Syracuse, NY, February 12, 2018 — The Institute for Veterans and Military Families (IVMF) at Syracuse University welcomes four new members to its external advisory board.
Today, the IVMF announced that the Honorable Bob McDonald, former Secretary of Veterans Affairs and former Chairman and CEO of Procter & Gamble; former Secretary of the Navy and University Professor Sean O’Keefe; Vice President of Strategy and Business Development at Lockheed Martin, Lieutenant General (Ret.) Howard Bromberg; and Syracuse University Board of Trustee Captain Robert P. Taishoff, JAGC, USN (Ret.) have accepted seats on the IVMF Board.
“These four distinguished individuals represent an extraordinary history of public service and commitment to our country,” said Vice Chancellor Mike Haynie, the IVMF’s Executive Director and Founder. “Their leadership and dedication to the IVMF is humbling and we look forward to their impact on our work serving the nation’s veterans and their families.”
These new Board members bring a diverse and deep level of experience from the military, government, business, higher education and public service arenas. They each have unique insights into the issues and challenges facing veterans and military-connected families which will help to inform the mission of the IVMF.
“The work of the IVMF and what they have accomplished in just six short years is inspiring,” said Sean O’Keefe. “My career has been built on a commitment to public service, so joining the IVMF Board and having an opportunity to collaborate with the institute supporting the work they do with our nation’s veterans and their families is an important privilege. I look forward to serving in this new role.”
Bob McDonald added, “I am both proud and excited to continue to serve those who have worn the uniform in this new capacity on the IVMF Advisory Board. I have seen first-hand the powerful impact that can be realized when organizations like the IVMF work side-by-side with the VA. We must work together – public, private and the non-profit sectors – to tackle the challenges that face our nations veterans and their families.”
Members of the IVMF Advisory Board come from private industry, higher education and the veteran and military community. They provide advice and counsel to Institute leadership, and confer insight and input focused on the institute’s strategic objectives and planning process. The board also helps to assess the impact of IVMF programs, and makes recommendations related to future programming and areas of strategic focus. Here’s a complete list of IVMF board members.
LTG (ret.) Howard Bromberg
Howard Bromberg is currently the Vice President for Strategy and Business Development, Integrated Air and Missile Defense for Lockheed Martin Corporation. In October of 2014 he completed 37 years in the United States Army serving as a Lieutenant General.
Mr. Bromberg hails from California and was commissioned as an Air Defense Artillery officer in the U.S. Army upon graduation from the University of California at Davis in 1977. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Economics and Management.
He has served in Army units in the United States, Germany, Korea and Southwest Asia. He commanded at every level from platoon to installation including Ft Bliss, Texas and the 32d Army Air and Missile Defense Command during Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Most recently he served as the U.S. Army’s Deputy Chief of Staff, G-1 responsible for developing, managing, and executing manpower and personnel plans, programs, and policies for the total Army. Prior to this assignment, he served as the Deputy Commanding General/Chief of Staff, U.S. Army Forces Command, the Chief of Staff, U.S. Strategic Command, and the Commanding General of Fort Bliss and the Air Defense Artillery Center.
Mr. Bromberg serves on the Advisory Board for American Corporate Partners, a not for profit company that provides corporate mentorship for transitioning service members.
Honorable Robert McDonald
Robert A. McDonald was nominated by President Obama to serve as the eighth Secretary of Veterans Affairs and was confirmed by the United States Senate on July 29, 2014.
Prior to joining VA, Secretary McDonald was Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer of The Procter & Gamble Company (P&G). Under his leadership, P&G significantly recalibrated its product portfolio; expanded its marketing footprint, adding nearly one billion people to its global customer base; and grew the firm’s organic sales by an average of three percent per year. This growth was reflected in P&G’s stock price, which rose from $51.10 the day he became CEO to $81.64 on the day his last quarterly results were announced—a 60 percent increase from 2009 to 2013.
During his tenure, P&G was widely recognized for its leader development prowess. In 2012, Chief Executive Magazine named it the best company for developing leader talent. The Hay Group, a global management consulting firm, consistently cited P&G in its top-tier listing of the Best Companies for Leadership Study. The company received recognition for its environmental and social sustainability initiatives, including receipt of the Department of State’s Award for Corporate Excellence for P&G’s operations in Pakistan and Nigeria. In addition, using the company’s innovative water purification packets, P&G committed itself to the 2020 goal of “saving one life every hour” by annually providing two billion liters of clean drinking water to people in the world’s developing countries.
An Army veteran, Mr. McDonald served with the 82nd Airborne Division; completed Jungle, Arctic, and Desert Warfare training; and earned the Ranger tab, the Expert Infantryman Badge, and Senior Parachutist wings.
Upon leaving military service, Captain McDonald was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal. Secretary McDonald graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point in the top 2 percent of the Class of 1975. He served as the Brigade Adjutant for the Corps of Cadets and was recognized by The Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufacturing, and Commerce as the most distinguished graduate in academics, leadership, and physical education. He earned an MBA from the University of Utah in 1978.
