State erases UA Geophysical Institute director from membership on Alaska aerospace corporation board

Alaska law says the director of the Geophysical Institute of the University of Alaska or a designee has a place on the board of the state-owned Alaska Aerospace Corporation.

The corporation board is meeting today in Anchorage, but Robert McCoy, the director of the GI and longtime chair of the corporation, is no longer listed as a board member or as chairman of the board.

McCoy was a board member and chairman when the board met last week. McCoy has been chairman for about eight years and a member of the aerospace board for more than a decade.

McCoy, director of the GI since 2011, is a veteran space scientist. He is a leader in his field with a doctorate in astro-geophysics from the University of Colorado. McCoy has been a contributing author on more than 70 publications.

The governor has the power to appoint members of the board.

I’ve written to McCoy to ask what happened and to UA President Pat Pitney, who is also a member of the board. I’ve also asked Sen. Gary Stevens and Rep. Louise Stutes, two non-voting members of the board, what is going on.

Senate President Stevens said he was not told why McCoy was removed and was surprised by the move. “In my opinion he has done an exemplary job as chair and it would have been advantageous for the agency if he had been allowed to continue,” said Stevens. Stutes said no explanation was offered.

The state corporation owns the rocket range in Kodiak, known as the Pacific Spaceport Complex.

McCoy is still listed on the website of the state corporation as the chairman of the 9-member board. That website is not kept current, however, as it still lists Pitney as “interim president” of UA.

With McCoy gone, the rocket board leader is now vice chair Lindsay Knight, who owns the Kodiak Athletic Club.

John Cramer is listed as the interim president and CEO of the corporation. At the meeting a week ago, Cramer was listed as interim president and CEO, while Sean Thomas was listed as president and CEO.

On his LinkedIn page, Thomas lists himself as president and CEO since September.

There has been turnover at the top for some time.

On Oct. 1, 2021, the corporation announced the hiring of Milton Keeter as CEO. “Milton will be stepping into the CEO position that has been held by acting CEO John Cramer who has been in place since former CEO Mark Lester left June 30, 2021,” a corporation press release said.

Keeter resigned in March.

On July 14, the Kodiak Daily Mirror reported that Cramer had come out of retirement to be interim CEO.

"I've done this a couple times before. I retired, but they get me whenever they need me… We have great employees, so I'm just going to be riding herd a little bit," Cramer told the newspaper.

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