James R. Schlesinger
Advisory Board Chair
Schlesinger divides his time between MITRE and the investment banking firm of Lehman Brothers, where he serves as senior advisor. He also serves as a consultant to the Departments of State and Defense; as a member of the Defense Policy Board; a member of the Arms Control and Nonproliferation Advisory Board; and as a member of the Homeland Security Advisory Council.
He recently co-chaired the Defense Science Board task force on the future of GPS. He is a fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration and a member of the American Academy of Diplomacy. He is a director for Peabody Energy; KFx, Inc., and Sandia National Corporation. He is also a counselor and trustee for the Center for Strategic and International Studies; a trustee at the Atlantic Council, Center for Global Energy Studies; and the Henry M. Jackson Foundation.
From 1977-79, Schlesinger was the nation's first Secretary of Energy, taking the oath of office one day after President Carter signed legislation creating the department. From 1973-75, he was the Secretary of Defense. Prior to that, he served as Director of Central Intelligence. From 1971-73, he was Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission. He began government service in 1969 as Assistant Director of the U.S. Bureau of the Budget (later the Office of Management and Budget), where he also served as Acting Deputy Director.