Michael B. Donley

Michael Bruce Donley (born October 4, 1952) is a United States government official who was the director of administration and management in the Office of the Secretary of Defense from 2021 to 2023, having served in the same position from 2005 to 2008. In the Bush and Obama administrations, Donley served as the 22nd secretary of the Air Force, amongst other positions. Donley has 30 years of experience in the national security community, including service on the staff of the United States Senate, White House and The Pentagon.

Early life

Donley was born in Novato, California. He earned his B.A. (1977) and M.A. (1978) in international relations from the University of Southern California. He also attended the Program for Senior Executives in National Security at Harvard University.

Donley served in the United States Army (1972–1975). He attended the Army's Intelligence School (1972), Airborne school (1974), and Defense Language Institute (1973). He served in the 18th Airborne Corps and 5th Special Forces Group.

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. (a position he had also held in 1993 with the start of the Clinton administration). The U.S. Senate confirmed his nomination as the 22nd Secretary of the Air Force on October 2, 2008.

On April 26, 2013, Donley announced plans to step down as the Secretary of the Air Force on June 21, 2013. He was succeeded on that date by acting secretary Eric Fanning.

Later Public Service In 2013, Donley was named to the Board of Trustees of The Aerospace Corporation, a non-profit Federally Funded Research and Development Center. He was elected as chairman of that board in 2017 but stepped down upon his return to federal service in May 2021, resuming his former role as Director of Administration and Management in the Office of the Secretary of Defense. He retired in 2023.

Opposition to Donald Trump In 2020, Donley, along with over 130 other former Republican national security officials, signed a statement that asserted that President Trump was unfit to serve another term, and "To that end, we are firmly convinced that it is in the best interest of our nation that Vice President Joe Biden be elected as the next President of the United States, and we will vote for him."

Education 1972 U.S. Army Intelligence School, Fort Huachuca, Arizona 1973 Defense Language Institute, Presidio of Monterey, California 1974 U.S. Army Airborne School, Fort Benning, Georgia 1977 Bachelor of Arts degree in international relations, University of Southern California, Los Angeles 1978 Master of Arts degree in international relations, University of Southern California, Los Angeles 1986 Senior Executives in National Security program, Harvard Kennedy School, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts

Career chronology 1972 – 1975, U.S. Army, XVIIIth Airborne Corps and 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Fort Bragg, North Carolina 1978 – 1979, editor, National Security Record, The Heritage Foundation, Washington, D.C. 1979 – 1981, legislative assistant, U.S. Senate, Washington, D.C. 1981 – 1984, professional staff member, Senate Armed Services Committee, Washington, D.C. 1984 – 1987, director of defense programs, National Security Council, The White House, Washington, D.C. 1987 – 1989, deputy executive secretary, National Security Council, the White House, Washington, D.C. 1989 – 1993, assistant Secretary of the Air Force (Financial Management and Comptroller), Washington, D.C. 1993, acting Secretary of the Air Force, Washington D.C. 1993 – 1996, senior fellow at the Institute for Defense Analyses, Alexandria, Virginia 1996 – 2005, senior vice president at Hicks and Associates, Inc. (a subsidiary of SAIC) McLean, Virginia 2005 – 2008, director of administration and management, Office of the Secretary of Defense, Washington, D.C. 2008 – 2013, Secretary of the Air Force, Washington, D.C. 2021 – 2023, director of administration and management, Office of the Secretary of Defense, Washington, D.C.