The Center Director's State of the Center Address was given by Mr. A. V. Diaz on February 1, 2001 to all Goddard employees. The text of that speech follows:
Good morning. Thank you all for coming.
(Image of Goddard quote and 40th anniversary graphic)
Helen Keller said: ôWhen we do the best we can, we never know what miracle is wrought
in our life, or in the life of another.ö
I wish I had said that, because I do believe it to be so true. As I gain a greater
understanding of the wonderful work you do, I am aware of not only our mission
successes, but also am mindful of a tidal wave of positive and significant importance as a
result of your work.
What you do every day improves the quality of life for millions of people around the
world. I learn new things about the work of Goddard everyday and how this work
transfers from being technology and science-oriented to user-oriented. ThatÆs where
miracles happen.
There are so many good things going on at Goddard: a stream of new discoveries and
findings; a steady flow of solid engineering innovations; creative thinking and problem
solving; courage in the face of competition; clever and practical business practices;
overwhelming support from the administrative community to cheer on the eventual
delivery of new knowledge that reaches our children through education and experience.
You are doing the best you can; and the miracles that happen as a consequence of your
efforts will be passed down to current and future generations in very relevant ways.
Today we will take a look in the rear view mirror at recent accomplishments. But we will
also look forward to the near term and future direction. Before taking this time-capsule
journey, I must recognize that while it appears easy to point to significant events as the
great milestones of 2000, I am equally aware that great things happen because of small,
daily, routine and heroic actions by every person at Goddard.
We deliver extremely sophisticated instruments and spacecraft into orbit to take complex
measurements that eventually tell us about the Earth and the Universe. The senior
management team and I recognize that the work gets done by people here, at Greenbelt,
and at Wallops, which celebrated its 55th Anniversary this year, at GISS in New York, at
White Sands in New Mexico and our most recent member of the family, at the IV&V
Facility in West Virginia.
You do important work and you work hard, very hard to accomplish our goals. More than
most organizations, people at Goddard go that extra mile and I hope I never take for
granted nor abuse your dedication and commitment to deliver excellence and your best.
Your hard work is the reason we succeed and I can stand here and tell you about our
achievements.
I am very, very proud to be a part of Goddard in large part because you make it a great
place, a special place. I hear that from visitors and guests. They remember most vividly
the people of Goddard, and I understand why.
Everyday we see the ideas of high tech gadgets from the latest in wireless computers and
communications to the application of GPS for recreational purposes. These are things that
can make life easier or more fun. We can only guess how much was initiated by way of
the space program well over 40 years ago. And the miracles of the next 40 plus years can
begin right here at Goddard because of you. I believe that to be true.
Introduction of themes
This afternoon I want to share with you: what I see as a status of the center; a review of
some of the achievements of the last year; a picture of our future and how we will
achieve future goals. I also want to share pieces of a presentation that was presented to
the AgencyÆs senior managers on our strategic planning. What we told the boss is what
we will tell you as well.
I also will ask you to participate. Please listen carefully and ask me the hard questions. If
I donÆt know the answer, there are folks here who do, or will get you an answer; or we
may say ôwe donÆt know,ö but will try to find out.
Changes
One of the messages I have emphasized is the inevitability of change. In the past year,
some visible changes have taken place in the senior management of the Center. Several
of our leaders have moved into new leadership positions elsewhere in the Agency or in
the Federal Government. Some members of the Executive Council have completed their
government service and retired from NASA, but have taken up new challenges.
(Image of John Campbell)
Among the new faces on the Executive Council is John Campbell (image) the Director of
Flight Programs and Projects.
(Image of Jonathan Ormes and Jim Barrowman)
Jonathan Ormes and Jim Barrowman are leading the Space Science Directorate until a
new Director of is named due to Steve HoltÆs departure.
(Image of Rick Obsenschain and John Hrastar)
Rick Obenschain is now the Director of AETD and John Hrastar is the new Director of
STAAC.
