A conceptual drawing of Spaceport America. (Courtesy photo)
The N.M. Spaceport Authority on Monday named retired Air Force civilian employee Christine Anderson to be its executive director.
Following what has been a rocky transition for Spaceport America from the Richardson administration to the Martinez administration, Anderson said she’s excited about the project.
“I am excited for the opportunity to lead a project that has such a high potential for success,” she said in a news release. “I look forward to working with Governor Martinez and the board of directors to ensure that the spaceport is developed into an economic engine that can drive development and job creation in New Mexico.”
Gov. Susana Martinez said she is “pleased that the Spaceport Authority Board of Directors has chosen an exceptionally qualified individual to oversee operations at the spaceport.”
“With proper management and the right approach, the spaceport project has the potential to create jobs, spur economic development, and make New Mexico a leader in space travel,” Martinez said. “My administration is committed to working closely with Ms. Anderson and the board of directors to attract private investment and see the project through to its full potential.”
More from a news release:
“Before retiring from the Air Force, Anderson was a member of the Senior Executive Service, the civilian equivalent of the military rank of General officer. Anderson was the founding Director of the Space Vehicles Directorate at the Air Force Research Laboratory, Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico. She also served as the Director of the Space Technology Directorate at the Air Force Phillips Laboratory at Kirtland, and as the Director of the Military Satellite Communications Joint Program Office at the Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center in Los Angeles where she directed the development, acquisition and execution of a $50 billion portfolio. She is also a Fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. Anderson earned a B.S. in mathematics from the University of Maryland, and completed the National Security Leadership Program at Johns Hopkins University and the Senior Management in Government Program at Harvard University.”