Roster Change
Army Lt. Gen. Michael Canavan last week was named the new associate administrator
for the Federal Aviation Administration's office of civil aviation security.
Canavan is expected to start his new position Dec. 4. Protecting the FAA's
critical infrastructure — including facilities, equipment and employees — is an important mission of the office.
Since 1998, Canavan has served as chief of staff for the United States
European Command in Stuttgart, Germany, where he coordinates the command's
operations in Europe and most of Africa.
President Clinton last week announced the U.S. representatives to the
Digital Opportunity Task Force. They will be Zoe Baird, president of the
Markle Foundation; Carleton (Carly) Fiorina, chairman, president and chief
executive officer of Hewlett-Packard Co.; and Thomas Kalil, special assistant
to the president for economic policy and co-chair for the administration's
initiative on nanotechnology.
The task force, created at the Okinawa Summit, will help bridge the
global digital divide between developed and developing countries. Representatives
from government, industry, non-profit organizations and international organizations
will participate in the task force.
Gary Carter, a 30-year veteran of the National Weather Service, was
recently named the new director of the Office of Hydrologic Development
at the agency. Carter will help improve and enhance the NWS' hydrology products
to help minimize the impact of flooding. Carter most recently was chief
of the Scientific Services Division for the NWS eastern region.
Steve Kelman, administrator of the Office of Federal Procurement Policy
from 1993 to 1997 and a Weatherhead Professor of Public Management at Harvard's
John F. Kennedy School of Government, has joined Frictionless Commerce Inc.'s
board of advisors. Kelman's input will provide Frictionless with visibility
into strategic sourcing and government purchasing, according to the company.
Terry Smith was recently named vice president of federal operations
for Leasetec Corp., a member of the Key Equipment Finance Group. Smith was
most recently with CIT/Newcourt, where he was director of government markets.
In his new position, he will help agencies and contractors establish lease
financing.
Gerald Soffen, a NASA scientist, died Nov. 22 at George Washington
University Hospital in Washington, D.C. He was 74. Soffen oversaw the first
experiments on the Martian surface in 1976. Later, as director of life sciences
at NASA headquarters, he was instrumental in assembling the group of NASA
centers, universities and research organizations that together form the
NASA Astrobiology Institute. The virtual institute studies the origin, evolution,
distribution and destiny of life in the universe.
Brian Welch, NASA's director of media services, died Friday, Nov. 24,
after suffering a heart attack. He was 42. As director of media services,
Welch led many of the agency's public outreach efforts. He was responsible
for overall agency news operations, NASA Television and the agency's Internet
efforts.