Today, the Global War on Terrorism (GWOT) Memorial Foundation announced that the 25th Secretary of the U.S. Air Force and former U.S. Ambassador to Finland, Barbara Barrett, will join the Foundation’s Board of Directors.
An accomplished leader, Barbara Barrett served as the 25th Secretary of the Air Force from 2019-2021, where she was instrumental in establishing the U.S. Space Force. Today, Secretary Barrett chairs the USS Arizona Legacy Foundation, which supports the new Virginia-class submarine under construction, honoring the battleship lost at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941.
“The Foundation is humbled and honored to have Secretary Barrett’s indomitable spirit and vision to assist in our sacred mission,” said GWOT Memorial Foundation President and CEO Michael “Rod” Rodríguez. “Her track record of successful leadership across government, private, and nonprofit sectors marks her as a dedicated, high-caliber ally who will bolster our work to build the Memorial.”
“The entire Board of Directors welcomes Secretary Barrett with open arms,” said GWOT Memorial Foundation Board Chair Ted Skokos. “We have full confidence in her alignment with the Foundation’s goals and her commitment to the future of this Memorial.”
Barrett served as U.S. Ambassador to Finland under President George W. Bush’s Administration. During the Reagan Administration, she was Deputy Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration and Vice Chairman of the Civil Aeronautics Board. She served as a civilian advisor to a dozen Secretaries of Defense. She is also an accomplished instrument-rated pilot qualified for spaceflight.
It is a special privilege to assume a leadership role focused on honoring all heroes of the Global War on Terrorism
“My experience as Secretary of the Air Force and an official in the George W. Bush Administration let me see firsthand the sacrifices our brave warriors have performed on behalf of our Nation, and they deserve an enduring Memorial on the National Mall. I’m eager to help the Foundation achieve this goal as soon as possible.”
More About Barbara Barrett
Barrett is Vice Chair of the Smithsonian Board of Regents and Vice Chair of California Institute of Technology (Caltech). She chairs Caltech’s governance body overseeing NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. In past business roles, Barrett chaired The Aerospace Corporation for four terms and was founding chairman of Valley Bank of Arizona. She also served on governing boards of RAND Corporation, Raytheon, Mayo Clinic, and the Space Foundation. She was an executive at two global Fortune 500 companies and interim CEO of both the American Management Association and Thunderbird School of Global Management.
