Marshall Space Flight Center Center Director announces retirement
On Monday, Oct. 19, 2015, Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) Director Patrick Scheuermann, in an e-mail to MSFC employees, announced his retirement – effective November 13. A replacement has yet to be named.
NASA confirmed Scheuermann’s retirement, via its MSFC Facebook page, on October 20.
Scheuermann has served as MSFC director since September 2012 when he took over from Robert Lightfoot, who was promoted to Associate Administrator at NASA Headquarters (HQ).
Lightfoot had served as MSFC director from August 2009 until his 2012 move to HQ.
As previously reported, Todd May, former Space Launch System (SLS) program manager, was recently promoted to MSFC deputy director, replacing Teresa Vanhooser who retired in August of this year.
May would now appear to be the leading candidate to assume the MSFC director position.
Scott Johnson
Scott earned both a Bachelor's Degree in public administration, and a law degree, from Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama. He currently practices law in the Birmingham suburb of Homewood. Scott first remembers visiting Marshall Space Flight Center in 1978 to get an up-close look at the first orbiter, Enterprise, which had been transported to Huntsville for dynamic testing. More recently, in 2006, he participated in an effort at the United States Space and Rocket Center (USSRC) to restore the long-neglected Skylab 1-G Trainer. This led to a volunteer position, with the USSRC curator, where he worked for several years maintaining exhibits and archival material, including flown space hardware. Scott attended the STS - 110, 116 and 135 shuttle launches, along with Ares I-X, Atlas V MSL and Delta IV NROL-15 launches. More recently, he covered the Atlas V SBIRS GEO-2 and MAVEN launches, along with the Antares ORB-1, SpaceX CRS-3, and Orion EFT-1 launches.
Great guy – from everything I have heard, he will be missed.