Director Welcomes Mary Kicza’s Return to NASA GSFC

Date: Fri, 20 May 2005 15:44:06 -0400
To: gsfc_all@listserv.gsfc.nasa.gov
From: NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center gsfcpao@pop100.gsfc.nasa.gov
Subject: Director Welcomes Mary Kicza’s Return to GSFC
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Colleagues:

I am pleased to announce today that I have named Mary Kicza as my Special Assistant and asked her to serve as the Acting Director for Business Management in the Science and Exploration Directorate at NASA Goddard.

Mary begins her new assignment on Monday, May 23.

I’ve asked Mary to concentrate on a few key initiatives in this new role, including helping us develop new strategies for accelerating the effective and comprehensive integration of our Earth and space science activities, and to develop the right tools and processes to help our science organization work more effectively and efficiently in today’s full cost environment.

Mary’s exceptional management skills, and the leadership she has demonstrated as part of the Agency’s strategic planning activities makes here ideally suited to this new job. I can’t tell you how pleased I am that Mary is returning to Goddard. She will be a tremendous asset for Goddard and for the Agency in this new role.

For the past three years, Mary has been at NASA Hqs, most recently as the Associate Deputy Administrator for Systems Integration. Prior to that, Mary was the Associate Administrator for Biological and Physical Research.

Mary returns to Goddard, where from 1998 to 2002, she served as the Associate Center Director and was responsible for the formulation of Space Science, Earth Science and enabling technology programs at the Center. She also led overall functional integration at GSFC, which encompassed workforce and facilities planning, institutional budget management, new business planning and strategic investments.

Before being named the Associate Director, Mary was the Associate Center Director for Space Science Programs from January 1996 through August 1998. In that role, she served as the Director of the Goddard Office of Space Science Programs and was the senior GSFC official responsible for program management of all of GSFC’s space science programs. While in the position, she also served as co-chairman (technical) of the team performing independent annual review of the International Space Station (ISS) and the ISS Research Programs.

In her first stint at NASA Hqs, Mary was the Assistant Associate Administrator for Technology within the Office of Space Science from 1994 to 1996. Prior to that she served as Deputy Division Director for the Office of Space Science’s Solar System Exploration Division. She was a member of the Microgravity Science and Applications Division (MSAD) within the Office of Space Science and Applications from 1987 through 1993 serving as a program manager, Branch Chief for Advanced Programs, Branch Chief for Flight Programs and Acting Deputy Director.

Mary began her NASA career in 1982 at the Kennedy Space Center, Fla., as lead engineer for the Centaur Engineering Support Group and Test Coordinator for real-time computer systems supporting Atlas Centaur tests and launches.

Before joining NASA, she worked as an engineer for the Air Force supporting Air Force satellite communications programs.

Mary has a 1981 bachelor’s degree in electrical and electronics engineering from California State University, Sacramento and a 1990 master’s degree in business administration from the Florida Institute of Technology.

Please join me in welcoming Mary back to Goddard.

Ed Weiler