Bruce Anderson

At a press conference held at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center’s Davidson Center for Space Exploration, Alabama Gov. Bob Riley and ADO Director Neal Wade announced that recently retired NASA employee Bruce Anderson would head the office.

Anderson, who brings to the office more than 34 years of government service in the aerospace industry and a wealth of knowledge about often-complex federal procurement processes, will hit the ground running. First up is the National Space Symposium in Denver. He will also attend the Berlin Air Show and will join the Alabama delegation at the Farnborough International Air Show in July.

Congressman Bud Cramer, who recently announced he would not seek re-election to Congress from Alabama's Fifth Congressional District, also spoke at the announcement, praising the state’s initiative and thanking Wade for his economic development activities. “I love economic development,” Cramer said. “Working with Neal, I’ve learned a lot. Just enough to be dangerous,” Cramer joked.