Nominees to the Defense Business Board

The following individuals have been asked to serve on the FY 2022 Defense Business Board:

Hon. Deborah Lee James – Chairperson of the Defense Business Board -- Secretary James worked in government for 20 years and served as Secretary of the Air Force and the Principal Space Advisor to the Secretary of Defense from 2013 - 2017.  Additionally, Hon. James has 15 years of private industry experience working on key governance, financial, business development, and program execution management areas.  She currently operates as an independent board member for public, private, and non-profit organizations. 

Joseph Anderson - Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), TAG Holdings, LLC

David Beitel – Chief Technology Officer, Zillow Group

Arthur Blank Owner & Chairman, Blank Family of Businesses and Co-Founder of The Home Depot

Sally Donnelly – Founding Partner, Pallas Advisors and former Senior Advisor to the Secretary of Defense

Cheryl Eliano – National Vice President District 10, American Federation of Government Employees

Christopher Gopal, PhD – Executive, Consultant, Author and Educator, Global Supply Chain & Operations

Linnie Haynesworth – Former Vice President Northrop Grumman and Independent Board Director

Erin Hill – Chief Administrative Officer, BNY Mellon

Mellody Hobson –  Chair, Board of Trustees, Ariel Investment Trust; Co-Chief Executive Officer and President, Ariel Investments; Chair of the Board of the Starbucks Corporation; Director, JPMorgan Chase

Jennifer McClure – Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Unbridled Talent

Oscar Munoz – Retired Chairman, President and CEO, United Airlines

Gen Larry Spencer, USAF (Ret) – President, Armed Forces Benefit Association and 5Star Life Insurance Company; 37th Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force

David Van Slyke, PhD – Dean and Louis A. Bantle Chair in Business-Government Policy, The Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, Syracuse University

GEN Joseph Votel, USA (Ret) – President and CEO, Business Executives for National Security; former Commander of United States (U.S.) Central Command

Hon. David Walker – Former U.S. Comptroller General

GEN Johnnie Wilson, USA (Ret) – Former Director, Washington First Bank; former Commanding General, U.S. Army Materiel Command 

Saf Yeboah-Amankwah – Chief Strategy Officer, Intel Corporation

Former Chairs

  • William "Gus" Pagonis (2002-2006)
  • Michael J. Bayer (2007-2011)
  • John Goodman (2011-2014)
  • Bobby L. Stein (2014-2015)
  • Michael J. Bayer (2015-2017)
  • Bill Simon (2018-2019)
  • Michael J. Bayer (2019-2020)

Presidential Appointments of Former Members After Serving on the Board

  • Barbara Barrett as Secretary of the Air Force
  • Denis Bovin as President's Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board
  • Stephen Friedman as Special Assistant to the President for Economic Policy, Council of Economic Advisors
  • Bob Hale as Under Secretary of Defense, Comptroller
  • Dennis Hightower as Deputy Secretary of Commerce
  • Phil Merrill as Chairman of the Export-Import Bank
  • Richard Spencer as Secretary of the Navy