Commission Biographies

Chairman Thomas Kean
Vice-Chairman Lee H. Hamilton
Richard Ben-Veniste
Max Cleland
Fred F. Fielding
Jamie S. Gorelick
Slade Gorton
Deputy Executive Director Christopher Kojm
John F. Lehman
Timothy J. Roemer
James R. Thompson
Executive Director Philip Zelikow

Chairman Thomas Kean

Experience
President, Drew University since 1990
Governor of New Jersey 1982-1990
New Jersey General Assembly 1968-1977

  • Speaker of the Assembly. 1972-1973
  • Majority leader
  • Minority leader 1974

Commission, Task Force and Advisory Panel Participation
Currently,Co-chair, The Century Foundation Homeland Security Project

  • Project focuses on federal response, design and function of the Office of Homeland security; federal-state coordination, media coverage and public information, disclosure of security stories, immigration and national security
  • Mission is to provide policy recommendations and oversee publications aimed at helping to inform the nation’s continuing search for answers

Chairman, National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy
Advisory Board to the President’s Initiative on Race 1997-1998
Vice Chairman U.S. delegation to 4th U.N. World Conference on Women 1995
Led U.S. delegation to World Conference on Education for All Thailand
National Endowment for Democracy

Board Membership
Amerada Hess Corporation
Aramark Corporation
Bell Atlantic
Fiduciary Trust Company International
National Center for Learning Disabilities
Pepsi Bottling Group
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
The World Wildlife Fund (National Council Member)
United Healthcare Corporation 1993-2002
Former Chairman of Carnegie Corporation of New York.
Former Director, Bell Atlantic, now Verizon
Former Director CIT group

Education
B.A., Princeton University, 1957
M.A., Columbia University Teachers College, 1964

Awards and Honors
Delivered the Keynote speech at the 1988 Republican National Convention
Rated by Newsweek as one of the nation’s most effective Governors

Publication
The Politics of Inclusion

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Vice-Chairman Lee H. Hamilton

Experience

President and Director Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars since 1999

  • Expertise: International Relations and Congress

U.S. Congress (D-Indiana) 1965-1999

Committees:

  • Chairman, Ranking Member, and Member Committee on International Relations
  • Chairman, Subcommittee on Europe and the Middle East 1971- 1993
  • Chairman, Vice Chairman, and Member, Joint Economic Committee
  • Chairman and Member, Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence
  • Chairman, Joint Committee on the Organization of Congress
  • Chairman, Select Committee to Investigate Covert Arms Transactions with Iran
  • House Standards of Official Conduct Committee

Practiced law, first in Chicago and then in Columbus, Indiana

Commission, Task Force and Advisory Panel Participation
President’s Homeland Advisory Council 2002
United States Commission on National Security in the 21st Century (Hart–Rudman) Commission to Investigate Certain Security Issues at Los Alamos
Chairman, October Surprise Task Force

Education
B.A., DePauw University, 1952
Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany, 1952-1953
J.D., Indiana University School of Law, 1956

Awards and Honors (partial list)
Walker Cup for most outstanding senior graduate at De Pauw
Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame
Listed in Washingtonian Magazine‘s November 2001 article as one of “71 People
the President Should Listen To” in the fight against terrorism
Knight Commander’s Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany 1999
Paul H. Nitze Award for Distinguished Authority on National Security Affairs 1999
American Political Science Association Hubert H. Humphrey Award 1998
American Bar Association CEELI Award 1998
Center for Civic Education Civitas Award 1998
Department of Defense Medal for Distinguished Public Service in 1998
Center for National Policy Edmund S. Muskie Distinguished Public Service Award 1997
Central Intelligence Agency Medallion 1988
Defense Intelligence Agency Medallion in 1987
Knight of the French Legion of Honor in 1984

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Richard Ben-Veniste

Experience
Partner, Mayer, Brown, Rowe & Maw, a Washington, D.C. law firm, since 2002

  • specializes class action, civil litigation and criminal investigative work (white collar)

