WASHINGTON
— NASA Administrator Charles Bolden announced today changes to his
senior leadership team. Associate Administrator Chris Scolese was named
director of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., and
Robert Lightfoot, director of the agency’s Marshall Space Flight Center
in Huntsville, Ala., will serve as acting associate administrator. Both
will assume their new responsibilities on March 5.
Scolese,
who has been with NASA since 1987, succeeds Robert Strain, who announced
his decision to return to private industry in January. Lightfoot joined
NASA in 1989 as a test engineer and program manager at Marshall.
Lightfoot’s deputy, Gene Goldman, will serve as Marshall’s acting center
director.
“Both Chris and Robert are dedicated public
servants who have a passion for NASA and exploration,” Bolden said. “We
are fortunate to have such talented and experienced leaders who are
capable of assuming these critical responsibilities during this
important time.”
As associate administrator, Lightfoot will
be the agency’s highest-ranking civil servant, responsible for oversight
and integration of NASA’s broad efforts in human space flight, science
and aeronautics. At Goddard, Scolese will lead a major U.S. laboratory
for developing and operating unmanned scientific spacecraft. Goddard
manages many of NASA’s Earth observation, astronomy and space physics
missions. It was established in 1959 as NASA’s first space flight
facility.
“I am excited with the depth and diversity of
experiences Chris and Robert will bring to their new roles,” Bolden
added. “I know the entire NASA family will wish them continued success
as they begin these new challenges.”
Scolese served as the
agency’s acting administrator in 2009 and was previously NASA’s chief
engineer. As chief engineer, Scolese was responsible for ensuring that
development efforts and mission operations within the agency were
planned and conducted on a sound technical and management basis. He also
served as deputy associate administrator in the Office of Space Science
at Headquarters and previously served as deputy director of Goddard,
Earth Orbiting Satellite program manager, and deputy director of flight
programs and projects for Earth Science.
Lightfoot began his
NASA career as a test engineer and manager for the space shuttle main
engine technology test bed program. He then served in leadership
positions at Marshall, Stennis Space Center in Bay St. Louis, Miss., and
Headquarters. In 1998, Lightfoot was named deputy division chief of
Marshall’s Propulsion Test Division. He joined Stennis in 1999 as chief
of Propulsion Test Operations where he managed space shuttle main engine
testing and multiple NASA, Department of Defense, and industry rocket
engine test programs. From 2003 to 2005, he was assistant associate
administrator for the Space Shuttle Program, Office of Space Flight, at
Headquarters.
Both men are highly honored NASA leaders,
earning the Presidential Rank Award of Meritorious Executive and agency
medals for outstanding leadership.
For more information about NASA and agency programs, visit: http://www.nasa.gov
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