Ken Ledbetter

Ken Ledbetter has over 24 years of federal program analysis and financial management experience with NASA.  Mr. Ledbetter was appointed to serve as NASA Ames Research Center’s Chief Financial Officer in October 2022.  As the CFO at Ames, he leads a civil service and contractor staff of 150 people in the management of the Center’s funding totaling approximately $900M.

Mr. Ledbetter ensures the financial health of the organization by leading the organization’s budget and financial operations that enable the effective management, control, and reporting of the government’s assets. He provides leadership, management and direction to the Center’s financial and resources management staff in the development and administration of the Center’s financial systems and processes.  Mr. Ledbetter is also responsible for ensuring the necessary guidance is in place to protect Ames’ current and future financial standing by interpreting the political environment and providing business analysis in support of Center plans, strategic investments, and new business opportunities.

Mr. Ledbetter began his federal career at NASA Ames Research Center in 1998 as a Program Analyst in the Resources Management Office (RMO).  He provided resources management support for the Center’s Office of Space Flight (OSF) and Office of Life and Microgravity Science and Applications (OLMSA) programs and projects.  He joined the management team in 2000 as the RMO Deputy Chief and served in several management roles of increasing responsibility, including Deputy CFO for Resources, Acting Deputy CFO for Finance, Associate CFO, and Acting Deputy CFO.  Mr. Ledbetter served as the Deputy CFO at Ames Research Center from November 2015 to October 2022.  Before joining NASA, Mr. Ledbetter worked as a Treasury Analyst for a mutual fund company.  He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Agricultural and Managerial Economics from the University of California, Davis.  He also holds a Master of Business Administration degree with emphasis in finance from the University of San Francisco and is a member of the Institute of Management Accountants.