Lori Garver

Lori Garver
Born	(1961-05-22) May 22, 1961 Lansing, Michigan, United States
Nationality	American
Education	· BA in Political Science and Economics from Colorado College  · MA in Science, Technology, and Public Policy from the George Washington University
Occupation(s)	Deputy NASA Administrator Obama Presidential Transition Team - NASA Agency Review Head, and political advisor

Lori Beth Garver (born May 22, 1961 in Lansing, Michigan) is the Deputy Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. She was nominated on May 24, 2009, by President Barack Obama, along with Charles Bolden as NASA Administrator. She was confirmed by the United States Senate by unanimous consent on July 15, 2009.

Garver was the lead civil space policy advisor for the 2008 Obama presidential campaign and helped guide the agency review team for NASA during the post-election transition. She worked at NASA from 1996 to 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.

White House Press Release

President Obama said,

These talented individuals will help put NASA on course to boldly push the boundaries of science, aeronautics and exploration in the 21st century and ensure the long-term vibrancy of America’s space program.

The White House Press Release went on to say:

Lori Garver, Nominee for Deputy Administrator of NASA Lori Garver is the President of Capital Space, LLC, and has served as Senior Advisor for Space at the Avascent Group, a strategy and management consulting firm, based in Washington, D.C. She was the lead civil space policy advisor for Obama for America, and she helped lead the Agency Review Team for NASA during the Transition. She has intimate familiarity with the agency and knows well the challenges it faces. From 1998 to 2001, Ms. Garver served as NASA’s Associate Administrator of the Office of Policy and Plans. Reporting to the NASA Administrator, she oversaw the analysis, development, and integration of NASA policies and long-range plans, the NASA Strategic Management System, and the NASA Advisory Council. Ms. Garver also served as a primary spokesperson for NASA. Prior to this appointment, she served as a Senior Policy Analyst for the Office of Policy and Plans, and Special Assistant to the Administrator. Ms. Garver earned an M.S. in Science, Technology, and Public Policy from the George Washington University and a B.A. in Political Science and Economics from Colorado College.

"NASA Review" transition team

Garver was named to lead the Obama Presidential Transition Agency Review Team for NASA in mid-November. Other members were announced in the weeks following.

In December 2008, Garver encountered NASA administrator Mike Griffin at a book signing party for John Logsdon.

On December 16, 2008, the transition team met with Mars Society officers.

Background

Garver received her Masters degree in Science, Technology, and Public Policy from the George Washington University in 1989, and her Bachelors degree in Political Science and Economics from Colorado College in 1983.

From 1998 to 2001, she served as the Associate Administrator of the Office of Policy and Plans for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Reporting directly to the NASA Administrator, she oversaw 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. Ms. Garver served as a primary spokesperson for NASA. Prior to this appointment, Ms. Garver served as a Senior Policy Analyst for the Office of Policy and Plans, and Special Assistant to the Administrator.

Garver is the President of Capital Space, LLC, and has served as a Senior Advisor for Space at the Avascent Group, a strategic consulting firm, based in Washington, D.C. Ms. Garver served as Vice President of DFI Corporate Services (the predecessor organization to the Avascent Group) from 2001 – 2003. In these roles, she provided strategic planning, technology feasibility research, and business development assistance, as well as merger, acquisition, and strategic alliance support to financial institutions and Fortune 500 aerospace, defense, telecommunications, and information technology companies.

In 2001 and 2002, Ms. Garver initiated a project to increase the visibility and viability of commercial spaceflight. Supporting a client who was paying for a trip to space led to her own quest for a sponsored space flight 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 Russia. The effort ended upon the news of the Space Shuttle Columbia accident.

She is a past Executive Director of the National Space Society, a non-profit space organization based in Washington, DC.

She has been a strong supporter of space exploration and human spaceflight.

Garver has served as a lead space policy advisor for the Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton and John Kerry campaigns for president. She has represented these campaigns as a surrogate at various events and conferences.

From 8/2/2007 to 8/11/2007, she was a guest lecturer at the International Space University summer session.

