Friday, September 16, 2005 10:13 AM

Dear Maria,

I didn’t really have an opportunity yesterday to thank you adequately for the wonderful slide show and video that you prepared for my party.  I showed them to Ginny last night (who was so sorry to miss you last week at the reception), and realized again how really talented you are.  While the full 55 minute video (which I actually preferred to the shorter version) is, of course, really fun and funny, I think it is the slide show that I will watch over and over in the years ahead.   You did such a masterful job of selecting photos, and doing the zooming, and adding the music, that it makes for really wonderful memories.  I am particularly glad that one of the slides includes you, when we had dinner in Palmdale with the guys from Scaled Composites.

I was serious yesterday when I told everyone how important your talents have been to NASA, to Aeronautics, and to me, over the past two years.  I have always been very well prepared for important presentations, and I have always had extremely professionally prepared presentations to give.  Other Associate Administrators have mentioned this fact enviously to me several times—a specific example I remember was the “Exploration Conference” at Disney World last year.  What really stands out in addition, though, is your very positive approach, and your assimilation into the ARMD “family”, including dealing with my constant teasing.  I will miss very much having your skills applied to future presentations I will give, but I will mostly miss working with you and enjoying your friendship.

I certainly wish you all the best in the years ahead, I will try to keep track of your progress, and I hope some day I will be privileged to work with you again.

Best personal regards,

Vic
__________________________
Dr. J. Victor Lebacqz
Associate Administrator for Aeronautics Research
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Washington, DC 20546-0001
202-358-4600
email: J.Victor.Lebacqz@nasa.gov