By C. Todd Lopez
WASHINGTON (Feb. 09, 2022) -- Mike Bloomberg, the three-time mayor of New York City, has been nominated by Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III to chair the Defense Innovation Board, Pentagon Press Secretary John F. Kirby said.
"The secretary has nominated Mr. Michael Bloomberg to serve as the chair of the Defense Innovation Board to leverage his experience and strategic insights on innovation, business and public service," Kirby told reporters during a briefing today at the Pentagon. "His leadership will be critical to ensuring the department has access to the best and brightest minds in science, technology and innovation through the team of diverse experts that he will lead as chair of that board."
Established in 2016, the Defense Innovation Board provides Defense Department leadership with advice and recommendations on innovative ways to address departmental challenges with a focus on people and culture, technology and capabilities, and practices and operations.
Across the department, a variety of advisory boards, councils, panels and committees have historically provided insight and guidance on things such as security cooperation, diversity, science, engineering and medical topics.
In early 2021, Austin directed 40 of those groups to suspend their activities pending the results of "zero-based" reviews that would evaluate their missions.
In recent months, 36 of those groups have been directed to resume operations, including nine announced today by the Pentagon.
Groups announced today include the National Security Education Board; the National Security Agency Emerging Technologies Panel; the Advisory Board for the National Reconnaissance Office; the Army Education Advisory Committee; the Education for Seapower Advisory Board; the Board of Visitors for the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation; the Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program Scientific Advisory Board; the Board of Regents, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences; and the Defense Innovation Board.
Kirby said positions on the other boards will be filled in the coming weeks.
"The department's boards and committees have been and will continue to be a valuable resource as we defend the nation, take care of our people, and succeed through teamwork," he said. "And I know that the secretary and all our department leadership look forward to working with these advisory boards going forward."
