Erin C. Conaton
Encyclopedia
Erin Cathleen Conaton is the current United States Under Secretary of the Air Force
, having been sworn in to office on March 15, 2010.
. After graduating from Immaculate Heart Academy
in the Township of Washington, Bergen County
, New Jersey
, Erin C. Conaton was educated at Georgetown University
, receiving a B.S.
in foreign service in 1992. She spent 1992-93 as a financial analyst
at Salomon Brothers
in New York City
, and then as a director of client services at Yield Enhancement Strategists, Inc. She then became a graduate student at Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University
, serving as a graduate fellow at the United States National Security Council
in 1994, and receiving her Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy (MALD) from the Fletcher School in 1995. She spent 1995 as an associate at the Overseas Private Investment Corporation
. From 1996 to 1997, she completed an International Security Studies Fellowship at Tufts, and then completed a graduate fellowship at the Central Intelligence Agency
in 1998.
Conaton worked as research staff director and research associate for the US Commission on National Security/21st Century from 1998 to 2001. From 2001 to 2005, she was a member of the professional staff of the United States House Committee on Armed Services
. In 2005, she became the Armed Service Committee's Minority Staff Director, holding that position until 2007, when she became the full committee's staff director.
On November 10, 2009, President of the United States
Barack Obama
nominated Conaton to be United States Under Secretary of the Air Force
, an office that had been vacant since the resignation of Ronald M. Sega
on August 31, 2007. Conaton was confirmed by the Senate
on March 4, 2010, and sworn into office on March 15.
United States Under Secretary of the Air Force
The Under Secretary of the Air Force is the second-highest ranking civilian official in the Department of the Air Force of the United States of America, serving directly under the Secretary of the Air Force...
, having been sworn in to office on March 15, 2010.
Biography
Conaton was born in Hackensack, New JerseyHackensack, New Jersey
Hackensack is a city in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States and the county seat of Bergen County. Although informally called Hackensack, it was officially named New Barbadoes Township until 1921. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was 43,010....
. After graduating from Immaculate Heart Academy
Immaculate Heart Academy
Immaculate Heart Academy is an all-girls college preparatory private Roman Catholic high school located in Washington Township, in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. The school was founded in 1960 by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace as the first regional high school for girls in the Roman...
in the Township of Washington, Bergen County
Bergen County, New Jersey
Bergen County is the most populous county of the state of New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, its population was 905,116. The county is part of the New York City Metropolitan Area. Its county seat is Hackensack...
, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, Erin C. Conaton was educated at Georgetown University
Georgetown University
Georgetown University is a private, Jesuit, research university whose main campus is in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic university in the United States...
, receiving a B.S.
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
in foreign service in 1992. She spent 1992-93 as a financial analyst
Financial analyst
A financial analyst, securities analyst, research analyst, equity analyst, or investment analyst is a person who performs financial analysis for external or internal clients as a core part of the job.-Job:...
at Salomon Brothers
Salomon Brothers
Salomon Brothers was a bulge bracket, Wall Street investment bank. Founded in 1910 by three brothers along with a clerk named Ben Levy, it remained a partnership until the early 1980s, when it was acquired by the commodity trading firm Phibro Corporation and then became Salomon Inc. Eventually...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, and then as a director of client services at Yield Enhancement Strategists, Inc. She then became a graduate student at Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University
Tufts University
Tufts University is a private research university located in Medford/Somerville, near Boston, Massachusetts. It is organized into ten schools, including two undergraduate programs and eight graduate divisions, on four campuses in Massachusetts and on the eastern border of France...
, serving as a graduate fellow at the United States National Security Council
United States National Security Council
The White House National Security Council in the United States is the principal forum used by the President of the United States for considering national security and foreign policy matters with his senior national security advisors and Cabinet officials and is part of the Executive Office of the...
in 1994, and receiving her Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy (MALD) from the Fletcher School in 1995. She spent 1995 as an associate at the Overseas Private Investment Corporation
Overseas Private Investment Corporation
The Overseas Private Investment Corporation is an independent agency of the United States Government that mobilizes U.S. private sector investment in new and emerging markets overseas in order to support both the sustainable economic development of those markets and the creation of American jobs...
. From 1996 to 1997, she completed an International Security Studies Fellowship at Tufts, and then completed a graduate fellowship at the Central Intelligence Agency
Central Intelligence Agency
The Central Intelligence Agency is a civilian intelligence agency of the United States government. It is an executive agency and reports directly to the Director of National Intelligence, responsible for providing national security intelligence assessment to senior United States policymakers...
in 1998.
Conaton worked as research staff director and research associate for the US Commission on National Security/21st Century from 1998 to 2001. From 2001 to 2005, she was a member of the professional staff of the United States House Committee on Armed Services
United States House Committee on Armed Services
thumb|United States House Committee on Armed Services emblemThe U.S. House Committee on Armed Services, commonly known as the House Armed Services Committee, is a standing committee of the United States House of Representatives...
. In 2005, she became the Armed Service Committee's Minority Staff Director, holding that position until 2007, when she became the full committee's staff director.
On November 10, 2009, President of the United States
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
nominated Conaton to be United States Under Secretary of the Air Force
United States Under Secretary of the Air Force
The Under Secretary of the Air Force is the second-highest ranking civilian official in the Department of the Air Force of the United States of America, serving directly under the Secretary of the Air Force...
, an office that had been vacant since the resignation of Ronald M. Sega
Ronald M. Sega
Ronald "Ron" Michael Sega is professor of systems engineering at Colorado State University and vice president for applied research for the Colorado State University Research Foundation . From August 2005 to August 2007, he served as Under Secretary of the Air Force...
on August 31, 2007. Conaton was confirmed by the Senate
Advise and Consent
Advise and Consent is a 1959 political novel by Allen Drury that explores the United States Senate confirmation of controversial Secretary of State nominee Robert Leffingwell who is a former member of the Communist Party...
on March 4, 2010, and sworn into office on March 15.