Team Biden At NASA Calmly Expands

NASA Names Leaders to Key Agency Roles

"NASA has named appointees for senior agency positions. Bhavya Lal joins the agency as acting chief of staff, Phillip Thompson will serve as White House liaison, Alicia Brown will serve as associate administrator for the Office of Legislative and Intergovernmental Affairs, and Marc Etkind will serve as associate administrator for the agency's Office of Communications. In addition, Jackie McGuinness will join the agency as press secretary and Reagan Hunter will serve as special assistant for the agency's Office of Legislative and Intergovernmental Affairs."

Keith's note: What a difference 4 years, an election, and a pandemic can make. When the Trump "beachead team" descended upon NASA, they began to act more like a boarding party from a pirate ship. They squabbled amongst themselves almost immediately. Some of them had no expertise in space. All too soon job titles shifted like "Musical Chairs" as they jockeyed for power. I can recall going to a NAC meeting where a seat was reserved for the "Chief of Staff" and no one knew who that person's name was since it had shifted several times. Soon it was like "10 Little Indians" with one after another of the Trump folks were ejected from NASA - by the other Trump folks. Several of them liked to go around Washington to meetings, barking orders at the space community along the lines of "there's a new team in town". Indeed.

Eventually, at least two of them were escorted out of NASA HQ by security after being told to clean out their desks. The ejected ones went to other agencies and roles where they caused new sorts of problems. Eventually they were mostly gone when Jim Bridenstine arrived. But their impact was long lasting and left a bad taste in people's mouths.

Contrast this with the people that are showing up from the Biden White House. They do so virtually with most (if not all) not even badged into the building yet. They have all either had their jobs before somewhere else or have skillsets that are matched to their new roles at NASA - and they hit the ground running - as a team. I for one welcome the ... calmer, more professional Biden management team to NASA.

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