Mr. Bolden is the 12th administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Nominated by President Barack Obama and confirmed by the U.S. Senate, retired Marine Corps Maj. Gen. Charles Frank Bolden, Jr., began his duties on July 17, 2009. As Administrator, he leads the NASA team and manages its resources to advance the agency's missions and goals. Prior to his nomination for the NASA administrator's job, he was employed as the chief executive officer of JACKandPANTHER LLC. His 34-year career with the Marine Corps included 14 years as a member of NASA's Astronaut Office. After joining the office in 1980, he traveled to orbit four times aboard the space shuttle between 1986 and 1994, commanding two of the missions. Bolden's NASA astronaut career included technical assignments as lead astronaut for vehicle test and checkout at the Kennedy Space Center, and assistant deputy administrator at NASA Headquarters.