At the Mars Society, 2008, she debated on behalf of her candidate, Barack Obama..

Garver lives in McLean, Virginia with her husband, David Brandt, and their two children, Wesley and Mitchell.

Presentations

Ms. Garver has testified on matters relating to the overall NASA Budget and science program funding and mission posture before the Senate Subcommittee on International Trade, the Senate Subcommittee on Science, Technology and Space, the House Subcommittee on Space, and to the Committee on the Future of the U.S. Space Program (Augustine Committee). In addition, she has made presentations to many symposia and conferences, among the topics and audiences addressed:

“Providing Space Policy Guidance to New World Leaders,” (International Space University, Beijing, China, 2007)
"Congress and America’s Future in Space,” (Woodrow Wilson International Center, Washington, DC, 2007)
“Communicating with the Public on Space,” (International Space Development Conference, Los Angeles, CA, 2006)
“Political Outreach for Space”, (International Space Development Conference, Washington, D.C., 2005)
“Evaluating the New Space Policy,” (The Marshall Institute, Washington, DC, 2004)
“Commercial Space Efforts,” (National Space Symposium, Colorado Springs, CO, 2002)
“Citizen Space Travel,” (Washington Space Business Roundtable, Washington, DC, 2002)
“Commercial Space Opportunities,” (World Space Congress, Houston, TX 2002)
“Commercial Space Travel,” (California Space Authority, Los Angeles, CA, 2002)
“The Future of Our Aerospace Effort” (Testimony to the Commission on the Future of U.S. Aerospace Industry, Washington, DC, 2002)
“Turning Goals Into Reality” (NASA Aerospace Technology Conference, Washington, DC, 2001)
“Twenty-First Century Space Development” (Space 2000 Conference and Exposition, Albuquerque, 2000)
“Space Exploration Public and Private Partnerships” (American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Bermuda, 1999)
“International Space Cooperation: New Government and Industry Relationships” (American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Banff, Canada, 1998)
“News from Out of this World: The Search for Extraterrestrial Life” (American University, Washington, D.C., 1996)
“Space Advocacy” (Aerospace States Association, Washington, D.C. 1996)
“Partnerships in Space” (NASA Alumni League Annual Conference, Houston, Texas, 1995)
“Space Science and Exploration: Vision for the 21st Century” (11th Symposium on Space Nuclear Power and Propulsion, Albuquerque, New Mexico, 1994)
“Public Perceptions of the Threat: The Collision of an Asteroid or Comet with Earth”, (Erice International Seminar on Planetary Emergencies, Italy, 1993)
“Social Implications of Nuclear Propulsion” (Advanced Technologies Symposium, NASA Lewis Research Center/AIAA, Cleveland, Ohio, 1991)
“Mission to Planet Earth Public Outreach” (International Space Development Conference, San Antonio, Texas, 1991)
“Communicating the Vision” (SOAR Conference, National Science Teachers Association, Washington, D.C., 1990)
“Space and Education” (International Space University, Toronto, Canada, 1990)
“The New Space Race” (The Space Summit, National Space Club, Huntsville, Alabama, 1990)
“The Space Constituency: A U.S. Example” (CNES, Paris, France, 1989)

Public Relations

While at Capital Space, Avascent, DFI, NASA and at the National Space Society, Ms Garver served as a spokesperson promoting the importance of the U.S. Space Program as well as investment in science and technology. She has appeared on many major new programs, including NBC’s Today Show, ABC’s Good Morning America, CBS News, Night Watch, PBS’s Leher News Hour and Technopolitics, USIA’s Worldnet, Fox Morning News, MSNBC, C-SPAN’s Washington Report, CNN’s Crier & Company, and Crossfire Broadcasts. She has participated in numerous radio interviews and call-in shows including NPR’s All Things Considered, Talk of the Nation and Science Friday. She is regularly interviewed by the major science and space print journalists, including those from the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, the Washington Times and the Christian Science Monitor. Ms. Garver is often featured or quoted in the trade press including Space News, Aviation Week and Space Technology, Space Business News and the Washington Business Journal.

