Celebrating Jody Singer's remarkable career ahead of her retirement

Jody Singer is retiring as Director of the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) at the end of July.

To commemorate her time as the leader of NASA’s top resource for hardware and research, we would like to reflect on her career and impact on the community of Huntsville and the people of America.

Jody Singer was the first female director of the MSFC

artemis i — The U.S. Space & Rocket Center opened its doors in 1970, educating the people about the grand work accomplished by the MSFC and NASA. (Nathan Watson / Hville Blast)

Singer graduated from The University of Alabama in 1983 with a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering, and she completed two NASA Fellowships.

She started her career as an intern with NASA in 1985, after which she joined the Space Shuttle Program office and was involved in the Return to Flight that followed the tragic Space Shuttle Challenger disaster. From 2008-2011, Singer was deputy manager of the Shuttle Propulsion office, then went on to serve as manager of the Flight Programs and Partnerships Office at the MSFC.

Singer was appointed as the 14th director of MSFC in 2018. Among the other responsibilities she took on in this role, she played a major part in the development, testing and start-up of the Space Launch System (SLS) in 2022.

Singer’s lasting legacy

Mayor Tommy Battle and Jody Singer celebrate Singer’s 38 years of service with NASA. (huntsvilleal.gov / Submitted by Kelly Schrimsher)

Singer was named a Space Flight Awareness Launch Honoree, and has received multiple awards in her career with NASA. She has earned NASA Outstanding Leadership Medals, Presidential Rank of Meritorious Executive Awards, a Space Flight Awareness Leadership Award and much more.

As we bid Singer a bittersweet farewell, the community looks at the MSFC’s future with optimism and enthusiasm.

“We are thankful for her outstanding leadership, her ability to guide future generations of thinkers and doers, and her willingness to explore deep space for the betterment of our planet. We wish her the very best in her retirement and look forward to working with Acting Director Joseph Pelfrey in leading MSFC into the future.”
Mayor Tommy Battle

Singer’s influence will be remembered in the years to come, as both the MSFC and NASA continue to reach for the stars.

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