Bob is personally committed to values-based leadership and to improving the lives of others. He and his wife, Diane, are the founders of the McDonald Cadet Leadership Conference at West Point—a biennial gathering that brings together the best and brightest young minds from the best universities around the world and pairs them with senior business, NGO, and government leaders in a multi-day, interactive learning experience.
The recipient of numerous leadership awards and honorary degrees, in 2014, Secretary McDonald was awarded the Public Service Star by the President of the Republic of Singapore for his work in helping to shape Singapore’s development as an international hub for connecting global companies with Asian firms and enterprises.
Secretary McDonald and his wife are the parents of two grown children, and the proud grandparents of two grandsons.
Honorable Sean O’Keefe
Sean O’Keefe is University Professor and the Howard and Louise Phanstiel endowed Chair in Strategic Management and Leadership at the Syracuse University Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs. He is the 17th faculty recipient in the nearly 150 year Syracuse history to be designated University Professor, the most senior faculty appointment conferred by the institution. Concurrently, he is a Distinguished Senior Adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), a partner institution with the Syracuse Maxwell School in Washington, D.C.
Previously, O’Keefe was Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Airbus Group Inc, the US based corporate division of the global aerospace corporation. Prior to joining Airbus, O’Keefe was a company officer and Vice President of the General Electric Company following service as Chancellor of the Louisiana State University. On four separate occasions O’Keefe served as a presidential appointee when he led NASA, as Secretary of the Navy, as Deputy Director of the Office of Management and Budget and Deputy Assistant to the President, and as Comptroller and CFO at the Defense Department. His first presidential appointment followed nearly a decade with the US Senate Appropriations Committee concluding as staff director of defense subcommittee. Between public service posts and at various times in his career, he held faculty appointments at the Pennsylvania State University, LSU and Syracuse. Following completion of his graduate degree at the Syracuse Maxwell School, his public service experiences began as a Presidential Management Intern in the inaugural class of the program in 1978.
O’Keefe is the recipient of the Defense Department’s Distinguished Public Service Award, the faculty recipient of the Syracuse University Chancellor’s Award for Public Service; the Department of Navy’s Public Service Award and has been awarded honorary doctorate degrees from five higher education institutions, including Loyola University, New Orleans, his undergraduate alma mater. On three occasions, Irish American Magazine designated O’Keefe as among the Top 100 Irish Americans, Syracuse University presented him the distinguished alumni Arents Award for Excellence in Public Service, and the Meridian International Center honored him with the Corporate Leadership award.
O’Keefe is a Fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration and serves on the board of directors of the Partnership for Public Service. His graduate course offerings include public management, national security policy, technology management, leadership and participation in various executive education programs.
CAPT (ret.) Robert Taishoff
Captain Robert P. Taishoff, JAGC, USN (ret) is the CEO of Annapolis Yacht Sales and Service. Before this he served on active duty as the Director of the Appellate Defense Division for Navy-Marine Corps Appellate Review Activity, managing Navy and Marine Corps attorneys and civilians who represent service members with cases on appeal at the Navy-Marine Corps Court of Criminal Appeals, the Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces, and the United States Supreme Court. Among his assignments during a career spanning 22 years, he has served in The Office of the Special Assistant for Transformation; as Executive Officer Trial Service Office NE; as Deputy Director and Director of the Office of the JAG Appellate Government Division; and as Navy Counsel for the State Department representing the United States on Iranian Claims Litigation.
Following his deployment in the Arabian Gulf during Operation Enduring Freedom Captain Taishoff was assigned to the Defense Intelligence Agency Office of General Counsel. His military awards include The Legion of Merit, five Meritorious Service Medals, a Joint Commendation Medal, three Navy Commendation Medals, a Navy Achievement Medal, the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, Meritorious Unit Commendation, and the Sea Service Deployment Ribbon.
Captain Taishoff graduated from Syracuse University in 1986 and received a law degree from Widener Law School in May 1989. He completed an LL.M with highest honors at George Washington University School of Law in 2002. He has established a number of philanthropic programs through his family foundation, for which he is President and Trustee.
Captain Taishoff established the Taishoff Center for Inclusive Higher Education at the Syracuse University School of Education. He serves as the Chairman of the Taishoff Family Foundation, is a member of the Syracuse University Board of Trustees and the Board of Directors for the National Down Syndrome Society.
Captain Taishoff lives in Annapolis with his wife Kathy Taishoff and their 5 children.
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About the Institute for Veterans and Military Families at Syracuse University
The Institute for Veterans and Military Families (IVMF) is the first interdisciplinary national institute in higher education focused on the social, economic, education, and policy issues impacting veterans and their families. Through its professional staff and experts, the IVMF delivers leading programs in career, vocational, and entrepreneurship education and training, while also conducting actionable research, policy analysis, and program evaluations. The IVMF also supports communities through collective impact efforts that enhance delivery and access to services and care. The Institute, supported by a distinguished advisory board, along with public and private partners, is committed to advancing the lives of those who have served in America’s armed forces and their families. For more information, visit IVMF and follow the IVMF on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.