CONGRATULATING TODD MAY

On 2018-07-25, Representative Robert B. Aderholt (R-AL-4) delivered a floor speech titled "CONGRATULATING TODD MAY" in the House.

CONGRATULATING TODD MAY

Congressional Record, Volume 164 Issue 125 (Wednesday, July 25, 2018) [Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 125 (Wednesday, July 25, 2018)] [Extensions of Remarks] [Page E1065] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] CONGRATULATING TODD MAY ______ HON. ROBERT B. ADERHOLT of alabama in the house of representatives Wednesday, July 25, 2018 Mr. ADERHOLT. Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate Todd May, who has announced his retirement as Director of Marshall Space Flight Center. Todd May is one of our nation's civil servants who has demonstrated outstanding leadership, management ability, and vision. He was appointed Marshall deputy director in August 2015 at the Nov. 13, 2015 retirement of Patrick Scheuermann, and was subsequently appointed Director. The jobs Todd has excelled at are never easy, but the circumstances under which he took them, and excelled, are circumstances which represent especially challenging times. During the early part of a new Administration, Todd, in 2011, led the Space Launch System (SLS) program. Despite different schools of thought in Washington, Todd took the program through a series of milestones, including a successful in-depth critical design review. Thanks to Todd's leadership, SLS was successfully handed off to the next manager when Todd was asked to be Marshall Space Flight Center Director. Marshall has approximately 6,000 civil service and contractor employees, and an annual budget of approximately $2.5 billion. What some do not know is that Marshall has a heritage not only of excellence in launch development but also in NASA's other endeavors, including, for example, the engineering planning which allowed the Hubble Telescope to be re-focused and to reach its full potential. One of Todd's other previous jobs made him very qualified for this part of Marshall's work as well. Todd served as a deputy associate administrator in the Science Mission Directorate at NASA headquarters in Washington from 2007 to 08, responsible for a $5 billion portfolio of robotic programs and projects, including more than 100 spacecraft at various stages of formulation, development and operations. Of course, there is no pressure at all in being appointed as Director of Marshall Space Flight Center--unless of course you notice the statues of Von Braun, and all the Saturn rockets which seem to meet your gaze no matter what direction you are driving. I am not surprised that Todd excelled again at this broad management task. He brought out the best in his managers, kept Marshall viable as a competitor in various projects, and leaves Marshall in good shape to continue its key role in NASA's human exploration programs. His leadership also extends to concepts which will bear fruition in the future, such as nuclear thermal propulsion. Despite his many jobs at NASA, and national recognition for his work by Aviation Week, I know that this young boy growing up in Fairhope, Alabama still counts, as one of his most enjoyable achievements, his engineering degree from Auburn University, and the title of Distinguished Engineer, bestowed on him by the University. I wish Todd and his family all the best, and I know that whatever tasks he puts his hands to, he will be not only a success, but also a blessing to his community and to this nation. ____________________