Department of Defense

Bio, via Department of Defense:

Prior to this appointment, from October 2012 – June 2017, Ms. Lord served as the President and Chief Executive Officer of Textron Systems Corporation, a subsidiary of Textron Inc. In this role, she led a multi-billion dollar business with a broad range of products and services supporting defense, homeland security, aerospace, infrastructure protection, and customers around the world. Ms. Lord has more than 30 years of experience in the defense industry, serving in a variety of capacities, to include Senior Vice President and General Manager of Textron Defense Systems, now Weapon & Sensor Systems; and Senior Vice President and General Manager of AAI Corporation, now known as Textron Systems’ Electronic Systems, Support Solutions, and Unmanned Systems businesses. Earlier in her career, Ms. Lord served as Vice President of Integration Management for Textron Systems and Vice President of Intelligent Battlefield Systems for Textron Defense Systems, in addition to other business and operations positions. Ms. Lord is a former Vice Chairman of the National Defense Industrial Association, as well as a former Director of the U.S. – India Business Council. She has served on the industry steering committee for the Center for New American Security’s (CNAS) task force on “Strategy, Technology and the Global Defense Industry,” as well as CNAS’s DoD-Industry collaborative project “Future Foundry: Forging New Industries for Defense,” which was formed to examine key technological trends and challenges facing the global defense industry. Ms. Lord has also served on the Board of Trustees of the U.S. Naval Institute Foundation. Ms. Lord earned a Master of Science degree in chemistry from the University of New Hampshire, as well as a Bachelor of Arts degree in chemistry from Connecticut College.

Bio, via United States Air Force:

Prior to his confirmation, Mr. Manasco was the co–founder of a product design and engineering startup after having served as Executive Vice President at one of America's leading financial services companies. Throughout his career in the private sector, Mr. Manasco has held executive leadership roles in the retail and investment banking, insurance, and energy industries. He has led global teams across functional areas that include technology, digital design, cyber-security, corporate development, sales and service and human resources. Mr. Manasco is a U.S. Army veteran who held command and staff roles at Fort Bragg, North Carolina before becoming the director of finance for the Office of Military Support, Washington, D.C. While in uniform, he held numerous staff and leadership positions supporting worldwide operational activities for Joint Special Operations Forces. Mr. Manasco holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, and a Master of Business Administration degree from Southern Methodist University.

Bio, via Foundation for Defense of Democracies:

Paul Mandelson is the Acting Legislative Director in the office of Congresswoman Susan W. Brooks (IN-05), where his portfolio includes armed services, foreign affairs, budget, trade, environment, energy, government reform, and labor issues. Before joining the Brooks office, Paul worked for Congressman Mike Coffman (CO-06) for three years, handling his foreign affairs and homeland security portfolio. In addition to his experiences on the Hill, Paul has worked on political campaigns and conventions. Paul holds a Master’s degree in Strategic Security Studies from National Defense University’s College of International Security Affairs and a B.A. from Colorado College, where he majored in Economics and Political Science.

Bio, via Department of Defense:

A native of Richland, Washington, Secretary Mattis enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve at the age of 18. After graduating from Central Washington University in 1971, he was commissioned a second lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps. During his more than four decades in uniform, Secretary Mattis commanded Marines at all levels, from an infantry rifle platoon to a Marine Expeditionary Force. He led an infantry battalion in Iraq in 1991, an expeditionary brigade in Afghanistan after the 9/11 terror attack in 2001, a Marine Division in the initial attack and subsequent stability operations in Iraq in 2003, and led all U.S. Marine Forces in the Middle East as Commander, I Marine Expeditionary Force and U.S. Marine Forces Central Command. During his non-combat assignments, Secretary Mattis served as Senior Military Assistant to the Deputy Secretary of Defense; as Director, Marine Corps Manpower Plans & Policy; as Commanding General, Marine Corps Combat Development Command; and as Executive Secretary to the Secretary of Defense. As a joint force commander, Secretary Mattis commanded U.S. Joint Forces Command, NATO’s Supreme Allied Command for Transformation, and U.S. Central Command. At U.S. Central Command, he directed military operations of more than 200,000 soldiers, sailors, airmen, Coast Guardsmen, Marines and allied forces across the Middle East. Following his retirement from the U.S. Marine Corps in 2013, Secretary Mattis served as the Davies Family Distinguished Visiting Fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University, specializing in the study of leadership, national security, strategy, innovation, and the effective use of military force. In 2016, he co-edited the book, Warriors & Citizens: American Views of Our Military.

