Frank Blake
Encyclopedia
Francis Stanton "Frank" Blake (born 30, July 1949 in Boston
) is an American business executive. He is the chairman and CEO of The Home Depot
. He was appointed to this position in January 2007. Prior to this he worked for the U.S. Department of Energy and General Electric.
in 1976.
and then to Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens
.
From 1991–1995 he was the general counsel for General Electric
.
Frank previously served as Deputy Secretary for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), a role similar to that of chief operating officer in the private sector. There, he was a leader in departmental policy decisions and managed DOE's annual $19 billion budget. Prior to that, Frank served in a variety of executive roles at General Electric. As senior vice president, Corporate Business Development, he led all business development efforts, including worldwide mergers, acquisitions, dispositions and identification of strategic growth opportunities. As GE Power Systems head of business development, he played a key role in expanding that business into new technology and global marketplaces. He also held the position of general counsel at GE Power Systems.
Frank's public sector experience also includes having served as general counsel for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA), deputy counsel to Vice President George Bush, and law clerk to Justice Stevens of the U.S. Supreme Court.
As of April 2004, Frank was elected to serve on the board of directors for Southern Company, a premier super-regional energy company based in Atlanta, Georgia.
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
) is an American business executive. He is the chairman and CEO of The Home Depot
The Home Depot
The Home Depot is an American retailer of home improvement and construction products and services.The Home Depot operates 2,248 big-box format stores across the United States , Canada , Mexico and China, with a 12-store chain...
. He was appointed to this position in January 2007. Prior to this he worked for the U.S. Department of Energy and General Electric.
Education
Blake received his bachelors degree from Harvard in 1971. He then received his JD from the Columbia Law SchoolColumbia Law School
Columbia Law School, founded in 1858, is one of the oldest and most prestigious law schools in the United States. A member of the Ivy League, Columbia Law School is one of the professional graduate schools of Columbia University in New York City. It offers the J.D., LL.M., and J.S.D. degrees in...
in 1976.
Legal career
From 1971–1973 Blake was a legislative assistant to the joint committee on Social Welfare of the Massachusetts legislature. He was admitted to the District of Columbia bar in 1978. He served as a law clerk to Judge Wilfred FeinbergWilfred Feinberg
Wilfred Feinberg is a Senior United States Circuit Judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. He was Chief Judge of the Circuit from 1980 to 1988, and assumed senior status in 1991...
and then to Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens
John Paul Stevens
John Paul Stevens served as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from December 19, 1975 until his retirement on June 29, 2010. At the time of his retirement, he was the oldest member of the Court and the third-longest serving justice in the Court's history...
.
From 1991–1995 he was the general counsel for General Electric
General Electric
General Electric Company , or GE, is an American multinational conglomerate corporation incorporated in Schenectady, New York and headquartered in Fairfield, Connecticut, United States...
.
Family
In 1977 Blake married Anne McChristian. They have two children. In 2005 he remarried Elizabeth Lanier (Blake) who works as general counsel Habitat for Humanity InternationalBusiness career
Blake joined The Home Depot in 2002 as executive vice president, Business Development and Corporate Operations. His responsibilities include real estate, store construction and maintenance, credit services, strategic business development, special orders and service improvement, call centers and Installation Services Business.Frank previously served as Deputy Secretary for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), a role similar to that of chief operating officer in the private sector. There, he was a leader in departmental policy decisions and managed DOE's annual $19 billion budget. Prior to that, Frank served in a variety of executive roles at General Electric. As senior vice president, Corporate Business Development, he led all business development efforts, including worldwide mergers, acquisitions, dispositions and identification of strategic growth opportunities. As GE Power Systems head of business development, he played a key role in expanding that business into new technology and global marketplaces. He also held the position of general counsel at GE Power Systems.
Frank's public sector experience also includes having served as general counsel for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
United States Environmental Protection Agency
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is an agency of the federal government of the United States charged with protecting human health and the environment, by writing and enforcing regulations based on laws passed by Congress...
(EPA), deputy counsel to Vice President George Bush, and law clerk to Justice Stevens of the U.S. Supreme Court.
As of April 2004, Frank was elected to serve on the board of directors for Southern Company, a premier super-regional energy company based in Atlanta, Georgia.