Gabrielle Russon
Another official with ties to Florida is getting tapped to serve in President Donald Trump’s administration and could help run NASA.
Dubbed the “space czar” at the University of Central Florida (UCF), Greg Autry is being nominated to become the next NASA Chief Financial Officer. Autry is UCF’s associate provost for space commercialization and strategy.
“The NASA CFO is responsible for executing more than $25 billion in agency funding across a variety of missions, including the Moon and Mars, for the benefit of humanity,” NASA Acting Administrator Janet Petro said in a statement this week.
“With his previous experience as the White House liaison during President Trump’s first administration, as well as his extensive experience in space policy, I look forward to welcoming Greg as our next CFO.”
Autry said he was excited for the opportunity, according to a school press release.
“I have been honored to help move UCF’s incredible space enterprise forward, and I hope to return after my service at NASA,” he said.
UCF has always maintained strong ties with NASA and the Kennedy Space Center since Orlando school was founded in 1963 to serve as a pipeline for the space industry that’s just a short drive away from the coast.
Autry “is nationally recognized for his leadership in space research and innovation, including how the space landscape is evolving with the rapid expansion of private flights,” the school said in a press release.
At UCF, Autry also led the business school’s efforts to start executive and MBA programs in space commercialization and also to make people more aware of the school’s existing space programs.
“Space is the most important thing to happen in at least half a millennia,” Autry said. “We are charting a new future for humanity, improving the lives of billions, saving our biosphere, making our nation more secure, and creating jobs right now.”