Chief Counsel (Minority), Senate Whitewater Committee, 1995 – 1996
Special Outside Counsel, Senate Committee on Government Operations 1976 – 1977
Assistant U.S. Attorney, Southern District, New York from 1968 -1973

  • Chief of the Special Prosecution Section from 1971-1973

Commission, Task Force and Advisory Panel Participation
Appointed by Bill Clinton to Nazi War Criminal Records Interagency 1999
Chief of the Watergate Task Force, U.S. Department of Justice from 1973 -1975

Education
A.B., Muhlenberg College, 1964
LL.B., Columbia University, 1967
LL.M., Northwestern University School of Law, 1968

Awards and Honors
Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar, Columbia University
Who’s Who in America, since 1975
The Best Lawyers in America, since 1983
Washingtonian Magazine’s Top 50 Lawyers in Washington D.C., since 1992

Publication

Co-author, Stonewall: The Real Story of the Watergate Prosecution

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Max Cleland

Experience
Adjunct professor at American University’s Washington Semester Program

  • also serves as a fellow in the Center for Congressional Presidential Studies

US Senate (D-GA) 1996-2002

Committees:

  • Chairman, Armed Services subcommittee on Personnel
  • Governmental Affairs
  • Small Business and Entrepreneurship
  • Commerce, Science, and Transportation subcommittee on Aviation 1999

Georgia Secretary of State 1982
Administrator of the U.S. Veteran’s Administration, 1977

  • Duties: administer the GI Bill educational assistance program, the VA Home Loan Guaranty Program and the VA Hospital Program

Georgia State Senate 1970

Military Service
Commissioned as Second Lieutenant, US Army, through ROTC program
Volunteered for duty in Vietnam 1967
Promoted to Captain in Vietnam; wounded April, 1968
Awarded Bronze Star for Meritorious Service and Silver Star for Gallantry in Action

Education
B.S., Stetson University
M.S., Emory University 1967

Publications

Strong at Broken Places
Going for the Max! 12 Principals for Living Life to the Fullest

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Fred F. Fielding

Experience

Senior Partner, Wiley, Rein and Fielding, a national law firm

  • heads the firm’s practices in governmental affairs, business and finance, litigation and crisis management/white collar crime
  • specializes in international negotiations and arbitrations and also legal counseling, strategic planning and coordination for both individual and corporate clients

Clearance Counsel, Bush Cheney Transition 2000-2001
Council to the President of the United States 1981-1986
Deputy Council 1972-1974
Associate Council 1970-1972

Commission, Task Force and Advisory Panel Participation
Panel of Arbitrators of the International Centre for Settlement of Investment
Disputes 1987-1993 and 2002-2007
Task force on Aviation Disasters 1997-1998
U.S. designated arbitrator, Tribunal on US-UK Air Treaty Dispute 1989-1994
President’s Commission on Federal Ethics Law Reform 1989
Chairman, Special Committee on Ethics in Government, Administrative Conference of the United States, 1988-1992

Education
A.B. with honors, Gettysburg College
J. D., University of Virginia School of Law

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Jamie S. Gorelick

Experience
Vice Chair of Fannie Mae and of the Board of the Fannie Mae Foundation 1997- July 1, 2003

  • Responsibilities: legal department, regulatory and credit policy, corporate development, government relations, human resources and diversity; shares responsibility for overall management

Deputy Attorney General of the United States 1994-1997

  • Chief Operating Officer and second-ranking official in the Department of Justice General Counsel of the Department of Defense 1993 –1994

Private sector attorney 1980-1993 and 1975-1979

Assistant to the Secretary and Counselor to the Deputy Secretary of Energy 1979-1980

Commission, Task Force and Advisory Panel Participation
Currently, on the Central Intelligence Agency’s National Security Advisory Panel and on President George W. Bush’s Review of Intelligence Co-chair, Advisory Committee of the President’s Commission on Critical Infrastructure Protection

Board Membership
United Technologies Corporation
Schlumberger, Limited
The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation
Harvard College Board of Overseers
America’s Promise
Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
Local Initiatives Support Corporation
The National Park Foundation

