▁Vice ▁President ▁at ▁D yn et ics , ▁Inc ., ▁a ▁Hun ts ville - based ▁defense ▁contract or . ▁He ▁was ▁promoted ▁to ▁President ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 3 ▁and ▁then ▁to ▁CE O ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 5 . ▁ ▁King ▁joined ▁NASA ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 3 ▁as ▁a ▁main ▁prop ulsion ▁system ▁engineer . ▁In ▁subsequent ▁roles , ▁he ▁also ▁served ▁as ▁vehicle ▁manager ▁and ▁flow ▁director ▁( 1 9 9 2 – 1 9 9 6 ) ▁for ▁the ▁Space ▁Sh utt le ▁Disc overy , ▁over see ing ▁pre fl ight ▁prepar ation , ▁test ▁and ▁checkout ▁of ▁the ▁orb iter . ▁He ▁was ▁appointed ▁acting ▁deput y ▁director ▁of ▁the ▁Install ation ▁Oper ations ▁Director ate ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 5 ; ▁deput y ▁director ▁of ▁Sh utt le ▁Process ing ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 6 ; ▁Sh utt le ▁launch ▁director ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 7 ; ▁and ▁director ▁of ▁Sh utt le ▁Process ing ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 9 . ▁ ▁King ▁served ▁as ▁deput y ▁director ▁of ▁the ▁Marshall ▁Space ▁Fl ight ▁Center ▁from ▁November ▁ 2 0 0 2 ▁until ▁his ▁appointment ▁as ▁director , ▁and ▁served ▁as ▁the ▁senior ▁on - site ▁NASA ▁official ▁during ▁recovery ▁operations ▁for ▁the ▁Space ▁Sh utt le ▁Columbia ▁dis aster . ▁ ▁King ▁has ▁a ▁b ach elor ' s ▁degree ▁in ▁mechanical ▁engineering ▁from ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁South ▁Carolina , ▁and ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 1