(Image of Alison McNally)
Alison McNally (image) is the new Director for Management Operations, replacing
Sherry Foster who is now the executive director of the Centennial of Flight Commission.
(Image of Salomonson and Einaudi)
And most recently, Vince Salomonson, the Director of the Earth Science Directorate has
completed a 10-year stint as the head of that organization. Franco Einaudi has accepted
the role as the new Director of that organization.
(Image of Sherry and Vince)
I think it is important to point out that several of these recent changes û SherryÆs, VinceÆs
and SteveÆs û reflect something I believe strongly, and that is we all need to find balance
in our personal and work lives, and that being a manager need not limit your options for
the future.
In SherryÆs case, her new job will allow her to devote more time to her family. In VinceÆs
case, he took what IÆd like to think of as an extended sabbatical from his first love û
science - to guide the Earth Science directorate in the build up toward the launch of the
EOS series of spacecraft. In SteveÆs case, he has the opportunity to teach and be close to
his grandchildren.
So, while I will miss very much the thoughtful and highly competent support from those
Executive Council members who have moved on to other things, I applaud them for the
incredible service they provided this Center, and I know that they will continue to excel
in their new positions. For us, here at Goddard, we can look forward to continued success
with highly competent and dedicated leaders.
(Image of people at Goddard)
I also believe these recent changes say something else important about this Center, and
that is the caliber of the people who work here. A number of Goddard alumni have taken
on new roles of even greater responsibility, concrete evidence that the Goddard
environment attracts great people, offers them an opportunity to grow, and prepares them
for even bigger things.
TodayÆs Executive Council will continue GoddardÆs 40-year record of superb scientific,
engineering and administrative excellence, and am looking forward to working with them
and with you as we do even more incredible things in the next millennium.
Transition
The next thing IÆd like to talk to you about is the transition û I know it is on everyoneÆs
mind these days. Everyone wants to know what the impact will be for Goddard? The
honest answer is I donÆt know.
One of the things I decided to do this year, because I knew you would have questions
about the new Administration and the new Congress that I simply cannot answer this
early in the transition, is to meet with the employees and the supervisors of the Center
more frequently so that as we learn more, we can share that information with you.
I recognize that these all-hands sessions are difficult on schedules, but IÆve been told that
if we keep these events short and interesting we all can learn from them. This year we
will offer every other month a session for all-hands, and quarterly sessions for all
supervisors.
At these all-hands sessions weÆll give you a quick look at issues regarding the
administrationÆs transition progress, and report on any budget information that we have.
We will also invite major topics, such as earth science, space science, or technology, to
give you an update on what is new, exciting, dramatic, or what could be an issue. I
welcome your comments on this plan.
We will do our best to make these events worth your time.
Center achievements
Taking a glimpse in the rearview mirror there are some wonderful examples of the great
accomplishments for 2000. It always troubles me a bit to try and cite some of our
achievements because there are so many. Where do you even begin? These are but a few
examples of some of the stories from last year. Understanding these accomplishments
provides us with a stronger sense of where weÆve been, and where we are going, and
helps us shape our future goals.
Goddard is pioneering a new interdisciplinary field of research in Earth system science.
Our job is to understand the dynamics and interactions of the land, oceans, atmosphere,
ice sheets, and biota. This is a vitally important and unique opportunity to study and leave
for our children a better understanding of our Earth.
(Image of Terra launch)
In December Æ99 we launched Terra the flagship spacecraft in the EOS series. This
spacecraft is producing data that will give us a comprehensive evaluation of the Earth as
a system and will establish a new basis for long term monitoring of the EarthÆs climate
changes. Among the first Terra images were those of North America (image) that showed
global surface temperatures and spring greening.
(Image of Terra and fires in Montana)
Last summer, Terra images, as well as Landsat data, were called to the front lines to help
firefighters in the mountains of Montana and Idaho battle dozens of blazes. The MODIS
(image of MODIS data used in Montana or Idaho) sensor observed the fire region in 36
different wavelengths of the spectrum, from visible to thermal infrared, giving
firefighters another tool to pinpoint the locations of still burning fires.
