Keegan Named NASA's Associate Deputy Administrator
WASHINGTON -- NASA named Richard Keegan as the agency's associate deputy administrator on Thursday. He replaces Charles Scales, who has held the position since April 2007. Scales is retiring.The associate deputy administrator assists and supports NASA's administrator and deputy administrator during day-to-day agency operations, across the broad scope of institutional and workforce issues, and with contingency and continuity of operations planning.
Keegan has served as deputy associate administrator of the Mission
Support Directorate since its creation in April. For the prior four
years he was director of NASA's Office of Program and Institutional
Integration. In those roles, he served as the focal point for
balancing priorities for mission directorates, mission support
offices and agency field centers.
"Rick's extensive experience within the agency and his expertise in
diverse areas will help me and the rest of the NASA leadership team
continue to make good progress on the agency's challenging
objectives," NASA Administrator Charles Bolden said. "I look forward
to working closely with him during the exciting times ahead for NASA."
Since coming to NASA Headquarters in 2002, Keegan has served in senior
business management positions in mission directorate and mission
support offices. He also worked in a variety of jobs during 21 years
at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., NASA
Headquarters and the Department of Energy. He has degrees in
biological sciences and secondary education from the University of Maryland.
Scales became NASA's associate deputy administrator in April 2007.
Previously, he was the associate administrator for the Office of
Institutions and Management. He managed operational and mission
support activities across the agency. Part of his job was to ensure
the agency's work force, infrastructure and facility capabilities
worked together in support of NASA's long-range needs.
"It is always hard to bid farewell to a dedicated and longtime member
of the NASA community," Bolden said. "Charles' calm demeanor,
dedication and extensive knowledge of NASA helped to successfully
guide the agency into the 21st century and our new direction for
exploration. We'll really miss his passionate leadership and wish him
well in retirement."
Scales also served as deputy director in the Office of Center
Operations at the agency's Marshall Space Flight Center in
Huntsville, Ala. Before that, he served as director of the Center
Operations Directorate at NASA's Glenn Research Center in Cleveland.
Scales began his NASA career as a cooperative education student at
Marshall. He earned a bachelor's degree in general business from
Alabama A&M University in Huntsville, and joined Marshall as a
communications specialist.
For information about NASA and agency programs, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov
Source: NASA
