Sumara Thompson-King is NASA’s new general counsel. She assumed the top role in NASA’s legal office Sunday following the retirement of Michael Wholley, who had served as general counsel since June 2004.
Thompson-King currently had been serving as the deputy general counsel in the Office of the General Counsel at NASA Headquarters in Washington. The Office of General Counsel provides functional leadership regarding legal services and issues related to all aspects of NASA activities. Ms. Thompson-King is responsible for oversight of substantive legal advice and assistance, and she provides advice and assistance to NASA senior management. Prior to her appointment Deputy General Counsel, Thompson-King served as the Associate General Counsel for Contracts, Procurement and Acquisition Integrity Practice Group in the Office of the General Counsel.
Thompson-King began her NASA career in 1986 when she joined the Office of Chief Counsel at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. In 1991, she moved to NASA Headquarters to become a senior attorney responsible for litigating protests before the General Services Administration Board of Contract Appeals, and in 1995 she became the Deputy Associate General Counsel (Contracts).
Thompson-King has been awarded NASA’s Exceptional Achievement Medal in recognition of her litigation accomplishments. She is the recipient of several NASA Group Achievement Awards for her performance in the implementation of innovative projects. Both the Office of Government Ethics and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration recognized her contributions to their respective ethics and satellite programs. In 2002, she received a Director’s Commendation for her dedicated service to NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala. Thompson-King also is a frequent panelist and lecturer on government contract issues.
Thompson-King received an A.B. in government from Smith College in Northampton, Mass., and earned a J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center in Washington. Thompson-King is a native of Lufkin, Texas and she is the daughter of Joe M. Thompson and Juanita Thompson (nee Johnson), who are both graduates of Lufkin’sDunbar High School and Prairie View A&M University.
For more information about NASA’s Office of General Counsel, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/offices/ogc/about/index.html
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