Terra and its instruments are doing exceptionally well and I look forward to sharing with
you more about this in the future.
(Landsat 7 image)
Landsat 7 celebrated its 1st birthday and continues to exceed researchersÆ expectations.
As an example, this spacecraft will acquire a complete data set of the worldÆs coral reefs
to help researchers keep track of these important, fragile ocean ecosystems like never
before.
(Safari 2000 image)
While fires scorched the landscape of Southern Africa this past year, a team of Goddard
scientists led a campaign, SAFARI 2000, to understand the sustainability of the regionÆs
sensitive and pressured ecosystems. An intensive 6 week field campaign, combined with
Terra and Landsat 7 data, the ER 2 aircraft and other sources, came together to give us
the best view yet of the impact of one of the highest levels of biomass burning in the
world.
(Ozone hole image)
Goddard scientists determined that the area of ozone depletion over the Antarctic, about
11 million square miles, was three times larger than the entire land mass of the US, the
largest such ôozone holeö observed to date. These findings reinforce the concerns about
the frailty of the EarthÆs ozone layer despite curtailed production of ozone destroying
gases.
(Ice Mapping image)
Scientists at Wallops showed us, by way of ice mapping, that the frozen area around
Greenland is thinning at a rate of more than three feet per year in some places. We have a
far more accurate map of the area to detect changes in the elevation. DonÆt sell your
beach property as yet. The amount of sea level rise may not threaten coastal regions, but
these results provide evidence that the margins of the ice sheet are in a process of change.
(TRMM image)
Three years ago we collaborated with the Japanese in the launch of the TRMM
spacecraft. The Microwave Imager onboard is the first microwave spacecraft sensor
capable of accurately measuring sea-surface temperatures through clouds. The data from
the sensor has great potential to increase the accuracy of tropical storm and climate
forecasts. With a complete picture of these temperatures, the National Weather Service
can improve their numerical models. How is all this important? Many developing
nationsÆ economies are tied to agriculture that is highly sensitive to climate fluctuations.
When forecasts are issued based on observations and models farmers and local
government officials can meet to decide an the appropriate combination of crops to sow
to maximize the overall yield.
(EO-1 images)
Last fall we launched EO- 1 to develop and test a set of advanced technology land
imaging instruments. EO-1 is flying in formation with the Landsat 7 satellite taking a
series of the same images.
Comparing these "paired scene" images will be one means to evaluate EO-1's land
imaging instruments. EO-1's smaller, cheaper and more capable instruments and
technologies will set the pace for future Earth Science missions in the New Millennium.
In our Space science program, we seek to answer some fundamental questions about the
galaxy and the Universe, the connection between the Earth and the Sun, and the origin
and evolution of planetary systems.
(HST Celebration montage)
This past spring we celebrated the 10th Anniversary of the launch of the Hubble Space
Telescope.
(HST discoveries montage)
To date, the HST data has generated over 2650 scientific papers.
In HubbleÆs hall of fame are images such as the deepest view so far of the Universe in
visible light; images of the birth of stars, a map of the surface of Pluto, and evidence that
galaxies may have been built up from smaller objects early in the history of the Universe.
One of the mysteries the HST tells us about is the relation of a black hole and the
formation of the galaxy in which it is found.
(Mars Global Surveyor images)
Researchers on the Mars Global Surveyor, a Mars-orbiting spacecraft, discovered the
presence of large underground channels that cannot be seen in photographs of the
Martian surface. These channels may have poured water into a large basin, even an early
ocean.
(CME image)
Using the triad of SOHO, WIND and TRACE and working with colleagues in academia
and in other agencies, we now have a new method for predicting the arrival time of
certain solar disturbances on the Earth.
