CNA Military Advisory Board Members

GENERAL PAUL J. KERN, USA, (Ret.), FORMER COMMANDING GENERAL, U.S. ARMY MATERIEL COMMAND
CHAIRMAN, CNA MILITARY ADVISORY BOARD

General Kern was Commanding General, Army Materiel Command from 2001-2004, and Senior Advisor for Army Research, Development, and Acquisition from 1997-2001. He was commissioned as an Armor Lieutenant following graduation from West Point in 1967 and served three combat tours – two in Vietnam as a platoon leader and troop commander, and the third in Desert Shield/Desert Storm. In the 1990s, Kern served as Senior Military Assistant to Secretary of Defense William Perry. In June 2004, at the request of Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, Kern led the military's internal investigation into the abuses at the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq. 

He holds master’s degrees in both Civil and Mechanical Engineering from the University of Michigan, and he was a Senior Security Fellow at the John F. Kennedy School at Harvard University. Back to top

VICE ADMIRAL LEE F. GUNN, USN (Ret.), FORMER INSPECTOR GENERAL OF THE DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY
VICE CHAIRMAN, CNA MILITARY ADVISORY BOARD

Vice Admiral Lee Gunn served for 35 years in U.S. Navy. His last active duty assignment was Inspector General of the Department of the Navy where he was responsible for the Department’s overall inspection program and its assessments of readiness, training, and quality of service. Serving in the Surface Navy in a variety of theaters, Gunn rose through the cruiser/destroyer force to command the Frigate USS Barbey, then commanded the Navy’s anti-submarine warfare tactical and technical evaluation Destroyer squadron, DESRON 31. He later commanded Amphibious Group Three. As Commander of PHIBGRU THREE, he served as the Combined Naval Forces Commander and Deputy Task Force Commander of Combined Task Force United Shield, which conducted the withdrawal of U.N. peacekeeping forces from Somalia

Gunn holds a bachelor’s degree in Experimental and Physiological Psychology from the University of California, Los Angeles and a Master of Science degree in Operations Research from the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California. Back to top

VICE ADMIRAL DENNIS V. MCGINN, USN (Ret.), FORMER DEPUTY CHIEF OF NAVAL OPERATIONS FOR WARFARE REQUIREMENTS AND PROGRAMS
VICE CHAIRMAN, CNA MILITARY ADVISORY BOARD

Vice Admiral Denny McGinn served 35 years with the U.S. Navy as a naval aviator, test pilot, aircraft carrier commanding officer, and national security strategist. His last assignment was Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Warfare Requirements and Programs at the Pentagon where he led the development of the U.S. Navy’s future strategic capabilities. He also commanded the U.S. Third Fleet, which is responsible for some 50 million square miles of the eastern Pacific Ocean. As Third Fleet Commander, he was recognized for leading great advances in operational innovation, the rapid prototyping of sea-based information technology, and international naval force experimentation and coordination.

He received a Bachelor of Science degree in Naval Engineering from the U.S. Naval Academy and attended the national security program at the Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University. Back to top

GENERAL JAMES T. CONWAY, USMC (Ret.), FORMER 34TH COMMANDANT OF THE MARINE CORPS

As Commandant, General Conway served as the senior uniformed Marine responsible for the organization, training, and equipping of over 250,000 active duty, reserve, and civilian personnel serving in the United States and overseas. He managed an annual budget on the order of $40 Billion. As a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff for four years, he was a military advisor to the Secretary of Defense, the National Security Council, and the President. Previous high level assignments included President of the Marine Corps University, command of a (20,000 Marine) Division, and commander of 90,000 U.S. and British forces during the invasion of Iraq. Prior to becoming the Commandant, he served as the J-3 Joint Staff, or senior operations officer in the U.S. military, where he oversaw the war efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan.

