Press Conference Resources

Leon E. Panetta

Co-founder of The Panetta Institute for Public Policy, Leon Panetta returned to the Institute on February 27, 2013, after serving as the 23rd Secretary of Defense.

A Monterey native and Santa Clara University School of Law graduate, Secretary Panetta began his long and distinguished public service career in 1964 as a First Lieutenant in the U.S. Army, and upon discharge went to work in Washington as a legislative assistant to U.S. Senate Minority Whip Tom Kuchel of California. In 1969, he was appointed director of the U.S. Office for Civil Rights, where he was responsible for enforcing equal education laws, and later he served as executive assistant to the mayor of New York City. He then returned to Monterey, where he practiced law until his election to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1976.

Serving his Central Coast district in Congress for sixteen years, Secretary Panetta was a key participant in agriculture, federal budget, ocean and healthcare issues. From 1989 to 1993 he chaired the House Budget Committee. He authored a wide range of legislation, including the Hunger Prevention Act of 1988, Medicare and Medicaid coverage for hospice care for the terminally ill, and numerous measures to protect the California coast, including creation of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary.

In 1993, Secretary Panetta left Congress to serve as director of the Office of Management and Budget for the incoming Clinton administration. There, he was instrumental in developing the policies that led to a balanced federal budget and eventual budget surpluses. In 1994, he accepted appointment as the president’s chief of staff, and immediately brought order and focus to White House operations and policy making.

Upon leaving the Clinton administration in 1997, Secretary Panetta joined with his wife Sylvia to establish and co-direct The Panetta Institute for Public Policy, based at California State University, Monterey Bay. Reflecting Secretary Panetta’s own ideals and personal example, the nonpartisan, not-for-profit study center seeks to attract thoughtful men and women to lives of public service and prepare them for the policy challenges of the future. In addition, Secretary Panetta developed programs for the Institute, such as its Leon Panetta Lecture Series, Congressional Internship Program and Leadership Seminar, that help to inform Americans about the critical issues facing our communities, states and nation in the 21st century. Institute programs also aim to inspire a deeper engagement in the democratic process while simultaneously setting a public example of service and commitment.

Returning to public service in the Obama Administration as Director of the CIA, he ran the operation that brought Osama bin Laden to justice, and, as Secretary of Defense, led the effort to develop a new defense strategy, conduct critical counter terrorism operations, strengthen U.S. alliances, and opened up opportunities for everyone to serve in the military. Secretary Panetta chronicles his life in public service in his best-selling memoir Worthy Fights, which was published by Penguin Press in the fall of 2014.

Over the years Secretary Panetta has served on numerous boards and commissions. He co-chaired California Forward, the Joint Ocean Commission Initiative and Governor Schwarzenegger’s Council on Base Support and Retention. In 2006, he served on the Iraq Study Group, a bipartisan national commission seeking a new course for the war in Iraq. Presently, Secretary Panetta serves on the boards of directors for Oracle, Blue Shield of California as well as the Commission on Presidential Debates. In addition, he is an advisor to FleishmanHillard.

Secretary Panetta is the recipient of many awards and honors. His most recent awards include: the California Teachers Association’s Friends of Education Award; the Judicial Council of California’s Stanley Mosk Defender of Justice Award; The Harry S. Truman Good Neighbor Award; the Sons of Italy Foundation’s National Education & Leadership Award; the Peter Benchley Ocean Award for “Excellence in Policy”; the Intelligence and National Security Alliance’s William Oliver Baker Award; the Italian Community Services’ Distinguished Service Award; The OSS Society’s William J. Donovan Award; and the National Defense Industrial Association’s Dwight D. Eisenhower Award.