These disturbances, called coronal mass ejections, erupt from the Sun, and fly through
space at about 1 million mph.
The new technique can predict with an accuracy of about a half-day when the disturbance
will begin affecting the Earth.
(Polar view of Aurora)
Using Goddard operated WIND and TRACE spacecraft, researchers described a
remarkable event in May. The solar wind that blows constantly off the Sun suddenly
disappeared. The episode was the most drastic and longest-lasting ever observed. The
severe drop in the solar wind also changed the shape of the EarthÆs magnetic field and
produced an unusual type of auroral display at the North Pole.
(Boomerang and MAP image)
Using a balloon payload, named BOOMERANG, researchers have in hand the most
detailed map ever of a region of the Universe as it looked in its infancy.
Images reveal structure that existed when the Universe was a tiny fraction of its current
age and 1,000 times smaller and hotter than it is today. A follow on mission, MAP, is
being built here at Greenbelt.
(CGRO image)
The space science story for the year is incomplete without mentioning the de-orbit of the
Compton Gamma Ray Telescope. This unusual and amazing effort returned the
spacecraft safely to Earth. Upon completing its mission and then some, the CGRO was
brought into a controlled re-entry into the Pacific Ocean. It was a ôbittersweetö day.
While I know this was a big disappointment to our scientists, the execution of this
incredibly complex and important task by the technologists at this Center was flawless.
While we talk a lot about our science and engineering achievements at these sessions, IÆd
also like to point out our Administrative organizations do a superb job as well.
For example, in a unique and challenging move, the Center led the creation of the first
Regional Finance Office which consolidates the financial and business requirements for
Goddard, HQ and JPL. This is no small endeavor and our financial community deserves
recognition for their perseverance and insights to make such a consolidation successful
and a model for the rest of the Agency
I salute all of you for these and all the many other achievements that time simply does not
permit me to describe.
In addition to the results I just described, in the past 12 months or so we also successfully
launched a number of new payloads and instruments, including:
(Mission Success! Chart 1)
NOAA L
TDRS H
Cluster
(Mission Success! Chart 2)
Image
GOES L
(Mission Success! Chart 3)
XMM
ULDB
(Mission Success! Chart 4)
IRAC instrument delivery
EO 1/SAC C
HETE û 2
I am incredibly proud of this record of success, a record that I believe is unparalleled
anywhere in government or industry. Mission success has been the watchword of this
Center for the past 40 years, and I know you are as committed as I am to continue this
extraordinary level of success.
One of the functions that will aid us in maintaining this record of mission success, and
itÆs a credit to the men and women of this Center that we were chosen, we have recently
assumed for the Agency the management of the Independent Validation and Verification
facility in Fairmont, West Virginia.
(Image of IV and V)
Established as part of an Agency-wide strategy to provide the highest levels of safety and
cost effectiveness for mission critical software, this Facility continues to grow and has
made significant contributions to NASAÆs safety record.
Their expertise is especially necessary today as we grow more dependent on complex
software to achieve mission objectives. I am very happy that the IV&V is an official part
of the Goddard family.
(Image of Future Missions)
Over the past three years, when we examine the productivity of Goddard in terms of what
goes out the door, we are at a remarkable delivery rate of about one instrument,
spacecraft, or launch every 7 weeks. In the year 2000, that rate went to about one major
activity every five weeks. And next year, we will continue at that somewhat dizzying
pace.
We have 11 launches coming up:
HESSI March
TIMED May
QUICKTOMS May
MAP June
AQUA July
GOES M July
POES/NOAA M August
TDRS I October
GRACE November
HST SM 3B November
ICESAT/CATSAT December
(Wallops Island image)
In addition, Space Shuttle missions in the coming year will carry a number of Student
Experimental Modules, Hitchhiker and Getaway Specials, a technology and approach
pioneered by Goddard to make access to space more affordable and ôreachable.ö The
folks in Code 870 at Wallops and Greenbelt are doing the heavy lifting on this activity.
