Courtney Stadd

Courtney Stadd (born October 1954) was President George W. Bush's transition team's director regarding the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) during 2000 and 2001. Stadd received the NASA Distinguished Service Medal in 2001 for "his extraordinary vision, leadership, and dedication". He left NASA in 2003 to return to Capitol Solutions, a management consulting firm with aerospace clients seeking government contracts.^[1]

He served as NASA chief of staff under director Sean O'Keefe until 2003, and returned again to NASA to help manage the transition when Michael Griffin took over from O'Keefe. In 2009 Stadd was convicted for "using his government job to serve his own financial interests and of making false statements."^[2]

Education

A graduate of Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service, Stadd focused on international relations and economics. Later he did some graduate course work in public administration at George Washington University.

Convictions

While serving NASA Administrator Michael Griffin, Stadd told his NASA ethics advisers that he was recusing himself from any activities that might benefit his consulting clients. Nevertheless he subsequently billed his clients for his activities on their behalf while he had been at NASA.^[2]

Stadd was twice convicted of crimes related to his work at NASA. In both cases they involved directing funding to Mississippi State University which was in turn a client of Stadd's consulting firm. A jury found him guilty.^[3] Appeals efforts failed afterwards.^[4] In February 2011 Stadd began serving a 41-month term in federal prison.^[5][6][7][8]

Stadd's release date is scheduled for January 22, 2014.^[9]

References