NASA picks retired Marine to lead Johnson Space Center
NASA NEWS RELEASE
Posted: February 12, 2002

NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe today named Jefferson Davis Howell, Jr., as the new Director for NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC) in Houston, effective April 1. Howell, a retired U.S. Marine Corps Lieutenant General, is only the eighth person to serve as Director in the center's 40-year history.

"General Howell is a true patriot and leader with more than three decades of executive management and financial management experience," said NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe. "Throughout his military and civilian careers, Jeff has been a leader, an innovator and a team builder. He's the right person to lead the NASA center that's the cornerstone of our human spaceflight operations."

Howell, a retired U.S. Marine Corps Lieutenant General and former commander of Marine Forces, Pacific, currently serves as Senior Vice President and Program Manager for the Safety, Reliability, and Quality Assurance contract at JSC. He is employed by Science Application International Corporation (SAIC).

Howell has been with SAIC since February 1999, when he first served as Deputy Program Manager of the safety contract. He was named Program Manager in August 1999. Howell manages more than 525 people in support of a contract focused on safety and mission assurance in support of the Space Shuttle and International Space Station programs.

He retired from the U.S. Marine Corps in 1998 as Marine Forces Pacific Commander, reporting to the four star Commander in Chief, Pacific. Howell was responsible for the operational readiness, training, equipping and welfare of 80,000 Marine personnel based throughout the area. In this capacity, Howell was also charged with maintaining the readiness of more than 600 aircraft and managing an annual operational budget of more than one billion dollars.

"Howell's military service is exemplary and he has a legacy of organizational and financial expertise," concluded Administrator O'Keefe. "I am proud that he has accepted the opportunity and responsibility to lead JSC."

Assigned to naval flight training in 1964, Howell earned his wings as a Naval Aviator in 1965. He flew more than 300 combat missions during Vietnam.

In 1995, after numerous commands, he was promoted to Lieutenant General and assigned as the Command, Marine Forces Pacific/Commanding General Fleet Marine Forces Pacific and Commander Marine Corps Bases, Pacific. He was headquartered at Camp H.M. Smith, Oahu Hawaii, and designated Commander of U.S. Marine Forces Korea and Commander U.S. Marine Forces Central Command.

During a distinguished military career, Howell was awarded the Navy Distinguished Service Medal, the Defense Superior Service Medal, the Legion of Merit, a Bronze Star, and the Air Medal with two individual and 25 strike flight awards, and the Navy Commendation Medal. In 1980, he received the John Paul Jones Award for Inspirational Leadership from the Navy League of the United States.

He earned a bachelor's degree in Political Science and a master's degree in Economics at the University of Texas.

"This is a tremendous honor," said Howell. "The people who work at the Johnson Space Center are among the best and brightest in our industry with a history of incredible accomplishment. As we face the challenges of the upcoming year, we will work together, maintaining our commitment to safety and bringing the benefits of space home to the people of Earth."

"I also want to congratulate Roy Estess on the excellent job he has done here over the past year and thank him for his dedication to NASA."

Howell replaces Roy S. Estess who has been the center's acting director since February 23, 2001. Estess will return to his position as Center Director at the John C. Stennis Space Center in Mississippi.

"Over the past year, Roy has done a terrific job leading the dedicated people at Johnson," Administrator O'Keefe added. "He agreed to step in at a difficult and challenging time for the agency. His outstanding stewardship and advice played a vital role in today's announcement, and I have expressed my deep appreciation for his service to JSC and to NASA."

The Johnson Space Center is the home of human spaceflight, a leader in the field of astromaterials and is actively involved in developing new engineering and robotics capabilities and finding innovative ways to share these technologies with the public.