Spaceport authority hires new executive director

The New Mexico Spaceport Authority announced today the hiring of a man with more than 20 years of experience in the aerospace industry to be its new executive director.

Steven Landeene replaces Rick Homans, who left the job in July. He will begin work on Jan. 7, according to a news release from the authority.

“Steven Landeene’s credentials speak for themselves,” Gov. Bill Richardson said in a news release. “His years of experience in engineering and business will be beneficial to marketing the aerospace industry and, more importantly, to this critical stage for Spaceport America.”

Landeene will be tasked with overseeing the final preparations for securing a license from the Federal Aviation Administration for the spaceport and keeping it on a schedule that will allow it to open by the middle of 2010.

Landeene has extensive experience in aerospace-related fields, including 20 years with Honeywell Aerospace and three years with Landmark Aviation. Most recently, Landeene served as the director of strategy and planning for sales and marketing for Landmark Aviation.

He has a bachelor’s degree in aeronautical and astronautical engineering from the University of Illinois and a master’s degree in business administration from Arizona State University.

“I’m excited to be spearheading such a groundbreaking endeavor that will create increased commercial access to space,” Landeene said in the release.

His duties will include overseeing all spaceport operations, staffing, planning and development. His role includes working as a liaison between government entities and managing the spaceport’s public relations. He will also be tasked with working with New Mexico State University to nurture a unique educational partnership.

But his immediate task is to transition Spaceport America from planning to actualization. The next critical step is approval of a gross-receipts tax increase in either Otero or Sierra county, which is necessary before the money generated from the tax already approved in the more populous Doña Ana County – about $49 million – can be spent. Neither county has set a date for a tax election, but both say they will.

There’s currently a dispute over whether Doña Ana County’s tax will take effect Jan. 1 as scheduled or can be delayed until one of the other counties acts. Doña Ana County commissioners and the spaceport authority want to delay the tax, but the state’s Taxation and Revenue Department says it can’t be delayed. The county’s commissioners have discussed the possibility of legal action to try to delay the tax.

Update, Dec. 7, 8:40 a.m.

A spokesman said Landeene’s annual salary will be $155,000.