Bio, via Department of Defense:

Prior to leading CWMD, Mr. Maurer served as Confirmations Lead at the Department of Defense, where he was responsible for overseeing the confirmation of all Senate-confirmed personnel. Prior to that, he also worked confirmations on the Presidential Transition team. Mr. Maurer previously served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Crisis Management and Mission Assurance in the George W. Bush administration. In this position, he was responsible for policy oversight of DoD continuity, crisis management, critical infrastructure protection, domestic anti-terrorism/force protection, cyber security, and defense support of civil authorities programs. Mr. Maurer has served on the Senate Armed Services Committee, the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee and the House Committee on Homeland Security. He also served in the personal offices of Senators Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX), Susan Collins (R-ME), and Jim Bunning (R-KY). Mr. Maurer retired from the Marine Corps Reserve after twenty years, having served in both Operations Desert Storm and Iraqi Freedom. He received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Washington and a Juris Doctorate from Georgetown University Law Center and is a member of the Virginia Bar.

Bio, via United States Army via Internet Archive:

Prior to his confirmation, McCarthy worked for Lockheed Martin Corporation in sequential vice president roles responsible for the sustainment, customer solutions and program integration of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program and the company's global security policy. McCarthy previously served as the special assistant to the 22nd Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, under Presidents Bush and Obama, where he advised as the secretary's representative to the White House, Congress, National Security Agencies and other Foreign Governments. He also served as the special assistant to the under secretary of defense for Acquisition Technology and Logistics and was responsible for policy development and coordination with the joint staff and uniformed services acquisition leaders on procurement and supply chain management policies.He also served as a professional staff member in the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on International Relations. McCarthy proudly served in the U.S. Army from 1997 to 2002 and was involved in combat operations in Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom with the 75th Ranger Regiment, U.S. Special Operations Command. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in History from Virginia Military Institute and a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business. McCarthy and his wife have been married for over 10 years and have one daughter.

Bio, via United States Air Force:

Elaine A. McCusker, a member of the Senior Executive Service, is the Director, Resources and Analysis, Headquarters U.S. Central Command, MacDill Air Force Base, Fla. She is responsible for conducting warfighting analysis and technology assessments. She leads programming actions and provides financial management to prepare the command for current operational requirements that support the combatant commander's strategy. Ms. McCusker has more than eight years of federal service, including three years on Capitol Hill as a professional staff member on the Senate Armed Services Committee and five years in the Pentagon, first as a Special Assistant to the Assistant Secretary of the Navy for the Mine Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicle Program and then as Deputy Director, Operations in the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense Comptroller. She also has more than 10 years in the private sector and academic community, including six years with Argonne National Laboratory/Department of Energy and four years with the University of Washington. Ms. McCusker has a background in science and technology, acquisition, and operation and maintenance activities as well as substantial experience in resolving complex strategic and tactical level challenges, including those with international dimensions.

Bio, via Wikipedia:

McKinnon has worked for many causes, companies and candidates, including former President George W. Bush, Senator John McCain, Late Texas Governor Ann Richards, Congressman Charlie Wilson, and musician and philanthropist Bono. He has served on the boards of numerous organizations dedicated to reforming the influence of money in politics. McKinnon was on the advisory board of Americans Elect,[4] a defunct political organization known primarily for its efforts to stage a national online primary for the 2012 United States presidential election. In 2014, McKinnon launched Mayday PAC to force ethics reform in the United States Congress, along with Harvard Professor Larry Lessig -- who would later run for President on a related push for ethics and campaign finance reform -- and tech moguls Steve Wozniak, Fred Wilson, Peter Thiel, and Reid Hoffman.[5] McKinnon and Julian Castro served as co-chairs of Southerners for the Freedom to Marry, before Obergefell v. Hodges affirmed that the fundamental right to marry is guaranteed to same-sex couples.[6] He currently serves on the boards of Take Back Our Republic[7] and the Austin Film Society, as well as the Advisory Council of Represent.Us, a nonpartisan anti-corruption organization.[8]