Ambassador Carol Moseley Braun

Embassador Braun was elected to serve as the only black member of the United States Senate in 1992, and the first and only woman to be elected to the Senate from Illinois. She was also the first black Democrat to be elected from any state to the Senate. She served as Ambassador to New Zealand and Samoa,and  is the first and only United States Ambassador to be made a member of the Te Atiawa Maori tribe. Carol Moseley Braun was one of the first black women to graduate from the law school at the University of Chicago. Previously, as an assistant United States Attorney, she was the first black woman to win the Attorney General’s Special Achievement award. As an Illinois state legislator, she was the first black woman to become an assistant majority leader and spokesperson for the Mayor of Chicago. (The late Harold Washington) Earlier on in her career, Carol Moseley Braun was elected to executive office in Cook County, the first woman to do so.

Her fourth career is as an entrepreneur, and she is currently the founder and President of a biodynamic organic food company, Good Food Organics®/Ambassador Organics™.

 

Dr. Vinton G. Cerf

Dr. Vinton G. Cerf is vice president and Chief Internet Evangelist for Google. He contributes to global policy development and continued spread of the Internet. Widely known as one of the "Fathers of the Internet," Cerf is the co-designer of the TCP/IP protocols and the architecture of the Internet. He has served in executive positions at MCI, the Corporation for National Research Initiatives and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and on the faculty of Stanford University.

Vint Cerf served as chairman of the board of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) from 2000-2007 and has been a Visiting Scientist at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory since 1998. Cerf served as founding president of the Internet Society (ISOC) from 1992-1995. Cerf is a Fellow of the IEEE, ACM, and American Association for the Advancement of Science, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the International Engineering Consortium, the Computer History Museum, the British Computer Society, the Worshipful Company of Information Technologists, the Worshipful Company of Stationers and a member of the National Academy of Engineering. He currently serves as Past President of the Association for Computing Machinery, chairman of the American Registry for Internet Numbers (ARIN) and completed a term as Chairman of the Visiting Committee on Advanced Technology for the US National Institute of Standards and Technology. President Obama appointed him to the National Science Board in 2012.

Cerf is a recipient of numerous awards and commendations in connection with his work on the Internet, including the US Presidential Medal of Freedom, US National Medal of Technology, the Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering, the Prince of Asturias Award, the Tunisian National Medal of Science, the Japan Prize, the Charles Stark Draper award, the ACM Turing Award, Officer of the Legion d’Honneur and 25 honorary degrees. In December 1994, People magazine identified Cerf as one of that year's "25 Most Intriguing People."

His personal interests include fine wine, gourmet cooking and science fiction. Cerf and his wife, Sigrid, were married in 1966 and have two sons, David and Bennett.

Helen Ayer Patton

Helen Ayer Patton is the granddaughter of WWII hero General George S. Patton, and Brigadier Gen. Willard Ames “Hunk" Holbrook. Her family’s military heritage spans 300 years and forebears include one of America’s first business magnates, Frederick Ayer; an actress of the “belle époque” Ellen Banning; and Benjamin “Don Benito” Wilson, the first deed holder and mayor of Los Angeles. Married to a German and inspired by her family’s unlikely friendship with the family of Irwin Rommel, Helen became fascinated with healing the wounds of war through shared experiences and thus founded The Patton Trust in Saabrücken, Germany in 2004, followed by The Patton Foundation of America in 2009, and most recently The Patton ASBL of Luxembourg in 2014, now all members of The Patton Alliance, sharing a mission to connect Helen's famous family’s legacy to the contemporary study and practice of leadership, to provide assistance to Veterans’ causes, and to foster a cultural awareness that helps prevent the seeds of war from taking root.

Helen holds a Master of Fine Arts degree in directing from Northwestern University in Chicago, a screen writing diploma from UCLA, and is a graduate of The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London. She produced and performed in America’s first RAP musical, “Sanctuary DC” nominated for a Helen Hayes Award, and has directed plays by Vaclav Havel, Max Frisch, Shakespeare and David Mamet. She is currently partnering with Emmy Award-winning writer/producer Kirk Ellis on a television series covering the heritage and life of her famous grandfather George S. Patton's early years, including his exploits during WW1.

