Succeeds Charles Scales, Who Is Retiring

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.

Richard Keegan NASA Photo

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, AL. 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.

FMI: www.nasa.gov