KAREN S. CROOK HONORED BY NASA ASTRONAUT

Karen S. Crook, a native of Cordele, GA, and a graduate of Valdosta State College (now Valdosta State University), recently was presented with NASA's prestigious Silver Snoopy Award for service to the Space Shuttle astronauts.

Born in Cordele, GA, Crook graduated in 1972 from Crisp County High School in Cordele. Her mother, Frances A. Spires, lives in Cordele.

Crook lives in Titusville, FL.

Astronaut Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper presented the award to Crook on Dec. 15 at Kennedy Space Center. Crook is an executive secretary and personal assistant to the Payload Processing Director at KSC. She joined the space center in 1986, and her work has been recognized with many awards, including performance awards for each year of service and an employee of the month honor.

She was commended for skillfully handling not only her customary duties but the additional tasks that often come her way. "Your professionalism and dedication to the Shuttle payload missions’ customers, and the way you diligently provide leadership, guidance and encouragement to the Payload Processing employees, has earned you the highest respect from management and your peers," Stefanyshyn-Piper told Crook.

Snoopy, of the comic strip "Peanuts," has been the unofficial mascot of NASA's astronaut corps since the earliest days of human space flight. The Silver Snoopy Award was created by the astronauts to honor persons who contribute most to the safety and success of human space flight.

The award is presented to no more than 1 percent of the space center's work force each year. Recipients are given a silver pin depicting the famous beagle wearing a space suit. All the pins have flown on a previous Space Shuttle mission. The awardees also receive a framed certificate and a congratulatory letter signed by the presenting astronaut.