NASA Deputy Administrator Pamela Melroy recently met with Executive Mosaic for a handover ceremony of her 2023 Wash100 Award, accepting the plaque from CEO Jim Garrettson.
Melroy is a first-time inductee into the Wash100, an elite selection of public and private sector leaders who have made significant contributions to the government contracting industry. The award is a tribute to her advocacy of commercial innovation in aeronautics and space exploration.
A retired U.S. Air Force colonel, Melroy commanded the Space Shuttle mission STS 120, and was part of the STS-92 and STS-112 flights.
She later became senior technical advisor and director of field operations at the Federal Administration Administration’s Office of Commercial Space Transportation. She also worked at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency as deputy director of the Tactical Technology Office.
In the private sector, Melroy spent nearly two years at Lockheed Martin as director and deputy program manager. She was chosen by Nova Systems as director of space technology and policy, a role she kept for more than three years.
Under her current leadership, NASA awarded contracts under the Innovative Advanced Concepts program, which is focused on early-stage projects on aeronautics and cosmic mission technologies. The agency also pledged to conduct more research on lunar and Martian infrastructure, as well as science, transportation and life in other parts of the solar system.
“Pam is an incredibly capable NASA deputy administrator whose career builds upon her impressive experience as space shuttle commander (STS-120), NASA astronaut and member of the Astronaut Hall of Fame,” said Garrettson, who created the Wash100 Award. “Through her achievements and important continued work at NASA, she inspires many more women to follow a path of STEM, leadership and adventure,” he added.