Senate confirms NASA CFO

WASHINGTON — The Senate confirmed the White House’s nominee to be chief financial officer of NASA July 30, rounding out the senior leadership positions at the agency.

The Senate, on a voice vote late in the day, confirmed Margaret Vo Schaus to be the agency’s CFO. The White House nominated her for the position April 23. She had previously been director of business operations in the Office of the Under Secretary of Research and Engineering at the Department of Defense, and earlier worked at the Departments of Energy and Justice and at the Government Accountability Office.

“I look forward to working with Administrator [Bill] Nelson and Deputy Administrator [Pam] Melroy to oversee NASA’s budget to support the workforce and the groundbreaking missions ahead,” she said in an agency statement immediately after the Senate vote.

“Margaret has demonstrated the ability to lead and manage operations at the Departments of Energy and Defense, and she will bring her expertise to do an outstanding job here at NASA,” Nelson said in the same statement. “Margaret will be integral to determining future missions and help turn program dreams into reality.”

Vo Schaus is the third and last of the Biden administration’s nominees for NASA leadership positions to win confirmation. Nelson, nominated in March, was confirmed by the Senate via unanimous consent April 29. Melroy, nominated in April, won confirmation on a voice vote June 17. None of the nominees faced any opposition from senators.

A fourth Senate-confirmed position at NASA is inspector general. Paul Martin has held that position since 2009.

In addition to the Senate-confirmed positions, NASA named Bob Cabana as associate administrator, the highest-ranking civil service position at the agency, in May. Cabana, the longtime director of the Kennedy Space Center, succeeded Steve Jurczyk, who retired in May after serving as acting administrator for a little more than three months.