RAPID CITY, SD (May 8, 2017) – The U.S. Senate has confirmed Heather Wilson as the next Secretary of the Air Force.
Wilson is expected to be sworn in to her
new position within a week. She will step down from her position as the
President of the South Dakota School of Mines & Technology on
Wednesday, May 10, when the South Dakota Board of Regents is expected to
name an interim president while a national search takes place to name
her successor.
"Being the President of the School of
Mines has been a tremendous joy,” said Wilson. “It’s an exceptional
university with deep roots and a very bright future. I will miss the
campus, many friends here and the beautiful Black Hills.”
Wilson was recently unanimously honored
by the South Dakota Legislature which noted, “She has established new
academic programs, increased research, grown enrollment, secured
critical infrastructure investment, deepened a connection between the
university and the community and improved financial management.”
Wilson’s leadership at Mines was also praised by a wide range of community leaders.
“A university committed to STEM teaching
and research can be a key catalyst for economic development. In Heather,
we have enjoyed a president who understands and promotes this vital
Mines connection to the community. She gets it, and it will be tough to
fill her shoes,” said Ben Snow, President of the Rapid City Economic
Development Partnership.
“During Dr. Wilson's time here, she was
much more than just a president to us as students. She was a role model,
a friend to us all, and, above all, an inspiration. She truly was a
member of the Hardrocker family. We are thankful for the time she
dedicated to us, and look forward to watching her serve our country,”
said Aaron Campbell President of the Student Senate at Mines.
“We took a risk four years ago, with a
President who had not been a faculty member before. The job of a
university President has changed, and Heather did a great job. She
respected the faculty, and we developed a lot of respect for her,” said
Rodney Rice Chair of the Faculty Senate at Mines.
“Thank you for your service. Your
leadership has been superb, in so many ways. We hope to continue your
initiatives as we seek new leadership at this university,” said John
Bastian, South Dakota Board of Regents.
Wilson graduated from the U.S. Air Force
Academy in 1982 in the third class to include women. She earned master’s
and doctoral degrees as a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford University in
England. She served as an Air Force officer in Europe during the Cold
War and on the National Security Council Staff under President George
H.W. Bush during the fall of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of the
Warsaw Pact. She has also worked as an advisor to several large defense
and scientific organizations both before and after serving for a decade
in the U.S. Congress.
The daughter and granddaughter of
aviators, Wilson is an instrument rated private pilot. Wilson has served
on the boards of Peabody Energy and Raven Industries as well as
numerous nonprofit boards. She is stepping down from those positions to
serve as Air Force Secretary.
Wilson becomes the second confirmed
appointee in the Department of Defense and will be responsible for
organizing, training and equipping the U.S. Air Force of over 600,000
active, guard, reserve and civilian airmen as well as managing its $124
billion budget.
The Air Force Secretary reports directly to Secretary of Defense James Mattis.