UN exec picked for No. 2 at Homeland Security

A top United Nations official who once served on the White House National Security Council has been picked for deputy secretary of the Homeland Security Department, a move that would place two women at the top of the department for the first time.

President Barack Obama's nomination of Jane Holl Lute, a retired Army major who worked on the NSC under President Bill Clinton, was announced Friday by Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano.

Napolitano and Lute are the first women to hold their positions. Since it was launched in 2003, the department has had three secretaries, two men and one woman, and four deputies, all men. If she is confirmed by the Senate, Lute would be the fifth deputy.

"Jane's experience leading large operations with broad and challenging missions lends itself to the undertaking we have before us at Homeland Security," Napolitano said in a statement.

In addition to her NSC work, Lute has served as vice president and chief operating officer of the United Nations Foundation. She served in the Persian Gulf during Operation Desert Storm. Lute is married to Lt. Gen. Douglas Lute, Obama's deputy national security adviser for Iraq and Afghanistan.

At Homeland Security, the deputy secretary's role has traditionally been that of a chief operating officer who oversees the day-to-day management of the 200,000-person department.

Homeland Security expert James Carafano thinks Lute is an odd pick. "She doesn't have the right skill set," said Carafano, a fellow with the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank. "And she knows nothing about the issues."

Carafano said the Homeland Security deputy secretary needs to be someone who knows how to manage massive bureaucracies like the department. "She's going to have a really incredibly steep learning curve," he said.

Okay....

So we've got a lawyer turned governor with no national security experience as Sec. of Homeland Security.

Here is Jane Lute's bio:

Jane Holl Lute has served as Assistant Secretary-General for Mission Support in the Department of Peacekeeping Operations at the United Nations since August 1, 2003. [1]

Lute's husband, U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Douglas Lute, was named May 15, 2007, by President George W. Bush as Assistant to the President and Deputy National Security Advisor for Iraq and Afghanistan.

According to her August 2003 UN biographical note, Lute served "a distinguished first career in the United States Army," before serving "in several senior posts in major foundations engaged in international affairs, as well as on the staff of the United States National Security Council.

"Immediately prior to her appointment with the United Nations, Ms. Lute was Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of the United Nations Foundation and the Better World Fund; the entities established to administer Ted Turner’s $1 billion contribution to support the goals of the United Nations. In 2000, she served as Executive Director of the Association of the United States Army’s project on the role of American Military Power.

"From 1994 to 1999, Ms. Lute headed up the Carnegie Commission on Preventing Deadly Conflict (web) and was a senior public policy fellow at the Woodrow Wilson Center for International Scholars, while from 1991 to 1994 she was director of European Affairs in the National Security Council staff at the White House.

"Ms. Lute has a Ph.D in Political Science from Stanford University, and a J.D from Georgetown University."

Here are bios on Napolitano's two chiefs of staff:

Noah Kroloff Economic development adviser to Gov. Janet Napolitano, state of Arizona.

Head to most major high-tech or economic development events in the Valley and you are likely to see a familiar cast of leaders such as: Arizona Technology Council President Todd Bankofier, Arizona Department of Commerce's Sandra Watson and AeA's Cory Miller.

You also likely will see Noah Kroloff. Kroloff is a policy adviser to Gov. Janet Napolitano and one of her top aides when it comes to economic development and technology policy.

Kroloff serves as one of the Democratic governor's top liaisons to the business community. His focus includes a myriad of economic pies such as boosting venture capital in the state, encouraging more research and development and attracting New Economy jobs and operations as well as trade with Mexico.

He's in a position to have a lot of impact on Arizona's tech future.

He's also involved in business-backed efforts to protect the Arizona Department of Commerce from major budget cuts.

Kroloff is a former aide to New York State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and worked on Napolitano's successful 2002 gubernatorial campaign as policy director. He just earned a law degree from Arizona State University and is a graduate of St. John's College with an undergraduate degree in philosophy. He also volunteered for Teach for America, working as a public school teacher in the South Bronx, N.Y.

Jan Lesher is a former business owner and director of Governor Janet Napolitano’s Southern Arizona Office. Born, raised and educated in Tucson, Lesher’s professional experience is extensive; she served as Vice-President of Communications and Marketing for the Tucson Economic Development Corporation, Executive Director of the Tucson Community Cable Corporation and Vice-President of Warner-Amex Cable. She founded Lesher Communications in 1990, handling corporate, public and government relations for various entities.

During her four years directing Gov. Napolitano’s southern Arizona office, Lesher was responsible for serving as a liaison between communities in Pinal, Pima, Cochise, Santa Cruz and Yuma counties and the Governor’s office, often working with other government agencies to address problems and work on solutions. She helped forge solid relationships between state government and rural Arizona, dealing with complex issues, such as water and infrastructure development.

Appointed by Governor Napolitano as director in January, 2007 and charged with modernizing the Arizona Dept of Commerce, Lesher brings a new level of energy to the agency through a long list of community and professional associations. Lesher holds positions on numerous panels and commissions, including the Arizona-Mexico Commission, the Greater Arizona Development Authority, the Arizona Aerospace and Defense Commission, the Governor’s Council on Innovation and Technology, Governor’s Council on Workforce Policy. Lesher is also a key member of Governor Napolitano’s Growth Cabinet, a panel composed of Arizona state agency directors and others that is laying the groundwork for current and future growth needs, including economic development, and planning for schools and essential services.

Lesher is a graduate of the University of Arizona.

I find this interesting:

“According to her August 2003 UN biographical note, Lute served “a distinguished first career in the United States Army,” before serving “in several senior posts in major foundations engaged in international affairs, as well as on the staff of the United States National Security Council.”

I’m curious as to what was so distinguishing in her first career in the Army.

This is from an interview she gave to the United Nations Assocation of the United States of America:

“BM: Now, you are in a very unique position. You were a high ranking career officer with the US army, you retired, and now you’re working as the Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping at the UN. You’ve seen it from both sides. You know the US army inside and out, you know UN peacekeeping inside and out. What are two or three things that would really help strengthen peacekeeping in the future?

JL: …We could certainly use things like more planning—for example, a greater emphasis on standing training capacity, a standing cadre of peacekeeping professionals that we can draw on. As you mentioned earlier, we put each mission together each time as if for the first time. There are these kinds of things [we need]. But most important, I think, and you put your finger right on it, is an in-depth understanding of the value of this tool of the international community to help bring peace to bear.”

SHE WAS A FRIGGIN’ MAJOR FOR CRYIN’ OUT LOUD! She was NOT a high ranking career officer in the Army. As a Major, I doubt very seriously that she knew the Army “inside and out”.

And there’s more:

“Formerly a career officer in the United States Army, she held command, served in the Persian Gulf during Operation
Desert Storm, taught political science at the United States Military Academy at West Point, and served in Europe. Ms.
Lute retired from the Army in 1994.”

It appears she went got her commission from Seton Hall:

http://armyrotc.com/edu/setonhall/alumni.htm

Interesting ... she’s in my year group, 1978, which means that if she retired as a Major, she didn’t have 20 years so she took an early retirement. Early retirements were offered during the Clinton drawdown. I know ... I took an early retirement myself. It’s entirely possible that she took the early retirement when she was passed over for Lieutenant Colonel. There is no mention of any previous enllisted time.

Any command she had was most likely a Signal Company, or perhaps a signal detachment — hardly anything earth shattering since those type of assignments were EXPECTED.

I also notice her hubby is a Lieutentnat General. I guess fraternization regulations must not have applied to them.

Bottom line — HIGHLY inflated resume, and the same probably applies to her ego.

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