Trump Appoints Christopher Shank to NASA Landing Team

Christopher Shank

President elect Donald Trump has appointed Christopher Shank to the NASA transition landing team. Shank was most recently the policy and coalitions director for the U.S. House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology and was formerly deputy chief of staff for Rep. Lamar Smith (R-Texas). He also served as NASA’s director of strategic investments and chief of strategic communications under President George W. Bush.

Mark Albrecht, who had been reportedly involved in the NASA transition, was been added to the landing team for the Department of Defense.

Shank’s LinkedIn profile is below.

Christopher Shank
LinkedIn Profile

Policy and Coalitions Director
House Science, Space, and Technology Committee
January 2013 – Present (3 years 11 months)
Washington D.C. Metro Area

Directs the Committee’s legislative and hearing agenda for broad portfolio of issues ranging from energy and environment/climate change, space exploration, and various research and technology initiatives across five subcommittees, engaging 22 Science Committee Members of Congress, in coordination with House Leadership.

Deputy Chief of Staff
Congressman Lamar Smith
March 2011 – Present (5 years 9 months)

Senior Director, Space, Networks, and Communications Business Development
Honeywell Aerospace
November 2009 – March 2011 (1 year 5 months)
Washington D.C. Metro Area

Assistant Group Supervisor
Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
February 2009 – October 2009 (9 months)

Director of Strategic Investments and Chief of Strategic Communications
NASA
April 2005 – January 2009 (3 years 10 months)

• Senior agency official responsible for directing strategic messaging across all NASA mission directorates, program offices, and field centers. Directed 120-person NASA HQ staff including 10 senior executives responsible for $150 million/year education portfolio, legislative and intergovernmental affairs, and NASA public relations/special events.
• Key member of NASA’s Management Councils with other Headquarters Officials-in-Charge, Associate Administrators, and Center Directors
• Responsible for formulating and defending NASA’s annual budget requests and operating plans of $18 billion to the White House and Congress. Led 30-person HQ office, with hundreds more people in matrix support across agency.

Professional Staff Member
House Science Committee
April 2001 – April 2005 (4 years 1 month)

Officer
US Air Force
May 1990 – March 2001 (10 years 11 months)

Education

University of Colorado Boulder
M.S., Aerospace Engineering
1995 – 1996

University of Notre Dame
B.A., Mathematics
1986 – 1990