Thomas E. Cremins

Tom Cremins became the Associate Administrator for Strategy and Plans in November 2015, and since April 2018 has also served as NASA's acting chief of staff. He had served as senior advisor to the administrator for strategy and policy implementation since April 2014. Before that, he worked in a range of critical and leading edge governmental and executive assignments. His most recent position previously was serving as the director, legislative liaison division, at NASA Headquarters. Between September 2008 and December 2010, he served as the director, studies and analysis division in the NASA administrator’s office. In this capacity, he oversaw agency-wide strategic assessments, analysis, and studies on the breadth of NASA’s programs, institutions and external relationships. In 2010, as a fellow on the senate commerce committee, he played an instrumental role in the development and passage of the 2010 NASA Authorization Act.

Before these assignments, Cremins was the deputy associate administrator, management and policy, exploration systems mission directorate. He was responsible for the development and integration of strategy, international and commercial partnerships, resources and organizational development. In 2005, he served as a fellow on the senate commerce, science and transportation committee where he played a key role in the crafting and development of the 2005 NASA Authorization Act, as well as providing expertise to the full committee on a range of areas. From 2002-2004, he served as the assistant associate administrator, assets and investments, NASA space operations mission directorate. His scope of responsibilities included ensuring the vitality of the workforce, facilities and institutional organizations of four NASA centers. He also worked to ensure alignment between center activities and future requirements that built upon his involvement with prior exploration efforts in the 1990's.

Mr. Cremins has led senior-level negotiations among International Space Station (ISS) and international agency representatives that provided recommendations to their respective governments on the scope and direction of the ISS program at the critical juncture of initial ISS operations, the Shuttle Columbia tragedy and the start of a U.S. exploration initiative. Cremins worked at the Johnson Space Center for a decade in a number of senior staff, programmatic and management positions primarily focused on the joint activities between NASA and Russia’s human spaceflight programs. He served as the lead negotiator for a number of key programmatic, contractual and policy activities between both nations.

Before joining NASA in 1993, Cremins worked in the office of the secretary of the Department of Energy (DOE), office of space. He organized and led initiatives with the national laboratories on a range of executive level and interagency task forces, including the National Space Council, dealing with a broad range of commercial, civil and national security issues. Cremins worked for several years in Washington, D.C. as a consultant on the relationship of technology and space to national and international security, including changes and opportunities in the Soviet space and defense sectors.

Cremins has been awarded NASA’s Exceptional Achievement Medal, Outstanding Leadership Medal, Exceptional Service Medals, as well as numerous team and leadership Group Achievement Awards.