Todd May retiring as Marshall Space Flight Center director

Marshall Space Flight Center Director Todd May, second from right, visits with Vice President Mike Pence, right, and employees at NASA International Space Station's Payload Operations and Integration Center at Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala. Sept. 25, 2017. May announced his retirement as center director on Monday, June 11, 2018. (Bob Gathany/bgathany@AL.com)

Marshall Space Flight Center Director Todd May said today that he is retiring at the end of July to "begin a new chapter in life." May, 51, said he intends to stay in the Huntsville, Ala., area but did not immediately announce his future plans.

"This was a difficult and emotional decision, primarily because of the amazing experience that a career at NASA affords, and the truly exceptional people you get to work with in this agency every day," May told employees in a letter.

A 27-year NASA employee, May has been a key figure in several agency programs and especially the development of the new rocket called the Space Launch System. He was named manager of SLS after the program received final approval in 2011, and Marshall is where the rocket was designed and some of it is being built. As Marshall director, May ends his NASA career leading one of NASA's largest field centers with nearly 6,000 civil service and contractor employees.

"The budget's good, the team is good," May said in an interview Monday afternoon. "We're safer than we've ever been, even though we're doing more dangerous operations than we've ever done. Employee morale is higher than it's ever been since we started the (Employee Viewpoint Surveys). I feel good about this place."

May said he met new NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine last Friday and had to end their first one-on-one session by telling Bridenstine of his decision. "I was so impressed by him," May said. "I told him, 'You've just added another challenge for me to walk out the door. I feel very comfortable with you, and I think you're going to be good for the agency.'"

"I usually step into a problem area and try to make it better," May said of his NASA career. "At this point, everything is in good shape. The center is better."

Marshall Deputy Director Jody Singer will serve as acting director until a new director is named.

(Updated at 3:20 CDT with new information and quotes from May)

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