[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 123 (Monday, July 22, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Page S4963]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





                 TRIBUTE TO DR. CHRISTOPHER J. SCOLESE

  Mr. CARDIN. Mr. President, just before the July recess, the Senate 
confirmed the nomination of Dr. Christopher J. Scolese to serve as 
Director of the National Reconnaissance Office, NRO. I doubt there is 
any individual more qualified for the job. I supported the nomination, 
but it was bittersweet because Chris has left his post as Director of 
NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, MD. Chris was the 
longest serving Director in Goddard's illustrious history.
  Chris is well-suited to run the NRO. To put the matter simply, he 
knows how to put stuff into space and make it work. I will provide just 
one example: the Terra mission. Chris was the project manager. Terra 
was supposed to be a 5-year Earth science mission that has now lasted 
20 years. Terra explores the connections between Earth's atmosphere, 
land, snow and ice, ocean, and energy balance to further our 
understanding of our home planet.
  I know the NRO is headquartered in Virginia, but with Chris at the 
helm, we Marylanders will consider it part of our State, just as we 
consider the Wallops Flight Facility to be part of Maryland. I was down 
at Wallops on April 17 for the successful commercial resupply services, 
CRS launch to the International Space Station and I visited Goddard on 
March 4 to discuss the impact of the 35-day government shutdown and the 
budget picture going forward with Chris and the Goddard workforce.
  Chris certainly has the academic credentials for the job. He holds a 
bachelor of science degree in electrica1 and computer engineering from 
the State University of New York at Buffalo, and he earned a master's 
degree in electrical and computer engineering and a Ph.D. in systems 
engineering from George Washington University. After Chris earned his 
bachelor's degree, ADM Hyman Rickover personally selected him to serve 
at Naval Sea Systems Command, NAVSEA, where he worked on the 
development of instrument and multi-processor systems for the U.S. Navy 
and the Department of Energy. I think anyone who could pass muster with 
Admiral Rickover can handle just about anything, including running the 
NRO.
  Chris's stint in the Nuclear Navy from 1978 to 1986 was just the 
beginning of a long, distinguished career in public service. In 1987, 
he joined Goddard's Earth Science team and became Earth Science Program 
Manager and Deputy Director of Flight Projects. Later, he moved to NASA 
Headquarters as Deputy Associate Administrator for Space Science for 3 
years before returning to Goddard where he rose to become Deputy 
Director. Chris then returned to NASA Headquarters, first as Chief 
Engineer and then as Associate Administrator, which is the top civil 
servant at the Agency. He served as Acting Administrator from January 
to July of 2009. He went back to Goddard, where he became Director in 
2012.
  I think. that moving over to the helm of NRO is a natural fit for 
Chris since Goddard manages many of NASA's space telescope programs, 
including the Hubble Space Telescope and the Wide-Field Infrared Survey 
Telescope, WFIRST, that have a technology heritage from NRO's 
satellites.
  I have enjoyed getting to know and working with Chris over the past 
several years. He developed great relationships with the Maryland 
delegation and with local officials. He is a subject matter expert and 
an excellent manager. He has an upbeat, amiable, and collegial 
personality that brings out the best in the people who work with him. 
Goddard employees from custodians and bus drivers to Nobel laureates 
felt free to engage with Chris. He listens and relates to everyone as a 
colleague. Former Dodgers' manager Leo Durocher famously said that nice 
guys finish last. He didn't know Chris. Chris is a genuinely nice guy 
who has come out on top, and deservedly so.
  Chris instituted a culture of diversity and inclusion at Goddard, and 
I am sure he will do the same at NRO. He is committed to inspiring the 
next generation. He has a great interest in STEM and talking with 
students. Goddard hosted over 500 interns every year while Chris was 
Director. He routinely referred students and young adults whom he met 
to Goddard's education director so they could learn more about working 
at Goddard. He has been committed to early career professionals and 
always included their voice in senior staff retreats. Above all, Chris 
is a dedicated public servant with the accolades and awards to prove 
it, including the 2018 American Institute of Aeronautics & Astronautics 
Von Karman Award, the Presidential Rank Award of Meritorious Executive, 
and the NASA Distinguished Leadership Medal, among many others.
  Whenever we talk about public servants, it is important to mention 
their spouses and other family members whose own sacrifices enable and 
support that service. I would be remiss if I failed to mention Chris's 
wife, Dianne, and their children: daughter Jenni and her husband Mark; 
son Dan and his wife Maura and their daughter Maddie who is Chris and 
Dianne's granddaughter; daughter Lauren and her fiance Ian; and 
daughter Anna.
  Chris may be from New York, and he may live and now work in Virginia, 
but we Marylanders will always consider him as one of our own, and we 
are grateful for his distinguished service to our Nation. I have no 
doubt that he will be a superb NRO Director.

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