[Cesg-all] CESG - Mike Kearney retirement

[Kearney, Mike W. (MSFC-EO01)]

Greetings to my CCSDS Colleagues - CESG and WG Chairs

I'm afraid I have some news.  I am retiring from NASA.  My last day working for NASA will be January 2.

I'm sorry for surprising everyone with this on short notice... it surprised me too.  NASA has a program that was announced in Early December to encourage retirement, and it doesn't allow much time for a graceful exit strategy.

I am leaving my CCSDS work in extremely good hands.  James Afarin at NASA HQ will immediately assume the role of NASA delegate to CCSDS and the CMC, and I have nominated him to be the next CMC Chairman and General Secretary.  The Secretariat day-to-day NASA management will be Kelvin Nichols at MSFC.

As I said in my note to the CMC, I can't express the sadness with which I leave the CCSDS teams, both technical and management.  I was actually eligible for full retirement from NASA ten years ago, and the criticality and excitement of the CCSDS work and the pleasure of working with my CMC and CCSDS colleagues were the driving factors in my annual decision to continue working for NASA.  I hope that I will be able to continue participating in some CCSDS role after my NASA retirement, but that will be TBD for some time.

I want to say that working on the CCSDS program has he most rewarding experience of my career.  CCSDS is developing capabilities that will be needed for virtually all of mankind's future spaceflight programs and international spaceflight ventures.  You and your CCSDS colleagues from your agencies are performing a function that is extremely critical and does not get the recognition it deserves.  I hope that this improves for CCSDS in the future.  And I thank all of you as individuals for the collegial working relationship and the friendship that was demonstrated during our time together with CCSDS.

All the best wishes for you and your teammates as CCSDS moves forward to even greater accomplishments.  And all the best wishes for you and your families in the upcoming holiday season.

Best regards,

   -=- Mike

Mike Kearney
Lead Technology Manager
Mission Operations Laboratory
NASA MSFC EO-01
+1-256-544-2029

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