The Board of Directors of the Space Foundation has elected The Honorable Dave Weldon, M.D., former congressman from Melbourne, Florida, and Ms. Patti Grace Smith, former associate administrator for Commercial Space Transportation for the Federal Aviation Administration from Washington, D.C., as members of the Board of Directors effective January 14, 2009.

Weldon recently retired from the U.S. House of Representatives after 14 years of service. While in Congress, he served on the Appropriations, Banking, Education and Workforce, Government Oversight and Reform, and Science Committees. His leadership in the House also included serving as vice chairman of the Science Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics for eight years and serving as chairman of the Congressional Aerospace Caucus, which he co-founded. He was chairman of the Civil Service Subcommittee from 2001-2003 and has been a strong advocate for the nation's space programs throughout his elected service.

As associate administrator for Commercial Space Transportation, Smith for 11 years headed the enterprise responsible for licensing, regulating, and promoting the U.S. commercial space transportation industry. Smith has more than 25 years of experience with the Federal Communications Commission, the Federal Aviation Administration, and the U.S. Department of Transportation. She is currently an aerospace consultant working with Virgin Galactic (The Virgin Group), CSSI, Inc., and a number of other aerospace companies.

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