Jackson Balch, began diversifying the installation in the early 1970s, he assigned Estess to serve as one of his marketers.

Balch tasked Estess with searching for new and compatible federal and state agencies to share in the vast facilities and diverse programs starting up at the center.

The RAP was an innovative approach to assist the 17 Sun Belt states in the application of remote sensing technology to resource planning and management.

He served for three years as the Agency's Equal Opportunity officer, interim director of the ERL, and completed the Advanced Management Program at Harvard School of Business.