Robin Henderson has been named Associate Director for Management in the Office of the Director at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala. Henderson succeeds Axel Roth, who recently retired.
In her new assignment, Henderson will provide executive leadership in the oversight, review and establishment of Marshall Center management policies.
“I’m excited about the opportunity to serve Marshall and the Agency in this new capacity,” Henderson said. “This is an exciting and dynamic time for NASA, and I look forward to providing leadership for the Vision for Space Exploration.”
The Vision, announced in January, calls for the return of the Space Shuttle to flight, completion of the International Space Station, and human and robotic exploration of the Solar System. The Marshall Center expects to play a significant role in implementing the Vision.
“I’m very pleased to have Robin Henderson on Marshall’s senior leadership team,” said Marshall Center Director David King. “Selecting the right people to lead Marshall into the future is essential. Robin has demonstrated exceptional leadership qualities. Her management ability and knowledge of Marshall’s people and programs will be a great asset to us.”
During her 21 years at NASA, Henderson has held a variety of positions, most recently serving as chief operating officer of the National Space Science and Technology Center, based in Huntsville. The center is operated by a partnership that includes the Marshall Center, industry affiliates, and the Alabama Space Science and Technology Alliance consisting of seven research universities. The facility enables cutting-edge research by scientists and educators at one location.
Other assignments have included the Program Planning and Control Office for the Hubble Space Telescope Office, where she advanced to positions of increased responsibility, including a one-year assignment at NASA Headquarters in Washington, working on development of the International Space Station; and assistant manager in the Space Systems Project Office, where she served in a number of key roles, including business manager for both the Upper Stage Projects Office and the Microgravity Projects Office. In 1998, Henderson was named deputy director of the Microgravity Research Program Office at Marshall.
In 1998, she was selected for the Senior Executive Service, the personnel system that covers most of the top managerial, supervisory and policy positions in the executive branch of the federal government.
During her career at Marshall, Henderson has received numerous awards, including NASA’s Exceptional Achievement Medal for outstanding contributions in planning and developing multiple microgravity projects. She also has received several NASA Group Achievement Awards, and Special Service Awards for exceptional contributions toward NASA’s space mission goals. In 1993, she was the only NASA employee – from more than 400 federal workers – selected for a program management training course sponsored by the Department of Defense.
The former Robin Neely, Henderson is a native of Decatur, Ala., where her mother, Kathryn W. Neely, resides. She graduated from Austin High School in Decatur and earned a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering from the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa in 1983.
Henderson and her husband, Cecil W. Henderson Jr., live in Decatur.
