NASA Deputy Administrator Lori Garver Gives Farewell Message To NASA Workforce

April Flowers for redOrbit.com – Your Universe Online

NASA Deputy Administrator Lori Garver is leaving the space agency this weekend for a new job. Garver, who has been in the Number 2 slot at the space agency since July 17, 2009, announced her leaving in an open letter on the agency’s website dated September 6, 2013.

In the letter, Garver thanked everyone at NASA for their “efforts and achievements” in the transformation necessary to “align NASA with the critical national objectives of economic growth, technology innovation, environmental stewardship, cutting edge science and global leadership.”

Since her graduation from Colorado College in 1983 with a bachelor’s in political science and economics, Garver’s focus has been on space. She worked for former astronaut and Senator, John Glenn, from 1983 to 1984. From 1984 to 1996, Garver worked for the National Space Society, serving as executive director from 1987 on. Garver earned a master’s degree in science, technology and public policy from George Washington University in 1989, while serving as the society’s primary spokesperson.

Garver served her first term with NASA from 1996 to 2001 as a special assistant to the NASA administrator and senior policy analyst for the Office of Policy and Plans, before becoming the associate administrator for the Office of Policy and Plans. Before returning to NASA as the Deputy Administrator, Garver was a full-time consultant as the president of Capital Space, LLC, and senior advisor for space at the Avascent Group. In her role as Deputy Administrator of NASA, Garver has represented NASA to the Executive Office of the President, Congress, heads of government agencies, international organizations, and external organizations and communities while overseeing the work of NASA’s functional offices.

Garver’s letter listed the various successes that NASA had achieved since her return in 2009.

“Transitions are hard, and NASA’s was no exception. Thankfully, there were many of you who reached out to help us understand this amazing institution and worked with us to advance the agency.”

“We were able to immediately extend Space Shuttle flights for two additional missions in order to gain the knowledge from the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer and to fully outfit the International Space Station until we would again be transporting cargo and crew with U.S. vehicles from U.S. soil. We created NASA’s growing space technology effort, increased innovation in aeronautics Earth and space science, launched carried out the Mars Science Lab mission, broadened international cooperation and forged new private sector partnerships in areas such as sub-orbital science, hosted payloads, lunar robotics, asteroid detection and space transportation.”

“These changes have allowed NASA to deliver better science, and more advanced technologies to sustain its global leadership position now and for the future.”

“Internally, we worked to spearhead critical initiatives in the areas of early career hiring, more productive relationships with our labor unions, diversity and transparency. Our priority for NASA has been to continually deliver cutting edge, cost efficient, successful, relevant missions that will keep the United States at the forefront of aeronautics, environmental monitoring, space science, and exploration.”

Garver will be taking up her new duties as the General Manager for the Air Line Pilots Association on Monday, September 9.

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