Lori Garver

Lori Beth Garver (born May 22, 1961 in Lansing, Michigan) is the former Deputy Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). She was nominated on May 24, 2009, by President Barack Obama, along with Charles Bolden as NASA Administrator.[1] She was confirmed by the United States Senate by unanimous consent on July 15, 2009.[2][3][4][5] She left the position in September 2013 to become General Manager of the Air Line Pilots Association.[6]

Lori Garver
Born	(1961-05-22) May 22, 1961 Lansing, Michigan, United States
Education	Colorado College (B.A.) George Washington University (M.A.)
Spouse(s)	David Brandt
Children	2

A few hours before the launch of NASA's Glory research satellite, Garver visited the mission's launch site.

Garver was the lead civil space policy advisor for Obama's 2008 presidential campaign and led the agency review team for NASA during the post-election transition. She worked at NASA from 1996–2001, first as a special assistant to the NASA administrator and senior policy analyst for the Office of Policy and Plans, and then as the Associate Administrator for the Office of Policy and Plans.[7][8]

Early life and education

Garver was born in Lansing, Michigan on May 22, 1961, and she graduated from Haslett High School in Haslett, Michigan in 1979. In 1983, she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science and economics from Colorado College. While working for Senator John Glenn from 1983–1984 she became interested in space, and went on to earn a Master of Arts degree in science, technology and public policy from the George Washington University in 1989.[7][9]

Career

During her career, Garver worked in the nonprofit, government, and commercial sectors. Garver has held advocacy roles for space exploration as a member of the NASA Advisory Council, a guest lecturer at the International Space University,[10] president and board member of Women in Aerospace, and president of the American Astronautical Society.[7][10] She was awarded both the NASA Distinguished Public Service Medal, and the NASA Distinguished Service Medal.[11]

Garver served as the second Executive Director of the National Space Society, a non-profit space organization based in Washington, D.C. for nine years, leaving the organization in 1998.[12] From 1998–2001, she served as the Associate Administrator of the Office of Policy and Plans for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.[13] Reporting directly to the NASA Administrator, she managed the analysis, development, and integration of NASA policies and long-range plans, the NASA Strategic Management System, the NASA Advisory Council, and the History Division. Prior to this appointment, Garver served as a Senior Policy Analyst for the Office of Policy and Plans, and Special Assistant to the Administrator.[14][15]

In 2001–2002, Garver initiated a project to increase the visibility and viability of commercial spaceflight. While providing support to a client who was paying for a trip to space, she attempted to secure her own sponsored space flight, as "the first Soccer Mom" aboard the Russian Soyuz vehicle to the International Space Station. She worked to secure sponsorship funding as she began the initial medical certification and training in Star City, Russia.[14][16] The effort ended because of a conflicting bid from another prospective space tourist.[17]

Garver was the President of Capital Space, LLC, and served as a Senior Advisor for Space at the Avascent Group, based in Washington, D.C. She served as Vice President of DFI Corporate Services (the predecessor organization to the Avascent Group) from 2001–2003.[14][15] In these roles, Garver provided strategic planning, technology feasibility research and business development assistance. She also gave merger, acquisition, and strategic alliance support to financial institutions and Fortune 500 companies in many industries.

Garver served as a lead space policy advisor for the Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton and John Kerry campaigns for president.[18][19][20] In November 2008, she was named to lead the Obama Presidential Transition Agency Review Team for NASA.[21][22]

In 2016 Garver founded the Brooke Owens Fellowship,[23] which offers paid summer internships to college undergraduate women planning to pursue aviation or space careers.[24]

NASA career

Garver's confirmation as deputy administrator marks the second time she has worked for NASA. Her first period of service to the agency was from 1996 to 2001. She first served as a special assistant to the NASA administrator and senior policy analyst for the Office of Policy and Plans, before becoming the associate administrator for the Office of Policy and Plans. Reporting to the NASA administrator, she oversaw the analysis, development and integration of policies and long-range plans, the NASA Strategic Management System, and the NASA Advisory Council.[7]

In June 2010, she addressed the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space, and signed an Earth science satellite agreement.[25] She has participated in several NASA launch Tweetups.[26] In May 2011, she joined NASA scientists to participate in a field campaign studying how dust affects the snow cover in the Colorado River Basin. The team visited dust emission sites in the deserts of Utah and then snowpits in the Colorado mountains to learn how dust layers might help predict snow melt.[27]

References

1. KENNETH CHANG (May 23, 2009). "Retired General Picked to Lead NASA". The New York Times.
2. "NASA - NASA Organization". NASA. Archived from the original on 2007-08-23. Retrieved 2009-01-28.
3. "Presidential Appointee Positions Requiring Senate Confirmation and Committees Handling Nominations" (PDF). Congressional Research Service. 2008-03-18. Retrieved 2009-01-28.
4. Shelby G. Spires (May 23, 2009). "Space experts say Obama choice to head NASA understands Marshall Space Flight Center". The Huntsville Times.
5. Keith Cowing (July 15, 2009). "Bolden and Garver Confirmed By Senate for Top NASA Posts". SpaceRef.com.
6. "NASA Deputy Administrator Lori Garver Gives Farewell Message To NASA Workforce". RedOrbit. September 7, 2013.
7. "Lori B. Garver, NASA Deputy Administrator". NASA. July 2009. Archived from the original on 2009-07-27.
8. "White House Release on NASA Posts". Time Magazine. May 23, 2009.
9. "Secure World Foundation - Advisory Committee". Advisory Committee. Archived from the original on 2009-05-30. Retrieved 2008-11-06.
10. http://ssp07.isunet.edu/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=25&Itemid=36 International Space University, Summer Session Program 07
12. "National Space Society Applauds Nomination of Charles Bolden and Lori Garver to lead NASA". National Space Society. May 26, 2009.
13. Release (April 2, 2001). "Former NASA Associate Administrator Lori Garver Joins DFI International". SpaceRef.com.
14. Release. "Secure World Foundation - Advisory Committee". secureworldfoundation.org.
15. "Evaluating the New Space Policy: A Panel Discussion" (PDF). George C. Marshall Institute. February 20, 2004.
16. Jeff Foust (November 19, 2007). "AstroMom and Basstronaut, revisited". The Space Review.
17. Clark S. Lindsey. "Space Tourism Personal Spaceflight for you".
18. Jeff Foust (July 28, 2004). "Kerry space policy in the works?". Space Politics.
19. Jeff Foust (August 18, 2008). "Space policy heats up this summer". The Space Review.
20. Keith Cowing (June 6, 2007). "Hillary Clinton Hears About Space Policy at Washington Issues Forum". Commercial Space Watch.
21. "NASA Review transition team".
22. "NASA has become a transition problem for Obama". The Orlando Sentinel. December 10, 2008.
23. Berger, Eric. "After Hidden Figures, new program seeks to flood aerospace with women". Ars Technica. Retrieved 25 August 2017.
24. Werner, Debra. "New Fellowship Will Honor Youthful Trailblazer". Aerospace America. Retrieved 25 August 2017.
25. "NASA Reaffirms The Importance Of International Cooperation In Europe", Red Orbit, 18 June 2010
26. Space.com (July 8, 2011). "Before shuttle went up, there was the 'tweetup'". NBC News.
27. Lori Garver (July 8, 2011). "NASA's Sense of Snow". The Salt Lake Tribune.

External links

• Lori Garver on Twitter
• Appearances on C-SPAN

Government offices
Preceded by Shana Dale	Deputy Administrator of NASA July 15, 2009 – September 6, 2013	Succeeded by Dava J. Newman