Griffin Prepares To Put His Own People In Leadership Roles

New NASA Chief Michael Griffin is busy -- even before he can make personnel changes -- planning personnel changes. As a result, two more top agency officials say they're either leaving or changing jobs.

As ANN reported earlier this month, Rear Admiral Craig Steidle (USN, ret.), the associate administrator at the Exploration Systems Mission Directorate, announced he's leaving as a result of Griffin's confirmation. He was the key author of President Bush's "Moon, Mars and Beyond" plan.

Now comes word former astronaut William Readdy, associate administrator for space operations, has been told he'll be replaced. In an email to employees obtained by Florida Today, Readdy said he's not yet decided whether to take another post within the agency.

"I had long planned to take my leave of my current assignment in the lead of the spaceflight community following return to flight," Readdy (below) wrote. "Three years is a long time in that position, especially for my young family -- particularly post-Columbia."

But Readdy said he'll remain on the job until Discovery's vaunted return to flight next month.

"There will be ample time for reflection and farewells once Eileen Collins calls mission control and announces, 'Houston, Discovery. Wheels stop.' Now, let's get on with the job," Readdy wrote.

Readdy's counterpart, Associate Director for Science Al Diaz (right, with former NASA Admistrator Sean O'Keefe), wrote a similar email to his employees. Diaz said he'd decided a year ago that now would be a good time to retire, but his departure coincides with Griffin's effort to put his own team in place.

"I decided to retire as soon as a new administrator was named and a transition plan was established for my replacement," Diaz wrote in the memo, also obtained by Florida Today. "In so doing, I hoped to be able to pursue other opportunities outside the government but also to enable the new administrator to put his own team in place."

FMI: www.nasa.gov