Professional Organizations
President of the District of Columbia Bar from 1992-1993
Council on Foreign Relations
American Law Institute

Education
Harvard College
J. D., Harvard Law 1975

Publication
Destruction of Evidence with Lawrence Solum and Stephen Marzen

Awards (partial list)
Secretary of Defense Distinguished Service Medal
Director of Central Intelligence Award
Department of Justice’s Edmund J. Randolph Award
Wickersham Award for Exceptional Public Service and Dedication to the Legal Profession
American Bar Association’s Margaret Brent Award
Listed in Fortune magazine’s “Fifty Most Powerful Women in American Business”

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Slade Gorton

Experience
Counsel, Preston Gates & Ellis LLP

  • Practice Areas: Appellate Practice, Energy & Utilities, Environmental Policy, Federal Policy and Transportation

US Senate:1981-1987; 1989-2001 (R-WA),

  • Member of the Republican leadership as counsel to the Majority Leader 1996-2000

Committees:

  • Chairman, Interior Appropriations Subcommittee 1995-2001
  • Chairman, Commerce, Science, and Transportation’s Subcommittee on Aviation 1999-2000
  • Commerce Subcommittees on Consumer Affairs 1995-1999
  • Budget
  • Energy
  • Resources

Washington State Attorney General 1969-1981|
Washington State House of Representatives 1959-1969

  • Majority leader 1967-1969

Commission, Task Force, and Advisory Panel Participation
National Commission on Federal Election Reform 2001
Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission 1969-1980
Washington State Law and Justice Commission 1969-1980
President’s Consumer Advisory Council 1975-1977
Markle Foundation’s Task Force on National Security in the Information Age

Board Membership
Omega Oil Co. of Houston
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center since 1987

Military Service
United States Air Force Reserve, colonel, 1956-1980
United States Air Force, lieutenant, 1953-1956
United States Army 1945-1946

Education
B.A., magna cum laude, Dartmouth College, 1950, Phi Beta Kappa
LL.B., Columbia University Law School, 1953
Admitted to Bar: Washington State, 1953

Awards and Honors
Wyman Award as “Outstanding Attorney General in the United States” 1980

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Deputy Executive Director Christopher Kojm

Experience
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Intelligence Policy and Coordination, State Department
Bureau of Intelligence and Research 1998 – Feb., 2003

Congressional service
Deputy Director of the Democratic staff, House International Relations Committee 1997-1998
Coordinator for Regional Issues 1993-1997
Staff member, Europe and Middle East subcommittee 1984-1992
Writer and editor with the Foreign Policy Association in New York City 1979-1984

Education
A.B., Harvard College 1977
M.P.A. [Master in Public Affairs], Woodrow Wilson School, Princeton University 1979

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John F. Lehman

Experience
Chairman, J.F. Lehman & Company, a private equity firm
Secretary of the Navy, 1981-1987
Deputy Director of the U.S. Arms Control and Disarmament Agency 1975
Special counsel and senior staff member to Dr. Henry Kissinger on the National Security Council 1969 to 1974
Staff member of the Foreign Policy Research Institute, University of Pennsylvania 1967-1969

Commission, Task Force and Advisory Panel Participation
Delegate to the Mutual Balanced Force Reduction Negotiations in Vienna 1974-1975

Board Membership
Chairman, OAO Technology Solutions, Inc.
Director, Ball Corporation
Advisory Board of Paribas Affaires Industrielles
Chairman, Princess Grace Foundation
Director, OpSail Foundation
Board of Overseerers of the School of Engineering, University of Pennsylvania
Trustee of the LaSalle College High School
Chairman, Sperry Marine, Inc. 1993 – 1996
President, Abington Corporation 1977-1981

Military Experience
Dr. Lehman served 25 years as a naval aviator in the selected reserves

Education
B.S., St. Joseph’s University, Philadelphia
B.A. and M.A., Cambridge University, United Kingdom
P.H.D., University of Pennsylvania