Bio, via United States Air Force:

Maj. Gen. Robert H. McMahon Commander, Warner Robins Air Logistics Center, Air Force Materiel Command, Robins Air Force Base, Ga. He is responsible for worldwide logistics support for C-130 and C-5 transport aircraft, F-15 fighter aircraft, U-2 reconnaissance aircraft as well as support for remotely piloted vehicles, Air Force helicopters, air-to-air missiles, surface motor vehicles and high-technology airborne electronics, avionics and electronic warfare requirements. Other responsibilities include comprehensive logistics support and sustainment for the E-8C Joint STARS and the C-17 transport aircraft. The center is one of three Air Force air logistics centers and the largest single-site industrial complex in the state of Georgia. General McMahon was born in Toledo, Ohio. He entered active duty after graduation from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1978. His command experience includes a maintenance wing, a logistics group and two maintenance squadrons. He has served as the Director of Maintenance and Director of Aircraft for the Ogden Air Logistics Center, and as the Director of Propulsion for the San Antonio ALC. General McMahon was also the military assistant to the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Installations, Environment and Logistics, Headquarters U.S. Air Force. He has also served as Director of Maintenance, Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics, Installations and Mission Support, Headquarters U.S. Air Force. Prior to his current position he served as Director of Logistics, Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics, Installations and Mission Support, Headquarters U.S. Air Force.

Bio, via White House:

James E. McPherson of Virginia to be General Counsel, Department of the Army. Mr. McPherson most recently served as the executive director of the National Association of Attorneys General, one of the oldest legal associations in the country, where he leads the professional association of the state, territorial, and District of Columbia Attorneys General. Mr. McPherson previously served as the General Counsel of the Department of Defense Counterintelligence Field Activity. A retired Rear Admiral, Mr. McPherson’s final assignment was as the 39th Judge Advocate General of the Navy. He first gained military experience as an enlisted member of the United States Army, later being commissioned as an Ensign in the Judge Advocate General’s Corps. Mr. McPherson is a recipient of the Distinguished Service Medal, the Legion of Merit, and the Meritorious Service Medal. He received his master of laws degree from the Judge Advocate General’s School of the Army, his juris doctor from the University of San Diego, School of Law, and his bachelors in public administration from San Diego State University.

Bio, via Department of Defense:

Mitchell was among the first U.S. soldiers on the ground in Afghanistan after 9/11 and advised the Northern Alliance prior to the fall of the Taliban regime. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for his actions in the November 2001 Battle of Qala-I Jangi in Mazar-e Sharif. In 2014, Mitchell served as a Director for Counterterrorism on the National Security Council where he was intimately involved in significant hostage cases and recovery efforts in Syria, Yemen, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Somalia. He was instrumental in establishing the framework for the landmark Presidential Policy Review of Hostage Policy, which resulted in significant changes in organization and policy. He previously served in the Office of the Secretary of Defense as the Senior Military Assistant to the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations and Low-Intensity Conflict. As a colonel, he commanded 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne) and simultaneously commanded a nationwide, Joint Special Operations Task Force in Iraq in 2010-2011. Mitchell has planned and conducted counterterrorism and counterinsurgency operations, foreign internal defense, unconventional warfare, and other sensitive special operations. In addition to commanding multiple Special Forces organizations, he has served in principal staff positions up to and including the Theater Special Operations Command. He most recently worked as a business executive in the private sector and served on the board of a non-profit organization. Mitchell earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Biomedical Engineering from Marquette University and a Master of Science degree in Defense Analysis from the Naval Postgraduate School. He also served as a National Security Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government.

Bio, via Department of Defense:

Mitchell has 20 years of experience in Washington, District of Columbia, having implemented major national and international events on behalf of the U.S. government, non-profits, and several media companies. Most recently, she was the vice president of communications for National Review. She has led numerous national campaigns to support America's military and veterans.

Bio, via Department of Defense:

Mooney was most recently the deputy White House liaison in the Office of the Secretary of Defense. Mooney received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin and his master’s degree in engineering management from George Washington University.