Daughter of Vietnamese refugees Margaret Vo Schaus sworn in as NASA’s new CFO

Vietnamese American Margaret Vo Schaus is now the new chief financial officer for NASA after swearing-in on Wednesday.

The ceremony: In the statement published by NASA, Vo Schaus said she was “honored to be sworn in by Administrator Bill Nelson” during the ceremony.

She also expressed gratefulness to Joe Biden for giving her the opportunity to “oversee NASA’s budget and help carry out the agency’s groundbreaking missions.”
Vo Schaus was among the many people nominated by Biden for key roles in the government, Vietnam Times reported.
“The budget is more than just financial management – it is crucial to supporting the world’s most talented workforce and maintaining mission support,” she said.
She plans to uphold NASA’s values in its efforts to “create educational opportunities, combat climate change, build back better and venture out farther into the cosmos than ever before.”
“As a first-generation American, I am honored to join the Biden-Harris Administration and serve a country that has given my family so much,” Vo Schaus added. “I am deeply grateful to my parents who, as Vietnamese refugees, overcame innumerable hurdles so their children could pursue the American dream. I wouldn’t be here today without their sacrifices.”

Other details: In his statement, Nelson said he knows Vo Schaus from her years of public service work and her experience will “serve her well as she works to bring NASA’s goals and missions from concept to reality.”

He said he is looking forward to working with her as NASA prepares its Artemis program to land the first woman and people of color on the moon in 2024.
“Under Margaret’s leadership, NASA will advance its goals and missions and continue the agency’s legacy as home to the best workforce in the world,” Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy said. “As an accomplished career civil servant with experience across many federal agencies, she brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to NASA. I am excited to welcome Margaret to the team, and I can’t wait to see what we will accomplish together.”

Who is Margaret Vo Schaus: Vo Schaus recently served as the director for business operations in the Office of the Under Secretary of Research and Engineering at the Department of Defense, where she “was responsible for oversight of a multibillion-dollar budget.”

She was also a career member of the Senior Executive Service and had held leadership roles at the departments of Energy and Defense over the past decade.
Vo Schaus received her bachelor’s in science, technology, society and English, as well as her master’s in management science and engineering from Stanford University.
She was also the recipient of the Office of the Secretary of Defense’s Exceptional Civilian Service Award, the Department of Energy’s Distinguished Career Service Award, and the Secretary of Energy’s Honor Award.

Featured Image Department of Defense via NASA

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