Publications
Command of the Seas
Making War
On Seas of Glory

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Timothy J. Roemer

Experience
Partner, Johnston and Associates, a Washington, D.C. lobbying firm
Distinguished Scholar at Mercatus Center, George Mason University

  • Mercatus Center is a nonprofit research and educational institution
  • Dr. Roemer is a key spokesperson for Mercatus Center’s Capitol Hill outreach and education program

United States House of Representatives (D-IN) Jan., 1991- Jan., 2003

  • Author of legislation which passed the House of Representatives and influenced the creation of the 9/11 Independent Commission

Committees

  • Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence
  • Education
  • Science

Staff, United States Senator Dennis DeConcini of Arizona, 1985-1989
Instructor, American University, Washington, D.C., 1988
Staff, United States Representative John Brademas of Indiana, 1978-1979

Commission, Task Force and Advisory Panel Participation
Intelligence Committee Task Force on Homeland Security and Terrorism
Joint Inquiry

Education
B.A., University of California, 1979
M.A., Notre Dame University, 1982
Ph.D., Notre Dame University, 1986

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James R. Thompson

Experience
Chairman, Winston & Strawn, a Chicago law firm

  • joined W&S in 1975, as Counsel; rejoined 1991, as a Partner

Governor of Illinois, 1977-1991
U.S. Attorney, Northern District of Illinois, 1971-1975
First Assistant U.S. Attorney, 1970-1971
Chief, Department of Law Enforcement and Public Protection, Illinois
Attorney General’s Office, 1969-1970
Associate Professor, Northwestern University Law School, 1964-1969
Assistant State’s Attorney, Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office, 1959-1964

Commission, Task Force and Advisory Panel Participation
American Bar Association Commission on Separation of Powers and Judicial Independence, 1996-1997
Chairman, President’s Intelligence Oversight Board from 1989-1993
National Co-Chairman of the Campaign to Protect Our Children in 1986
National Commission to Prevent Infant Mortality in 1986
Chairman, NGA Task Force on Electric Utility Transmission Policy in 1986
Co-Chairman, Attorney General’s Task Force on Violent Crime in 1981
Pullman Task Force

Board Membership
FMC Corp
FMC Technologies, Inc.
Chicago Board of Trade
Hollinger International (publisher of the Chicago Sun-Times)
Prime Retail Inc.
Prime Group Realty Trust
Navigant Consulting, Inc.
The Japan Society (New York)
Public Review Board, HEREIU
MAXIMUS, Inc.
Board of Trustees, Lyric Opera of Chicago
Board of Trustees, Museum of Contemporary Art
Chairman, Illinois Math and Science Foundation

Education
University of Illinois
Washington University
J.D., Northwestern University Law School, 1959

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Executive Director Philip Zelikow

Experience
Director, Miller Center of Public Affairs and White Burkett Miller Professor of History, University of Virginia since 1998
Harvard University 1991-1998

  • Associate Professor, Kennedy School
  • Co-director, Intelligence and Policy Program: National Security Council Staff, first Bush White House 1989-1991
  • Director of European Affairs: Department of State 1985-1989, 1991 | Department of the Navy 1984-1985
  • Adjunct Professor of National Security Affairs

Trial and Appellate Attorney 1980-1983, Of Counsel, 1983-1985, 1991-1998
Briefing Attorney, Texas Court of Appeals 1979-1980

Commission, Task Force and Advisory Panel Participation
Executive Director, Markle Foundation Task Force on National Security in the Information Age 2002-2003
Member, President’s Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board 2001-2003Executive Director of the National Commission on Federal Election Reform 2001-2002

Member

Director, Aspen Strategy Group, a policy program of the Aspen Institute
State Bar of Texas
Council on Foreign Relations

  • Member, Council’s Board for oversight of Foreign Affairs

Education

B.A. with Distinction, University of Redlands

  • Also attended University of Houston 1972-1975: J.D., University of Houston – Ph.D.
  • Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University

Publications

The Kennedy Tapes with Ernest May
Germany Unified and Europe Transformed with Condoleezza Rice
rewritten Essence of Decision with Graham Allison

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