Honorary Board

John Lehman, Former Secretary of the Navy

John Lehman served 25 years in the Naval Reserve, rising to the rank of Captain. In 1981, President Ronald Reagan appointed him Secretary of the Navy where he served until 1987. During his tenure, he built a 600 ship Navy, established a strategy of maritime supremacy, and reformed ship and aircraft procurement. Lehman is the author of numerous books, including Command of the Seas, Making War, and On Seas of Glory. He is chairman of J.F. Lehman & Company, a private equity investment firm. He also serves on the board of directors for several companies and foundations.

General Henry Shelton, (Ret.) U.S. Army

General Henry Shelton is a 38 year veteran of the United States Army who, in 1996, was promoted to general and became Commander in Chief of the U.S. Special Operations Command. He then became the 14^th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in 1997. General Shelton has been honored with various military awards including four Defense Distinguished Service Medals, two Army Distinguished Service Medals, the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star Medal for Valor, and the Purple Heart. Congress bestowed the Congressional Gold Medal on him on 2002. He currently holds board seats in a number of Fortune 500 companies.

General Peter Pace, (Ret.) U.S. Marine Corps

General Peter Pace served more than 40 years in the United States Marine Corps, where he held command at virtually every level, beginning as a rifle platoon leader in Vietnam. He is the first Marine to ever serve as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2008, the highest civilian honor a president can bestow. General Pace is currently serving on the Board of Directors of several corporate entities involved in management consulting, private equity, and IT security. He is Chairman of the Board for the Wall Street Warfighters Foundation; a long-time Board of Directors member for the Marine Corps Law Enforcement Foundation, and serves as an advisor to Our Military Kids.

Admiral William J. Fallon, (Ret.) U.S. Navy

Retired Admiral William J. Fallon is a 40 year veteran of the U.S. Navy after a distinguished career of military and strategic leadership. He led U.S. and Allied forces in eight separate commands and played a leadership role in military and diplomatic matters at the highest levels of the U.S. government. As head of U.S. Central Command, Admiral Fallon directed all U.S. military operations in the Middle East, Central Asia and the Horn of Africa, focusing on combat efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan. He led the U.S. Pacific Command for two years, directing political-military activities in the Asia-Pacific region. Currently, he is chairman of CounterTack Inc., a partner in Tilwell Petroleum, LLC, an advisor to several other businesses, a distinguished fellow at the Center for Naval Analyses and on the Boards of several non-profit organizations.

General Norton Schwartz, (Ret.) U.S. Air Force

Gen. Norton ("Norty") Schwartz retired as the Chief of Staff of the US Air Force (CSAF)on Oct 1, 2012, after serving over 39 years in the Air Force. A graduate of the US Air Force Academy, General Schwartz began his service as a pilot with the airlift out of Vietnam in 1975, and was the first CSAF who piloted special operations transport planes and helicopters as a primary discipline. He helped lead a joint special operations task force during the Gulf War in 1991 and later served as the strategic planner for the Air Force, the second-in-command of the US Special Operations Command and the senior operations officer for the US armed forces. He was the head of US Transportation Command, managing major elements of the Department of Defense transportation system and supply chain, and was appointed CSAF in 2008. General Schwartz made a number of innovations during his time as Chief, including shifting emphasis from traditional aircraft to remotely piloted vehicle missions, strengthening execution and oversight of nuclear deterrence activities and a range of still classified efforts.

The Honorable Chairman Ike Skelton

Ike advises clients on a variety of legal and public policy issues, especially matters relating to national defense, small business and international trade. Prior to joining Husch Blackwell as Partner, Ike served as the U.S. Representative from Missouri’s Fourth District (1977-2011). As U.S. Representative, Ike’s focus was on issues involving jobs and the economy, the War in Afghanistan, military health insurance reform and standing up for the U.S. men and women in uniform.
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