WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Thad Cochran today welcomed news that Patrick Scheuermann has been promoted to director of the Stennis Space Center in Hancock County, Mississippi.

Cochran, vice chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, was today informed by NASA administrator Charles Bolden of the change of leadership at Stennis.

Scheuermann, currently the deputy director at Stennis, will take the place of Gene Goldman, who has been named deputy director of the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center at Huntsville, Ala.

"I look forward to working with Patrick Scheuermann as he takes the helm at Stennis

Space Center,” Cochran said. “He has a good foundation of experience with NASA and Stennis, where he has been a tremendous asset to the center and to the state of Mississippi.  

“Stennis is a unique government asset that benefits taxpayers tremendously beyond just NASA's missions.  I believe Patrick is well suited to take over as the 'mayor' of Mississippi's 'Federal City,'" Cochran said.

 "The President has charted a new course for NASA, which, if implemented, will present a number of new challenges for the agency and for Stennis,” he added. “I expect these changes will require incoming director Scheuermann to utilize his talents to aggressively promote Stennis to strengthen its heavy lift engine test core mission, expand into new missions and build on its successful partnerships with commercial rocket interests.

 "Finally, I would like to thank Gene Goldman for his service to Mississippi through his leadership at Stennis,” Cochran concluded. “The center has excelled during his tenure, and I have appreciated my interactions with him."