Thomas To Leave NASA Ralph C. Thomas III has announced his resignation after 13 years as NASA assistant administrator for small and disadvantaged business utilization. Thomas said he plans to return to private law practice. During his tenure NASA’s spending with small businesses grew by 44%, counting prime contracts and subcontracts, while the agency’s procurement budget remained essentially flat. The space agency never came close to the 23% small business contracting goal set by Congress, because the vast majority of its budget goes to large hardware and operations contracts. In 2005 NASA reported it set records in dollars awarded to small businesses, minority and 8(a) firms, and woman-owned businesses. This year the NASA program won SBA’s Frances Perkins Vanguard Award for outstanding accomplishments in contracting and subcontracting with women owned small businesses. Thomas was named 2005 Man of the Year by Minority Enterprise Advocate magazine. In 2001 President Bush awarded him the Presidential Rank of Distinguished Executive, a position reserved for just 1% of the Senior Executive Service.