Wallops is also developing a revolutionary research balloon that could open up a new era
in scientific research.
Tests began last month in Australia. Using what is the largest single cell, super-pressure
(fully sealed) balloon ever flown, instruments can be lofted for global observations. We
are very excited by this potential as a new way to access space and acquire valuable data.
In addition, we are exploring ways to take this balloon technology beyond the reaches of
Earth and applying it to planetary missions.
The folks at Wallops also are embarking on a new initiative to advance range technology.
In working with the Air Force and the folks at Kennedy, technology is being developed
and tested that will lower the cost of range support, thus reducing the cost of science
missions. Their efforts hold great promise in making space more accessible.
GoddardÆs Future
IÆd like to change gears now. IÆve been talking mostly about where weÆve been in the past
year or so, but now IÆd like to turn to where we are heading.
Around the holiday time, the Administrator called for his regular senior management
meeting for the AAÆs and Center Directors. This gave us the opportunity to reflect on
how we will face the coming year in a strategic sense.
IÆd like to share with you some of the charts we used at that time because they provide a
glimpse into GoddardÆs long-range future.
(GSFCÆs Future chart)
In the next 10 years, Goddard will provide leadership in implementing:
ò Earth science missions to understand how the Earth is changing and the primary causes
of change û these will include missions such as Aqua, Aura, the Global Carbon Cycle
initiative, the NPP and the Global Precipitation Mission.
ò In space science, we will undertake missions to understand aspects of the coupled Sun-
Earth system that directly affect life and society û these include Solar Terrestrial Probes
and the Living With A Star program.
ò And we will be developing large space observatories that take us to the limits of gravity,
space and time û these include the Next Generation Space Telescope, LISA, GLAST,
Con X, MAXIM and SPECS.
Key to all of these future missions is technology development associated with large
telescopes and highly distributed and coordinated space systems.
Indeed, our technologies are absolutely critical to our success.
(Mission Competencies Chart)
We have spent a considerable amount of time and effort identifying the competencies that
we believe are the hallmark of Goddard and the key to future work.
In order to ensure we have the right people with the right set of core competencies to
develop the missions that are so critical to our long-term future, we are in the midst of the
most aggressive hiring we have done in a decade.
We understand that to ensure a healthy influx of exciting and challenging in-house
hardware and software development work, we must maintain and enhance these core
competencies, retain and attract the ôbest and brightest,ö and ensure a mix of spacecraft
and instrument work.
To obtain this kind of work for the Center, our Engineering, Science and Project
Management organizations are working in partnership to layout a picture of the existing
commitments for in-house work over the next 10 years and assess the adequacy of this
work from a skills and competency perspective.
We are also identifying enterprise opportunities and are developing joint
science/engineering strategies for establishing a strong in-house role for Goddard.
Those are important and positive steps we are taking to keep Goddard in the forefront of
space exploration.
But on a less positive note, one of the things that I am currently focused on is a somewhat
sudden and dramatic increase in attrition.
Last fiscal year, we projected just under 150 people would leave our roles. At one point,
because we thought weÆd overestimated the attrition rate we dramatically curtailed hiring
and revised our total year loss prediction down to about 130. But later in the year,
attrition shot up, and our actual attrition for the year shot surpassed 170 people,
significantly exceeding not only our revised prediction but our original prediction as well.
This fiscal year, we predicted on the order of 145 losses, and planned that about one-third
of those would have taken place by this time. However, our actual losses so far are
actually closer to one-half of what we expect for the entire year. If this trend continues,
we will exceed our expected loses by quite a bit.
This, coupled with the uncertainties associated with the new administration and their
priorities means I cannot tell you today with absolute certainty where we will ultimately
end up.
What I can tell you is that our plan is to proceed with hiring those folks that were made
offers late last year. However, we are not presently authorized to go beyond that. We are
in discussions with HQ, and I am hopeful that we will get some clarification and
expanded guidance on hiring in the near future.
