ULA names new COO

United Launch Alliance today named aerospace industry executive John Elbon as its next chief operating officer.

Elbon succeeds Dan Collins, who had served as COO since ULA's founding in 2006 and retired earlier this year, according to a company statement.

Elbon joins ULA from Boeing where he served as vice president and general manager of space exploration, a division of Boeing's defense, space and security business unit. He was responsible for the strategic direction of Boeing's civil space programs and support of NASA programs such as the International Space Station, Commercial Crew Development program and the Space Launch System.

During his nearly 35-year career at Boeing, Elbon worked as vice president and program manager for that company's commercial programs, VP of systems integration for the Army's Future Combat Systems, and was also Boeing's program manager for several NASA programs including Constellation, ISS and the Checkout, Assembly & Payload Processing Services (CAPPS) contract at Kennedy Space Center.

Elbon holds a bachelor's degree in aerospace engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology.