Michael B. Donley - Public Service

Public Service

Donley was editor of the National Security Record for the Heritage Foundation in 1978 and part of 1979. He was a Legislative Assistant in the United States Senate from 1979 to 1981, and then a professional staff member on the Senate Armed Services Committee from 1981 to 1984.

Donley served as director of defense programs and Deputy Executive Secretary at the National Security Council from 1984 through 1989. As Deputy Executive Secretary, he oversaw the White House Situation Room and chaired interagency committees on crisis management procedures and continuity of government. Earlier, as Director of Defense Programs, Mr. Donley was the NSC representative to the Defense Resources Board, and coordinated the President's quarterly meetings with the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He conceived and organized the President's Blue Ribbon Commission on Defense Management (the Packard Commission), coordinated White House policy on the Goldwater-Nichols DOD Reorganization Act of 1986, and wrote the National Security Strategy for President Ronald Reagan's second term.

In 1989, Donley was appointed as the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force (Financial Management and Comptroller). In this position, he was responsible for preparing the Air Force budget, cost estimating of weapon systems, economic analysis, and providing financial services to all Air Force personnel. He served as Assistant Secretary until 1993, when he became Acting Secretary of the Air Force. Donley served as Acting Secretary for seven months until July 1993.

After leaving the Air Force, Donley became a Senior Fellow at the Institute for Defense Analyses. He stayed at the Institute until 1996 when he became a Senior Vice President at Hicks and Associates, Inc., a division of Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC). While there, he served as a Special Advisor to the United States Department of State for affairs in Bosnia-Herzegovina.

On 9 May 2005, United States Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld appointed Donley Director of Administration and Management. In this position, he oversaw 1,300 employees who provide administrative and support services to the Department of Defense's Washington headquarters which includes The Pentagon. He was responsible for the $5.5 billion Pentagon Renovation and Construction Program.