Michoud Leadership
Hansel D. V. Gill Acting Director
NASA Michoud Assembly Facility
Since being named to the position in January 2024, Acting Director Hansel Gill has overseen one of the world’s largest manufacturing facilities, which provides the crucial infrastructure where elements of NASA’s Space Launch System and Orion spacecraft are assembled. Michoud also provides facilities for non-NASA governmental and commercial technology-based industry tenant operations.
Prior to this assignment, Gill served as Michoud deputy director. He also served as subsystem manager for production of the SLS Block 1B Exploration Upper Stage, from 2016 to 2021, in the Block 1B Development Office and the Stages Element Office, providing technical leadership for SLS core stage and exploration upper stage planning and production operations. From 2015-2016, Gill served as technical assistant to the Office of the Director, Marshall Space Flight Center.
In 2013, Gill served as team lead and acting assistant branch chief for the Metals Joining and Processes Branch of the Metals Engineering Division. He was responsible for materials process development and characterization, product management, and corrosion engineering, supporting the advanced exploration and manufacturing needs aligned with agency strategic vectors. While in this position, Gill led the production for the EFT-1 multi-purpose crew vehicle stage adaptor (MSA) providing the structural interface for Orion and the Delta IV launch system supporting the EFT-1 Orion Flight Test.
Throughout his career, Gill has received various awards including the NASA Honor Award Exceptional Achievement Medal, Director’s Commendation Honor Award, Safety Flight Awareness Awards, 24th STEM Global Competitiveness Conference Black Engineer of the Year Award – Modern Day Technology Leader distinction.
Acting Director Gill earned his bachelor's degree in mathematics from Oakwood University in 1996 and his master’s degree in industrial and systems engineering from the University of Alabama – Huntsville in 2007. He resides in Huntsville, AL with his wife, Arnissa and daughter, Addison.
Keith Savoy Chief Operating Officer
NASA Michoud Assembly Facility
Keith Savoy is the chief operating officer of NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans. Named to the position in June 2022, he oversees the day-to-day administrative and operational functions of the NASA owned facility, helping sustain Space Launch System and Orion production efforts, and coordinating requirements and logistics with Michoud tenant leadership for approximately 3,500 Michoud employees.
Leading up to his current position, COO Savoy served as manager of the Office of Center Operations of the Michoud Assembly Facility, one of the world’s largest manufacturing plants. His responsibilities included managing the planning, maintenance, design, construction, and engineering of the facility. Savoy also oversaw energy and water conservation, environmental permitting and compliance, industrial hygiene, and medical, security and logistics services where he was responsible for managing over $350M of supplemental funding projects sitewide.
Savoy also held the position of Lead Engineer, Logistics and Operation Planning for NASA from 2007-2016 at Michoud, as an expert consultant for all engineering aspects of the facility. He managed multi-phase projects as well as helped advance the aerospace manufacturing at Michoud to meet the complex requirements of SLS and Orion multi-purpose crew vehicle programs, ensuring environmental compliance. Savoy worked closely with local, state, and federal environmental regulatory agencies to identify and resolve engineering and environmental issues. His expertise was a key contributor to ensuring NASA’s sustainable and environmental goals were achieved.
Prior to working for NASA, COO Savoy held several positions of increasing responsibility with Lockheed Martin from 1988-2007. As manager of Operational Planning and Layout, he was responsible for managing Construction of Facilities. This required developing and implementing plans, outlining scope-of-work, overseeing large-scale project budgets and Project Definition Rating assessment/score and 1509 development. Savoy implemented concepts of Six Sigma & Lean principles to achieve many successes and identified innovative solutions and best practices to satisfy customer requirements. Savoy also was manager of the Infrastructure Enhancement Team where he managed over 160 personnel and a $10M budget.
Throughout COO Savoy’s long-standing career as an environmental engineer, he has consistently utilized his knowledge of environmental law, compliance, and regulatory guidelines to minimize waste and pollution while effectively managing complex data, programs, and facilities.
He holds a Master of Science in Environmental Management from National Technological University School of Engineering and Applied Sciences in Fort Collins, CO, a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from University of Louisiana-Lafayette in Lafayette, LA and a technical degree in Industrial Instrumentation from International Technical Institute in Baton Rouge, LA
Throughout his career at Michoud, Savoy has received various awards including the NASA Honor Award Outstanding Leadership Medal, Director’s Commendation Honor Award, Safety Flight Awareness Awards, and several Silver Medal Group Achievement Awards. Savoy lives in Slidell, LA with his wife Kathy, and he has four children.