Posted: Wed, Nov 14, 2001, 8:53 PM ET (0153 GMT)
As expected, President George W. Bush nominated Sean O'Keefe, deputy director of the Office of Management and Budget, to become the next administrator of NASA on Wednesday. Bush made the announcement in a statement released by the White House late Wednesday that also included several other nominations and appointments to non-NASA positions. Reports that O'Keefe would be named to the position leaked out Tuesday afternoon; by Wednesday news of the impending nomination was widely reported. O'Keefe's nomination will have to be approved by the Senate, but this is not expected to be a major issue, and O'Keefe could be in office by the end of the month. O'Keefe will come to the space agency with a financial, not aerospace background: in addition to his service at OMB he worked as comptroller and chief financial officer of the Defense Department during the administration of President George H.W. Bush. O'Keefe will succeed Dan Goldin, who is retiring as NASA administrator at the end of this week.