What I can tell you is we are working as hard as we can to achieve our fully authorized
complement of people.
With respect to specific engineering skills, both AET and STAAC have worked out
detailed hiring plans that identify very specifically the skills that they are hiring. Some of
these hires are key to maintenance of core capabilities and some are for the purpose of
getting us through the current programmatic workload crunch.
As for STAAC, they are pursuing a significant augmentation to their Systems Engineers,
Instrument Systems Engineers, Instrument Managers and Program Formulation
Managers, all of which link directly to maintaining our core competencies in end-to-end
mission development and project management.
And code 300 is pursuing software engineering hires for the IV&V facility.
And we are using, and will continue to use, every tool we have to bring specific
engineering skills to Goddard to ensure our core capabilities. In addition, we have
recently allocated more senior position resources to the engineering organizations to
retain the skilled people that we have already made a sizable investment in.
In November, I announced that I had authorized a substantial increase over the next
several years the number of GS-14 and above hands-on engineers. Most of these
positions are in the AET where we have decided that senior positions among its hands-on
engineering workforce will increase by 25 percent.
AET is targeting freshouts for over one-half of its hires, including graduating coop
conversions. And our Human Resources Office is staffing up the co-op program to meet
the demand.
In fact, in the case of IV&V, we are anticipating expanded use of co-ops as a mechanism
to get future hires into the Facility as soon as possible and grow them there.
(Workforce Investment Strategy chart)
While I believe there will be a great deal of challenging and exciting in house work in the
future, I think we must also be cognizant of the changing work environment and examine
innovative and creative ways to get the work done.
I believe there will be an increasing use of other than full-time permanent people and we
will be partnering with other institutions to achieve our objectives.
In STAAC, positions are being staffed through a combination of advertised internal
selections that offer career growth to current employees at the Center, and outside
selections. At least half of these outside hires have been targeted as other than Full Time
Permanent positions.
Prime examples of how a partnership arrangement can work, and is working, are recent
agreements with the Applied Physics Laboratory for work on the Living with a Star
initiative and the Goddard Earth Sciences and Technology Center at UMBC.
In fact, I just attended an event at GEST that was a sort of ribbon-cutting for the Center. I
say sort of, because they donÆt actually have a building, and in fact most of their
employees will be housed here, working side by side with our scientists and engineers.
I am extremely excited about this partnership because I believe it represents the way
government, academia and industry can and should work together to do cutting edge
research.
This kind of agreement will be a pathfinder, paving the way for the way we will do
business in the future where government scientists and technologist will work together to
conduct research, develop new missions, build instruments and distribute the data that
flows from the work
(Facilities Investment Strategy chart)
There is yet a third element to this equation and that is making the necessary investments
in our facilities.
Many of you have probably attended a briefing about our Facilities Master Plan - a 20
year vision for our campus that will give Goddard 21st Century capabilities.
Our vision is to make smart investments in the right kinds of facilities and equipment that
will maintain and enhance our reputation as a world class science and technology Center,
and give our employees a campus they can be proud of.
A substantial investment will be required and we will have to figure out a way to pay for
these enhancements in an extremely tight budget environment.
So we have a vision for the Center, and we will continue to investigate ways to bring this
vision to reality. And while we do not have a commitment for the entire Facilities Plan, it
provides an excellent framework for making decisions about future facilities and
equipment, and I hope that we can proceed in the near future with some elements of this
Plan.
Balance at Home and in the Workplace
To return to an earlier theme for a moment, I believe for us to be successful, we need
each and every one of you to be full participants in the business of Goddard. We cannot
afford the loss of talented people as a result of accident or mishap, anywhere, whether at
the workplace or at home.
(Safety pictures montage)
Here at Goddard, I will continue to stress the need for doing all we can to ensure a safe
and secure place to work and I encourage you to take full advantage of the CenterÆs
institutional expertise to help you assess and correct your work environment if needed.
