The Hon. Leon Panetta

The Hon. Leon Edward Panetta, who served as the 23rd Secretary of Defense from July 2011 to February 2013, has dedicated much of his life to public service. Before joining the DOD, Panetta served as the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency from February 2009 to June 2011. He led the agency and managed human intelligence and open-source collection programs on behalf of the intelligence community. Before joining the CIA, he spent 10 years co-directing with his wife, Sylvia, the Panetta Institute for Public Policy, based at California State University, Monterey Bay. The Institute is a nonpartisan, not-for-profit center that seeks to instill in young men and women the virtues and values of public service. From July 1994 to January 1997, Panetta served as Chief of Staff to President Bill Clinton. Prior to that, he was Director of the Office of Management and Budget. Panetta represented California’s 16th (now 17th) Congressional District from 1977 to 1993, rising to House Budget Committee chairman during his final four years in Congress. in his career, Panetta served in several different legislative positions and also spent five years in private law practice. He served as an Army intelligence officer from 1964 to 1966. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science and a law degree, both from Santa Clara University.