George Whitesides

George has spent his career solving problems. Over the past 20 years, he helped lead NASA to new heights, created hundreds of quality jobs in the Antelope Valley, and supported front-line responders and public health through his work on the wildfire crisis.

George began his career in the space sector, where he served as executive director of the National Space Society from 2004 to 2008. He served as Chairman of the Reusable Launch Vehicle Working Group for the FAA’s Commercial Space Transportation Advisory Committee, on the board of Astronomers Without Borders and the Space Generation Foundation, as well as the Advisory Committee of the Secure World Foundation. He also co-founded Yuri's Night, an annual celebration of human spaceflight, alongside his wife Loretta Hidalgo Whitesides.

George worked on President Obama’s transition team in 2008, and then served as Chief of Staff for NASA for the Obama administration. George led reform of NASA to enable current U.S. space leadership, and was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal, the agency’s highest honor. He then became first CEO of Virgin Galactic, the human spaceflight company founded by Richard Branson. He grew the company over a decade from a small team to the global aerospace firm it is today, creating 700 jobs in the Antelope Valley and flying the first woman to space on a commercial space vehicle.

Now, he’s serving his first term in Congress, representing the Antelope Valley, Santa Clarita Valley, and San Fernando Valley in Washington. As Vice Ranking Member of the Science, Space, and Technology Committee, he oversees NASA's annual budget and uses his position to push back against federal attacks on science.