He attended Southeast Missouri University; the Seminar XXI M.I.T. Fellowship Program, and the JFK School of Government, Harvard University, Seminar of International Relations. Back to top

LIEUTENTANT GENERAL KEN EICKMANN, USAF (Ret.), FORMER COMMANDER, AERONAUTICAL SYSTEMS CENTER, WRIGHT-PATTERSON AFB

From 1996-1998, General Eickmann served as the Commander, Aeronautical Systems Center, Wright-Patterson AFB, where he led the nation's largest center of excellence for research, development, and acquisition of aircraft, aeronautical equipment, and munitions. General Eickmann was the Commander of the Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center and Installation Commander of Tinker Air Force Base from 1994-1996; Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics and Chief of Staff for Air Force Materiel Command from 1992-1994; and DCS Logistics, Headquarters Pacific Air Forces from 1990-1992. From 1967 to 1990, General Eickmann’s assignments centered on his expertise in research, development, acquisition, and logistics. He is a recognized expert in propulsion technology and has published several papers in technical journals in the U.S. and overseas.

General Eickmann is the Deputy Director of the Center for Energy Security at the University of Texas in Austin. He holds a bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering from UT Austin, a master's degree in Systems Engineering from the Air Force Institute of Technology, and is a graduate of the University of the Michigan School of Business and the John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University. Back to top

LIEUTENANT GENERAL LAWRENCE P. FARRELL JR., USAF (Ret.), FORMER DEPUTY CHIEF OF STAFF FOR PLANS AND PROGRAMS, HEADQUARTERS U.S. AIR FORCE

In 1998, General Farrell served as the Deputy Chief of Staff for Plans and Programs, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C. He was responsible for planning, programming, and manpower activities within the corporate Air Force and for integrating the Air Force's future plans and requirements to support national security objectives and military strategy. Previous positions include Vice Commander, Air Force Materiel Command and Deputy Director, Defense Logistics Agency. He also served as Deputy Chief of Staff for Plans and Programs at Headquarters U.S. Air Forces in Europe. A command pilot with more than 3,000 flying hours, he flew 196 missions in Southeast Asia, and commanded the 401st Tactical Fighter Wing, Torrejon Air Base, Spain.

General Farrell is a graduate of the Air Force Academy with a B.S. in Engineering and an M.B.A. from Auburn University. Other education includes the National War College and the Harvard Program for Executives in National Security. Back to top

BRIGADIER GENERAL GERALD E. GALLOWAY, JR., P.E., Ph.D., USA (Ret.), FORMER DEAN OF THE ACADEMIC BOARD, U.S. MILITARY ACADEMY

Brigadier General Gerry Galloway was a principal investigator for FEMA's 2006 study of the adequacy of the National Flood Insurance Program’s one percent flood standard and chaired FEMA's Interagency National Levee Policy Review Team. In 2006 to 2007, he led an expert panel examining flood challenges in California’s Central Valley. From 2007 to 2008, he was the Maas-White Scholar at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Institute for Water Resources. He was a Presidential appointee to the Mississippi River Commission from 1988 to 1995, and from 1994 to 1995, he was assigned to the White House to lead a committee in assessing the causes of the 1993 Mississippi River Flood. During a 38-year career in the military, he served in various command and staff assignments in Germany, Southeast Asia, and the United States, retiring in 1995 as a brigadier general.

He is a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy and holds master’s degrees from Princeton University, Pennsylvania State University, and the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College and a doctorate in Geography from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He has served on eight committees of the National Research Council and is a member of its Water Science and Technology Board and its Disasters Roundtable. Back to top

GENERAL DONALD J. HOFFMAN, USAF, (RET.), FORMER COMMANDER, AIR FORCE MATERIAL COMMAND

General Hoffman retired in June 2012 after managing an 80,000 workforce with a $60B budget to develop, acquire, test, and sustain Air Force Weapon Systems. He also served as the Military Deputy for Air Force Acquisition in the Pentagon and the Director of Requirements at Air Combat Command. He is a pilot with over 3,800 hours in fighter, trainer, and transport aircraft and has served in numerous operational commands.

A graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy, General Hoffman has a Master's Degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley, and has attended the National War College and the National Security Management Course at Syracuse University. Back to top

GENERAL RONALD E. KEYS, USAF (Ret.), FORMER COMMANDER, AIR COMBAT COMMAND

General Keys retired from the Air Force in November 2007 after completing a career of more than forty years. His last assignment was as Commander of the Air Force’s largest command -- Air Combat Command (ACC), comprised of 1,200 aircraft, 27 wings, 17 bases, and 105,000 personnel in 200 operating locations worldwide. Under his leadership, ACC organized and stood up the Air Force’s first Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Wing and first Network Warfare Wing. Additionally, General Keys was the first commander of the Air Force Doctrine Center, and he has served as an executive assistant to the Air Force Chief of Staff and Deputy Chief of Staff for Air and Space Operations. General Keys is a command pilot with more than 4,000 flying hours, including more than 300 hours of combat time in Southeast Asia.

Keys holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Kansas State University and a master’s degree in Business Administration from Golden Gate University. Back to top

ADMIRAL T. JOSEPH LOPEZ, USN (Ret.), FORMER COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF, U.S. NAVAL FORCES EUROPE AND OF ALLIED FORCES, SOUTHERN EUROPE

Admiral Joe Lopez's assignments included both Commander in Chief of U.S. Naval Forces, Europe and Commander in Chief Allied Forces, Southern Europe (1996-1998). In 1996 he commanded all U.S. and Allied Bosnia Peace Forces from his headquarters in Sarajevo. He served as the Senior Military Assistant to the Secretary of Defense in 1990-1992 and commanded the United States Navy Sixth Fleet in 1992-1993. Lopez is one of only two flag officers in the history of the U.S. Navy to have achieved four-star rank after direct commission from enlisted service. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations, a Master of Science in Management, an Honorary Doctorate Degree in Humanities from West Virginia Institute of Technology, and an Honorary Degree in Information Technology from Potomac State College of West Virginia University. Back to top

GENERAL GORDON SULLIVAN, USA (Ret.), FORMER CHIEF OF STAFF, U.S. ARMY

From 1991-1995, General Sullivan served as the 32nd Army Chief of Staff—the senior general officer in the Army—and a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. As the Chief of Staff of the Army, he created the vision and led the team that transitioned the Army from its Cold War posture.

He was Army Vice Chief of Staff from 1990-1991, Army Deputy Chief of Staff, Operations and Plans from 1989-1990, and Commander, 1st U.S. Army Infantry Division (Mechanized) from 1988-89. From 1987-1988, he served as Deputy Commandant, U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, and, from 1983-1984, was Assistant Commandant, U.S. Army Armor School, Fort Knox, Kentucky. His overseas assignments included four tours in Europe, two in Vietnam, and one in Korea. He served as Chief of Staff to the Secretary of Defense during the Administration of President George H. W. Bush.

Sullivan holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in History from Norwich University and a Master of Arts degree in Political Science from the University of New Hampshire. Back to top

LIEUTENANT GENERAL RICHARD C. ZILMER, USMC (Ret.), FORMER DEPUTY COMMANDANT FOR MANPOWER AND RESERVE AFFAIRS, HEADQUARTERS MARINE CORPS

Lieutenant General Richard Zilmer retired from Active Duty in January of 2011 following over 36 years of commissioned service. During his military career, Zilmer served in a variety of operational and staff assignments throughout the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, and Japan. His operational commands consisted of Commanding Officer First Battalion, First Marines, Commanding Officer 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit, Commanding General Multinational Forces-West (Anbar Province, Iraq), and Commanding General III Marine Expeditionary Force, Okinawa, Japan. Zilmer served combat tours during Lebanon Peacekeeping Operations, Operation Desert Storm, and Operation Iraqi Freedom. Zilmer’s staff assignments included multiple Washington, DC tours at Headquarters Marine Corps, Deputy J-3 for Operations at the United States European Command. His final assignment was Deputy Commandant for Manpower and Reserve Affairs, Headquarters Marine Corps.

Lieutenant General Zilmer graduated with a bachelor's degree in Secondary Education from Kutztown University in 1974 and holds a Master of Arts degree in National Security and Strategic Studies from the College of Naval Warfare. Back to top