About the Honoree
Secretary Leon Panetta began his long and distinguished public service career in 1964 as a First Lieutenant in the United States Army, and upon discharge went to work in Washington as a legislative assistant. He was appointed director of the Department of Health, Education and Welfare’s Office for Civil Rights, served as executive assistant to the mayor of New York City, and was later elected to the United States House of Representatives. Serving in Congress for sixteen years, Secretary Panetta was a key participant in agriculture, healthcare, ocean and federal budget issues. In 1993, Secretary Panetta left Congress to serve as director of the Office of Management and Budget for the Clinton administration, and a year later he accepted appointment as the president’s chief of staff. In 1997, Secretary Panetta joined with his wife Sylvia to establish and co-direct The Panetta Institute for Public Policy, based at California State University, Monterey Bay. Reflecting Secretary Panetta’s own ideals and personal example, the nonpartisan, not-for-profit study center seeks to attract thoughtful men and women to lives of public service and prepare them for the policy challenges of the future. Returning to public service in the Obama administration as director of the CIA, he ran the operation that brought Osama bin Laden to justice, and, as Secretary of Defense, led the effort to develop a new defense strategy, helped bring two wars to an end, and opened up opportunities for everyone to serve in the military. Secretary Panetta returned to the Panetta Institute as chairman in 2013. "The ability for a spouse and a child of a service member to continue their education is of critical importance. The doors to a quality education must stay open, and an organization like ThanksUSA is of great value to all of us just now. I know firsthand how much this means to our veterans and their families.” - Secretary Leon Panetta
|
|
