WASHINGTON, July 24,
2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the Global War on
Terrorism (GWOT) Memorial Foundation announced that the
25th Secretary of the U.S. Air Force and former U.S.
Ambassador to Finland,
Barbara Barrett, will join the
Foundation's Board of Directors.
Barbara
Barrett, 25th Secretary of the Air Force, joins GWOT
Memorial Foundation Board of Directors
An accomplished leader, Barbara Barrett served as the
25th Secretary of the Air Force from 2019-2021, where
she was instrumental in establishing the U.S. Space Force. Today,
Secretary Barrett chairs the USS Arizona Legacy Foundation, which
supports the new Virginia-class submarine under construction,
honoring the battleship lost at Pearl
Harbor on December 7,
1941.
"The Foundation is humbled and honored to have
Secretary Barrett's indomitable spirit and vision to assist in
our sacred mission," said GWOT Memorial Foundation President and
CEO Michael "Rod" RodrÃguez. "Her track record of successful
leadership across government, private, and nonprofit sectors marks
her as a dedicated, high-caliber ally who will bolster our work to
build the Memorial."
"The entire Board of Directors welcomes Secretary Barrett
with open arms," said GWOT Memorial Foundation Board Chair
Ted Skokos. "We have full confidence
in her alignment with the Foundation's goals and her commitment to
the future of this Memorial."
Barrett served as U.S. Ambassador to Finland under President George W. Bush's Administration. During the
Reagan Administration, she was Deputy Administrator of the Federal
Aviation Administration and Vice Chairman of the Civil Aeronautics
Board. She served as a civilian advisor to a dozen Secretaries of
Defense. She is also an accomplished instrument-rated pilot
qualified for spaceflight.
"It is a special privilege to assume a leadership role focused
on honoring all heroes of the Global War on Terrorism," said
Secretary Barrett. "My experience as Secretary of the Air Force and
an official in the George W. Bush Administration let me see
firsthand the sacrifices our brave warriors have performed on
behalf of our Nation, and they deserve an enduring Memorial on the
National Mall. I'm eager to help the Foundation achieve this goal
as soon as possible."
More About Barbara Barrett
Barrett is Vice Chair of
the Smithsonian Board of Regents and Vice Chair of California Institute of Technology (Caltech). She
chairs Caltech's governance body overseeing NASA's Jet Propulsion
Laboratory. In past business roles, Barrett chaired The Aerospace
Corporation for four terms and was founding chairman of Valley Bank
of Arizona. She also served on
governing boards of RAND Corporation, Raytheon, Mayo Clinic, and
the Space Foundation. She was an executive at two global Fortune
500 companies and interim CEO of both the American Management
Association and Thunderbird School of Global Management.
About the Global War on Terrorism Memorial Foundation
Formed in 2015 by veterans, military spouses, and supportive
Americans, the Global War on Terrorism (GWOT) Memorial Foundation
is the 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization designated by Congress to
lead the effort to plan, fund, and build a GWOT Memorial on the
National Mall in Washington, D.C. Our sole mission is to construct
an inclusive place of honor for both uniformed and non-uniformed
personnel who served and sacrificed as part of global
counterterrorism operations since September 11th, 2001. The
Memorial will be a place for Americans to honor, heal, be
empowered, and unite. The Memorial will be entirely funded by
donations; no federal government funding will be used. All
donations are 100% tax deductible. Learn more by visiting our
website. Be sure to follow our progress on X, Facebook, Instagram,
and LinkedIn.
Media Contact:
media@gwotmf.org
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SOURCE Global War on Terrorism Memorial Foundation