Policy Analysis

As a policy analyst in the aerospace industry, Garver served on the science and technology committee for the John Kerry for President Campaign, leading the space policy team and representing the campaign in numerous interviews and debates. At NASA, Ms. Garver was responsible for developing policy documents and guidelines relating to the NASA strategic management system, multi-media, commercial space and space transportation. She participated in numerous policy workshops including American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics workshops on International Cooperation, the Strategic Avionics Technology Working Group (SATWG), the GMU Workshop on Constituency Building for Space Exploration, NASA Lunar Architecture Workshop, Ames Robotic Lunar Workshop and briefed the NASA Advisory Council and several of the NAC sub-committees. She served on the program committee for the International Conference on the Public Understanding of Science, sponsored by the International Center for the Advancement of Scientific Literacy.

Publications

“Planetary News: Space Policy”, occasional column for The Planetary Society, The Planetary Report and website, 2005 - present
“When Perception Becomes Reality: Evolving the American Public’s View of NASA,” Co-authored with Robin-Marie Williams for AIAA Space 2006
“Senator John Kerry’s Space Policy,” Space News, 2004
“President’s Column”, Space Times, monthly from 2000 - 2002
“A Worthwhile Effort,” Space News, 2002
“President’s Column,” Space Times, bi-monthly column, 2001-2002
“Strategic Planning at NASA”, co-authored with Mathew Crouch for the International Astronautical Federation Congress, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 2000
“Between a Rocket and a Hard Place”, co-authored with Dr. Roger Launius for the International Astronautical Federation Congress, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 2000
“Creating a Spacefaring Civilization,” Ad Astra, bi-monthly column, 1988-1996
“Congressional Perception of Public Reaction to the Threat” co-authored with Robert Park and Terry Dawson, Hazards Due to Comets and Asteroids, Tom Gehrels, 1994
“Should NASA Continue Making Manned Space Exploration a Priority?” a debate with (former) Congressman Bill Green, The Costco Connection, 1992
“Ask the Customers what they Want,” Space News, 1992
“Mission to Planet Earth Day,” International Astronautical Federation Congress, Dresden, Germany, 1990
“Constituency Building – The Key to a Successful Space Program,” Space News, 1990
“Returning to the Moon: A Rationale for Solar System Exploration,” co-authored with Ronald McCandless, for the International Astronautical Federation Congress, Torremolinos, Spain, 1989
“Political, Economic and Legal Considerations of International Cooperation on a Lunar Base,” co-authored with Ronald McCandless, for the 9th Princeton Conference on Space and Manufacturing, Princeton, New Jersey, 1989

Other Affiliations and Awards

Member, International Academy of Astronautics, 2001 – present
Recipient, One of the 10 Who Made a Difference, Space News, 2005
Member, Board of Directors, Women in Aerospace, 2001-2004
Member, Board of Directors, Space Day Foundation, 2001-2004
Recipient, NASA Distinguished Service Medal, 2001
President, American Astronautical Society, 2000-2001
Recipient, Honorary Doctorate of Laws, The Colorado College, 2000
Member, Board of Advisors, Women of Washington, 1998 – 2000
Recipient, National Space Society, Space Pioneer Award, 1997
Member, Board of Director’s McLean Hamlet Association, 1997-2007
Recipient, NASA Distinguished Public Service Medal, 1996
Member, Steering Group, Space Transportation Association 1996-1997
Member, Board of Advisors, 2111 Foundation for Exploration 1996-1997
Member, Board of Directors, the Hill Pre School, 1995-1997
Member, Advisory Committee, D.C. Space Grant Consortium, 1995-1996
Member, Board of Directors, Spacecause, 1988-1996
Member Board of Advisors, Students for the Exploration and Development of Space, 1991-1996
Member, NASA Advisory Council, 1994-1996
Member, Department of Transportation’s Commercial Space Transportation Advisory Committee (COMSTAC), 1993-1996
Co-Chair, Education Committee, International Astronautical Federation, 1988 – 1993
Member, Board of Directors, Women in Aerospace, 1989-1994
President, Women in Aerospace, 1993