May 15, 2009
The Center for American Progress congratulates Rudy deLeon, Senior Vice President for National Security and International Policy at the Center, for his nomination as chairman of a new board established by the Department of Defense and the Office of Personnel Management tasked with conducting a thorough review of the National Security Personnel System. The review board will deliver recommendations as to whether the personnel system is operating in a fair, transparent, and effective manner by seeking public input and tapping in to the institutional knowledge of its members. ”With his experiences as a senior U.S. Department of Defense official, staff director on Capitol Hill, and a senior vice president for the Boeing Company, Rudy is uniquely qualified to fill this important role,” said Center for American Progress President and CEO John Podesta.
Prior to joining the Center, deLeon served as a senior vice president for the Boeing Company. His 25-year government career concluded in 2001 after his tenure as deputy secretary of defense, where he was a member of the Deputies Committee of the National Security Council and the National Partnership Council. In earlier Pentagon assignments, deLeon served as undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness, and as undersecretary of the Air Force. He was nominated for these positions by President Bill Clinton and confirmed by the U.S. Senate. DeLeon has also served on the Committee on Armed Services in the U.S. House of Representatives as a member of the professional staff and as staff director.
DeLeon received the Defense Civilian Distinguished Service Award in 1994, 1995, and 2001, and received the National Intelligence Distinguished Service Medal in 2001. He was recognized by the National League of POW-MIA Families in 1999 and by the National Military Families Association in 2000.
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