Roster change

Greg Woods, the chief operating officer for the Education Department's Federal Student Aid (FSA) office, will resign effective Sept. 30.

Woods was appointed COO in December 1998, shortly after the office was designated as the federal government's first performance-based organization (PBO).

"Greg has been a passionate champion for students and access to postsecondary education," Rod Paige, secretary of Education, said in announcing Woods' resignation May 16. "He has forged a new partnership with the higher education and financial communities to improve the delivery of federal student aid to more than 8 million students attending our nation's colleges, universities and postsecondary schools."

During Woods' tenure, the office has achieved progress in computer system integration, as mandated by the PBO legislation, and has led the organization's push toward e-government, for which FSA has won a host of awards.

Woods' resignation comes after an announcement that he was taking an indefinite leave to undergo medical treatment.

***

Jeremiah Creedon, director of the NASA Langley Research Center, Hampton, Va., has been named associate administrator for the Office of Aerospace Technology at NASA headquarters in Washington, D.C., effective June 15.

He will replace Samuel Venneri, who has been associate administrator for the enterprise since February 2000. Venneri will remain at headquarters as chief technologist, a second position he has held since 1996.

Creedon will be responsible for developing integrated, long-term agency-level technology for aeronautics and space. He also will be in charge of developing new commercial partnerships that exploit technology breakthroughs.

Prior to being named the director at Langley, Creedon was director of the Airframe Systems Program Office and director of the Aeronautics Program Group.

Creedon began his NASA career at Langley in June 1963 as a research engineer in the Navigation and Guidance Research Branch, Instrument Research Division.

Upon Creedon's departure, Delma Freeman Jr. — Langley's deputy director — will assume duties as acting director at the center.

***

Robert Blose has been named federal security director for Pittsburgh International Airport, Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta announced May 14.

Blose joins the Transportation Security Administration after serving 30 years in the Marine Corps, most recently at the U.S. Naval Academy as the dean of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences.

Blose is the sixteenth federal security director named. These directors will oversee federal security operations at the nation's airports.

While in the Marine Corps, Blose commanded a battalion in Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm, commanded the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit, and was special assistant to the Supreme Allied Commander in Europe.

***

Keith Taylor, formerly a partner with PricewaterhouseCoopers, has joined Deloitte Consulting's federal government consulting practice as the leader of the firm's civilian practice, the company announced May 13.

Taylor has spent the past several years leading financial systems development and implementation efforts for U.S. civilian and defense agencies.

He is a certified public accountant specializing in the development of financial systems and the analysis of financial management practices. At PwC, Taylor was project partner for technology enhancement and financial implementation engagement for NASA, the National Archives and Records Administration, and the departments of Education, Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development.

Prior to joining PwC, he worked for the Air Force, Burroughs Corp. and the state of Florida.

***

Brian Withem has been named vice president and division manager of the Warfare Systems Division of CACI International Inc.'s Integrated Engineering Systems Group, the company announced May 14.

Withem has more than 25 years of experience in managing engineering support services for weapon systems and command, control, communications, computer and intelligence (C4I) programs.

He formerly was director of business development for Northrop Grumman Information Technology's fleet systems engineering division.

His technical credits include helping to develop tactical communication systems for aircraft and air control facilities. He also designed a C4I system and software for the Marine Corps.

***

Alan Bechara has joined the PC Mall Inc.'s newly formed subsidiary, PC Mall Gov, as president and general manager. Bechara is responsible for the company's existing government and education sales and marketing teams in Torrance, Calif., and he is chartered with developing an organization to expand PC Mall Gov's presence in the national market and key regional markets.

Bechara comes to PC Mall Gov with 20 years of government sales management experience in the IT industry. Most recently, he was at Comark Inc., where he built and managed a comprehensive sales, marketing and service organization dedicated to the public-sector market.

Previously, at GTSI Corp., Bechara was responsible for key wins, including the Technology Substitution Plan for the Army Portable Contract.