Beth Schmid
Headquarters, Washington, DC                    October 21, 1997
(Phone:  202/358-1760)

RELEASE:  97-241

COOPER TO RETIRE FROM NASA

     Benita A. Cooper, Associate Administrator for Management 
Systems and Facilities, has announced her retirement from NASA 
effective Oct. 31, 1997. 

     Cooper was responsible for Agency oversight of facilities and 
maintenance, logistics, aircraft management, security, 
environmental management, information systems, internal controls 
and audit liaison.  

     For the past six years she has been a key member of the NASA 
Senior Management team that has forged the new strategic plan and 
management system for the Agency.  She has provided institutional 
and functional leadership which has enabled the Agency to leverage 
its limited resources and re-engineer its processes.  

     Before assuming her current job, Cooper was the Assistant 
Administrator for the Office of Headquarters Operations, which was 
established in May 1988.  Previously, she had worked as Director 
of Management Operations at the Goddard Space Flight Center, 
Greenbelt, MD, with responsibility for providing administrative 
and institutional management support.  

     Cooper joined NASA Headquarters in 1968 and subsequently 
became the Director of Personnel at Goddard in 1973.  She served 
as the Assistant Executive Officer to the NASA Deputy 
Administrator at Headquarters for two years and returned again to 
Goddard in 1979 as the Deputy Director of Administration. 

     Cooper's NASA career has been recognized with the Goddard 
Exceptional Performance Award, distinguished NASA Medals for 
Outstanding Leadership in 1984 and 1995 and an Exceptional Service 
Medal in 1991.  In October 1989 and 1994 she received the rank of 
Meritorious Executive in the Senior Executive Service, and in 1995 
she received the Rank of Distinguished Executive.

                        -end-