Helen has received numerous citations, including: the St. Maurice Medal issued by The National Infantry Association; the U.S. Army’s Freedom Prize; Knights of the Cross With the Red Heart from the Czech Republic; and the Légion d'Honneur from the Republic of France. She is especially proud of her special membership in The Chapel of Four Chaplains, which recognizes “persons who have rendered service to humanity without regard to race, religion or creed.” She resides in Europe, and is the mother of Ingmar Neils  & Ragnar Benjamin.

General Barry McCaffrey

Barry McCaffrey served in the United States Army for 32 years and retired as a four-star General. At retirement he was the most highly decorated serving General, having been awarded three Purple Heart medals for wounds received in his four combat tours – as well as twice awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, the nation’s second highest award for valor. He also twice was awarded the Silver Star for valor.

In May 2010, he was honored as a Distinguished Graduate by the West Point Association of Graduates at the United States Military Academy.  In 2007 he was  inducted into the US Army Ranger Hall of Fame at the US Army Infantry Center, Ft. Benning, GA.  . In 1992 he was awarded the State Department Superior Honor Award for the principal negotiation team for the START II Nuclear Arms Control Treaty.  In 2004, Catholic University of America awarded him the James Cardinal Gibbons Medal (Highest Honor), to honor him for distinguished and meritorious service to the United States of America.

For five years after leaving the military, Barry McCaffrey served as the nation’s Cabinet Officer in charge of U.S. Drug Policy. He was confirmed for this position by unanimous vote by the U.S. Senate. For this period of public service, General McCaffrey received many honors including: the Department of Health and Human Service Lifetime Achievement Award for Extraordinary Achievements in the Field of Substance Abuse Prevention (2004), the United States Coast Guard Distinguished Public Service Award, the Norman E. Zinberg Award of the Harvard Medical School, the Federal Law Enforcement Foundation’s National Service Award, and the Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America Lifetime Achievement Award.

After leaving government service, Barry McCaffrey served as the Bradley Distinguished Professor of International Security Studies from January 2001 to May 2005; and then as an Adjunct Professor of International Security Studies from May 2005 to December 2010 at the United States Military Academy at West Point, NY.

Barry McCaffrey graduated from Phillips Academy, Andover, Mass. in 1960; from West Point with a BS in 1964; earned an MA degree in American Government from American University; and attended the Harvard University National Security Program as well as the Business School Executive Education Program.

Raymond W. Kelly

Ray Kelly is a distinguished leader and protector and was New York City’s longest-serving police commissioner. Under his leadership the NYPD was described as the premier domestic public-safety agency in the United States. He is now Vice Chairman of K2 Intelligence. Ray’s almost 50 year-career in public service includes serving as Commissioner of the US Customs Service and as Undersecretary of Enforcement at the US Treasury Department. He served as a Vice President of Interpol and directed the International Police Force in Haiti, where he was awarded the exceptionally meritorious service commendation from the President of the United States. Ray is also a retired United States Marine Corps Reserves Colonel with 30 years of service in the United States Marine Corps Reserves, including serving a combat tour in Vietnam.

In the private sector, Ray was President of the Cushman & Wakefield firm’s Risk Management Services group. He has also served as President of Investigative Group International and as Chief of Security at Bear Stearns. Ray is a Distinguished Visiting Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations and an ABC News consultant.

Ray received his J.D. from St. John’s University School of Law, his LLM from New York University Graduate School of Law, his MPA from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University and his BBA from Manhattan College. He is an attorney and a member of the New York State Bar. He also been awarded a number of honorary degrees. He received 14 citations of merit for outstanding police work during his tenure at NYPD and was awarded France’s highest decoration, the Legion d’Honneur. Ray is the author of the best-selling book “Vigilance: My Life Serving America and Protecting Its Empire City” from Hachette Books Group USA.

World War I Ambiance

This B-Roll video is for story backgrounds. All content is from the National Archives and in the public domain.
Click here and download from Vimeo at the resolution you want.
Scenes include:

• President Wilson
• General Pershing
• Event headlines (We declare war, etc.)
• Troops training
• Troops boarding trains/ships
• Troops in trenches
• War scenes
• Camp life
• Airplanes
• Warships/submarines
• Armistice parade