NASA Administrator Sean O’Keefe announced today, Dr. Jeremiah F. Creedon, Associate Administrator for Aerospace Technology is retiring after 40 years with the agency to join the faculty at Old Dominion University, Norfolk, Va., effective July 3. Creedon has held the position since June 2002.
“Jerry’s retirement is a true loss of talent and continuity for NASA,” said Administrator O’Keefe. “His insight, candor, management and leadership skills have helped NASA considerably. He has been an innovative and forward-looking leader. It will be daunting to find a professional of comparable expertise, insight, and passion to pursue the important aerospace technology effort. The entire NASA family wishes him well and much future success,” Administrator O’Keefe added.
Under Creedon, the Office of Aerospace Technology developed innovative technology for aeronautics and space applications. He was responsible for developing new university and commercial partnerships that developed and exploited technology breakthroughs.
Dr. J. Victor Lebacqz, Associate Director for Aerospace Programs at NASA’s Ames Research Center, will serve as acting Associate Administrator for Aerospace Technology. “Vic has been providing management and oversight for agency aerospace programs, for which Ames has lead responsibility,” Administrator O’Keefe said. “While we search for a successor for Jerry, Vic’s steady hand will keep us on course, as we continue to exploit aerospace technology advances,” O’Keefe said.
Prior to being named Associate Administrator, Creedon was Director of NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Va. Langley, founded in 1917, was the government’s first civilian managed aeronautical research laboratory. He was Langley’s seventh director in the center’s 86-year history.
“During my 40 years of public service, I had the privilege to develop technology that improved the quality of life as an engineer, center director, and finally as an associate administrator at Headquarters,” said Creedon. “Throughout my NASA experience, I have worked with dedicated, hard working people with superb capability. It has been my pleasure to work with them.”
A native of Rhode Island, Creedon graduated from the University of Rhode Island with Bachelor and Master of Science degrees and a Doctorate in electrical engineering in 1961, 1963 and 1970 respectively. In 1982-83, he was a Sloan Fellow at Stanford University and received a Master of Management Science degree. The author of more than 30 technical articles, Creedon is a fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics.
Creedon began his NASA career at Langley in June 1963 as a research engineer in the Navigation and Guidance Research Branch, Instrument Research Division. Since 1970, he has held a variety of management positions. He was named Head of the Control and Information Systems Section in 1970; Assistant Head of the Avionics Technology Research Branch in 1979; Chief of the Flight Control Systems Division in 1982; and Head of the Flight Systems Directorate in 1985 where he remained until 1994 when he became director of Aeronautics Program Group. In February 1996, he was named Director of the Airframe Systems Program Office.
In 1989, he received the Presidential Rank of Meritorious Executive in the Senior Executive Service for his outstanding contributions to the management of NASA programs. In 1990, he received the NASA Outstanding Leadership Medal “for outstanding leadership in defining high-payoff research programs and in developing productive research organizations to successfully implement the programs.”
In 1995, he received the Presidential Rank of Distinguished Executive in the Senior Executive Service. In 1998, he received the NASA Outstanding Leadership Medal “for his many personal contributions and untiring commitment to the Nation, NASA, and the Langley Research Center as an outstanding leader of vital aeronautics and space programs.”
In 2001, Creedon received the Presidential Rank of Meritorious Executive in the Senior Executive Service. He also received the Distinguished Service Medal in 2001 for his “distinguished service, outstanding leadership, and exceptional vision, enabling high-risk, high-technology research in support of the Nation’s aerospace effort.”