We know, for example, that trips and falls are our number one cause of lost work days, so
you can help your fellow co-workers by taking action if you see a loose rug, a wet floor,
or anything else that may be an accident waiting to happen. Call 6-6295 (during office
hours) and 6-8080 (after office hours) if you see a situation that needs attention to avoid a
mishap.
We also know that unauthorized hostile penetrations of our IT systems can be costly to
our productivity. This year, while we as a center dramatically improved the security of
our systems, we nonetheless suffered several unnecessary incidents that took a lot of time
to recover form. We can and I know we will do better, but only if each of you take this
threat seriously.
It is vital that supervisors, line and project managers, team leaders, and researchers work
with each of their system administrators and impress upon them the need to take
appropriate and timely actions to safeguard GoddardÆs IT assets.
It is important enough to me, and to the Center, that I have asked Mark Walther to serve
full time in the new position of Deputy Chief Information Officer for IT Security, to be
located in the Office of the Director. As GoddardÆs most senior IT Security Official,
Mark will provide leadership and support to both our programmatic and infrastructure
communities. I would ask you to take a similar action as you would upon seeing an
unsafe condition: if you come across an area of our IT infrastructure that is vulnerable or
has been compromised, I hope you will call Mark on 6-8192 or Hank Middleton on 6-
7233 and report it so it can be dealt with immediately.
(Diversity Council image)
Something else that I am proud of is the creation this past year of the Diversity Council to
help us develop strategies to ensure that the center attains a highly skilled and diverse
workforce.
The Council:
*Published a Business Case for employee comment. This document outlines how
diversity adds value to the center in a business context.
*Examined the results of the 1999 Culture Survey from a demographic perspective and
developed a Plan of Action.
*Is working on a Quality of Work Life Program to promote a more friendly workplace.
*Is in the process of developing a Diversity Dialog Project involving groups of
employees who will seek a deeper understanding of diversity issues.
*Launched a web site for all employees to be informed on the Council activities
Just as safety is critical to our success, so too, is the inclusion of all our employees in the
conduct of our business.
You will be hearing more about the activities of the Council in the coming year.
So, in looking at whatÆs ahead of us this year, I recognize that the workload will not get
lighter.
And as I described earlier, there has been a dramatic increase in attrition which could
potentially exacerbate the work load and workforce problem.
That being said, our productivity continues to remain very high. ThatÆs because of the
incredible dedication of this work force.
So the challenge for us today remains one of balance û trying to do the work that needs to
be done, do it safely, and with the same degree of quality and success that we have
achieved in the past.
One of my goals for this year is to pursue actively those areas that may grant us more
balance between workload and resources and to keep an eye on what we must do as a
Center that will enable us to both maintain that balance and maintain our role as the
AgencyÆs Center of Excellence for scientific research.
Conclusion
(return to original image of Goddard quote)
This morning we discussed a large number of items, from the leadership of the center to a
look at our accomplishments, to the strategic view of our future. This was probably more
than should be covered and still be treated with fair attention.
If I can leave you with just one message, it is my appreciation of how the Goddard engine
is fueled by people, from a variety of backgrounds, interests, skills, talents and
capabilities.
We must continue to encourage the full participation of every individual to contribute so
that the Center can take full advantage of our differences to accomplish our missions.
Our diversity is a strength, not an obstacle. Bringing forward different points of view
enhances problem solving and innovative thinking.
What we have in common are our Center goals. We need each of you to share in these
goals in order to sustain the level of achievement and success we enjoy today.
IÆd like to take a moment and thank our two sign interpreters - Susan Said (Si-eed) and
Karl Kosiorek (Ka-sore-eck) - for the wonderful job they have done this morning.
Thank you for your kind attention, your dedication and commitment. I am
very proud of each of you.
At this point I hope to hear from you and take your questions. Microphone handlers are in
the auditorium.
After that, we will see if there are questions from Wallops, and then from Fairmont.