February 13, 2025

President Biden Announces Key Administration Nominations in US National Security

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On April 27th, President Joe Biden announced his intent to nominate the following individuals to serve in national security positions.

Frank Kendall, Nominee for Secretary of the Air Force, Department of Defense

Kendall, Frank

Frank Kendall is an independent consultant, a Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress, a Senior Advisor to the Center for Strategic and International Studies, and a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. Among other industry positions, he is a member of the board of directors of Leidos Corporation and of Leonardo Electronics USA Inc. From 2012 to 2017, Mr. Kendall served as the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics (AT&L), after serving as the Principal Deputy Under Secretary from 2010-2012. Mr. Kendall has over 45 years of experience in engineering, management, defense acquisition, and national security affairs. Earlier in his career Mr. Kendall was the Vice President of Engineering for Raytheon Company, and prior to that, the Deputy Director of Defense Research and Engineering for Tactical Warfare Programs. In addition, Mr. Kendall is an attorney and has been active in the field of human rights, working primarily on a pro bono basis. He has served as the Chairman of the Board of the Tahirih Justice Center, a Member of the Board of Amnesty International USA, and as an observer for Human Rights First at Guantanamo.

He is currently a member of the board of directors of The Center for Victims of Torture. Among his awards are four Defense Distinguished Public Service Awards, the highest Secretary of Defense award for civilian service, and the Presidential Rank A ward for Senior Executive Service members. In 2016 Mr. Kendall was named “Aviation Week and Space Technology” Person of the Year (together with Secretary Ash Carter and Deputy Secretary Robert Work). He is the author of “Getting Defense Acquisition Right” (Defense Acquisition University Press 2017).

Mr. Kendall retired from the US Army Reserves as a Lieutenant Colonel and is a graduate of the Army War College. Mr. Kendall holds degrees from West Point (BS), the California Institute of Technology (MS and AE), the C. W. Post Center of Long Island University (MBA), and Georgetown University Law Center (JD). Mr. Kendall is a frequent contributor to Forbes, writing on national security matters. An avid sailor and ocean race competitor, Mr. Kendall resides in Falls Church, VA with his wife Beth and youngest son, James.

Thomas A. Monheim, Nominee for Inspector General of the Intelligence Community

Thomas A. Monheim has served as the Acting Inspector General of the Intelligence Community. Mr. Monheim’s prior civilian service includes being General Counsel and Deputy General Counsel of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, Deputy General Counsel at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, Senior Legal Counsel at the National Counterterrorism Center, Associate Deputy Attorney General at the Department of Justice, and Associate Counsel to the President at the White House. Mr. Monheim retired as a Colonel from the US Air Force Reserves. His prior military service includes time as a prosecutor, defense counsel, appellate counsel, military judge, Deputy General Counsel of the White House Military Office, and Senior Individual Mobilization Augmentee. He was mobilized for 9 months in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and was mobilized again for 9 months with a Joint Special Operations Task Force in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Mr. Monheim’s awards include the Presidential Meritorious Executive Award, the Director of National Intelligence Exceptional Service Award, the Legion of Merit, and the Bronze Star. Mr. Monheim is graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, the University of California School of Law, and National War College.

Caroline Krass, Nominee for General Counsel, Department of Defense

Caroline Krass is currently Senior Vice President & General Counsel, General Insurance and Deputy General Counsel of American International Group (AIG), where she leads a global legal team supporting the primary business unit, as well as the cybersecurity and privacy, technology and innovation teams across AIG. Previously, she was a partner and Chair of the National Security Practice Group at Gibson Dunn. Before entering the private sector, Krass spent more than two decades in public service, including thirteen years in the Department of Justice, primarily as a career lawyer in the Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) and as a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney within the National Security Section at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. Krass received the Department of Defense Exceptional Civilian Service Award in 2002 and the Attorney General’s Award for Excellence in Furthering the Interests of National Security in 2007.

Chris Lu, Nominee for Representative to the United Nations for Management and Reform, with the Rank of Ambassador, Department of State

Chris Lu is currently a Senior Strategy Advisor at FiscalNote, a D.C.-based technology company, and the Teresa A. Sullivan Practitioner Senior Fellow at the University of Virginia Miller Center. Previously, in a career of public service that spanned two decades, he served in all three branches of the federal government. From 2014 to 2017, Lu was the Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Labor, having been confirmed unanimously by the U.S. Senate. In this role, he served as the chief operating officer of a department with 17,000 employees and a $12 billion budget. The son of immigrants, Lu was only the second Asian American in history to become deputy secretary of a Cabinet department.

Adam Scheinman, Nominee for Special Representative of the President for Nuclear Nonproliferation, with the Rank of Ambassador, Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation, Department of State

Adam M. Scheinman is a Professor of Practice and the Department of Energy Faculty Chair at the National War College. He served as Special Representative of the President for Nuclear Nonproliferation, with rank of Ambassador, during the Obama Administration, and before that as Senior Advisor for Nuclear Nonproliferation at the Department of State, and as Director for Nonproliferation on the National Security Council Staff. Earlier, during 14 years at the Department of Energy, his senior policy positions included Assistant Deputy Administrator for Nonproliferation and International Security in the National Nuclear Security Administration, when he was selected as a career member of the Senior Executive Service, and Policy Director at the National Nuclear Security Administration. Scheinman earned a Bachelors Degree at Cornell University and a Masters Degree at George Washington University.

Heidi Shyu, Nominee for Under Secretary for Research and Engineering, Department of Defense

The Honorable Heidi Shyu, is a member of the Board of Trustees for Aerospace Corporation, the Chairman of the Board for Plasan North America, Member of the Board for Auterion Government Solutions, Catalyze Dallas, Levitate Capital, Levitate Acquisition Corp., Linse Capital, VK Integrated Systems, and the UCLA Dean’s Executive Board. She is the CEO of Heidi Shyu Inc. and consults for over a dozen companies. Previously, she was the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics and Technology, ASA(ALT), from Sept. 2012 to Jan. 2016. Prior to this, she served as the Acting ASA(ALT), from Jun. 2011 and the Principal Deputy starting Nov. 2010. She was the Vice President of Technology Strategy for Space & Airborne Systems (SAS) at Raytheon in 2010. She also held several senior leadership positions there, including Corporate VP of Technology & Research, VP & Technical Director of SAS, VP of Unmanned & Reconnaissance Systems.