The New Mexico Spaceport Authority Board of Directors appointed Scott McLaughlin as the new executive director of Spaceport America, according to a Tuesday release from the New Mexico Economic Development Department.
McLaughlin previously served as the Spaceport's interim executive director. Prior to that, McLaughlin was its director of business development. In his new role, he will lead one of the state's most ambitious efforts to spur commercial space activity in New Mexico.
“The important next step for Spaceport America is to increase our efforts to find aerospace companies with activities that benefit New Mexico with higher-paying jobs and the Spaceport with new revenue,” McLaughlin said in a statement.
A graduate of New Mexico State University, McLaughlin established a radar design and manufacturing firm, with several customers in the federal government, the release says.
The Spaceport's tenants include Virgin Galactic, a publicly-traded commercial spaceflight company, as well as SpinLaunch. Though some organizations have brought operations to the Spaceport throughout the years, the more than $218 million development has been criticized for lack of activity.
Virgin Galactic, the Spaceport's anchor tenant, reportedly took issue with Dan Hicks, the former executive director of the Spaceport and McLaughlin's predecessor.
Hicks was let go following a June whistleblower complaint filed by Zach De Gregorio, former Spaceport director of finance and administration, that led to an investigation conducted by forensic accounting company The McHard Firm. During his time at the Spaceport, Hicks "consistently violated rules while attempting to bury the issue," according to the McHard report, which adds that that Virgin Galactic became "increasingly dissatisfied" with his management.
Hicks was placed on administrative leave in June pending the investigation of the whistleblower complaint, and De Gregorio resigned nine days later, the report says. Hicks had a salary of $154,000 as executive director, and the salary of his replacement was to be set by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, Business First reported.
