USRA Council of Institutions Annual Meetings > 2009 Annual Meeting
The Honorable Paul Kaminski
Chairman and CEO, Technovation
Former Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Technology

Paul G. Kaminski is Chairman and CEO of Technovation, Inc., a consulting company dedicated to fostering innovation, and to the development and application of advanced technology. He is also a Senior Partner in Global Technology Partners, a consulting firm specializing in business strategy and investments in technology, defense and aerospace-related companies. Dr. Kaminski served as the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Technology from October 3, 1994 to May 16, 1997. He was responsible for all Department of Defense (DOD) research, development, and acquisition programs. He also had responsibility for DOD logistics, environmental security, international programs, the defense industrial base, and military construction. Dr. Kaminski has had a continuing career involving large program management, and the development and application of advanced technology in both the private and public sectors. He served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Technology Strategies and Alliances, a technology - oriented investment banking and consulting firm. He has served as Chairman of the Defense Science Board and was a member of the Defense Policy Board. His previous government experience includes a 20-year career as an officer in the Air Force. During 1981-1984, he served as Director for Low Observables Technology, with responsibility for directing the development, production and fielding of the major “stealth” systems (e.g., F-117, B-2). Prior to that, he served as Special Assistant to the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering. He also led the initial development of a National Reconnaissance Office space system and related sensor technology.
Early in his career, he was responsible for test and evaluation of inertial guidance components for the Minuteman missile and terminal guidance systems for our first precision guided munitions. Dr. Kaminski is a member of the National Academy of Engineering, a Fellow of the Institute for Electrical and Electronics Engineers, a Fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics & Astronautics, and a Senior Fellow of the Defense Science Board. He is Chairman of the Board of Exostar and HRL Labs, Vice Chairman of RAND, and a Director of General Dynamics, Bay Microsystems, CoVant Technologies, and the USAFA Endowment Fund. He serves as an advisor to the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab, LynuxWorks, Inc., and MIT Lincoln Laboratory. He is a member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence Technical Advisory Board, the National Reconnaissance Office Technology Advisory Group, the FBI Director’s Advisory Board, and the Atlantic Council. He has authored publications dealing with inertial and terminal guidance system performance, simulation techniques, Kalman filtering and numerical techniques applied to estimation problems. Dr. Kaminski has received the following awards: National Medal of Technology 2006, Department of Defense Medal for Distinguished Public Service (3 awards), Defense Distinguished Service Medal, Director of Central Intelligence Director’s Award, Defense Intelligence Agency Director’s Award, Legion of Merit with Oak Leaf Cluster, Air Force Academy 2002 Distinguished Graduate Award, the International Strategic Studies Association Stefan T. Possony Medal for Outstanding Contributions to Strategic Progress through Science and Technology, the AOC Gold Medal, the Netherlands Medal of Merit in Gold, the French Republic Legion d’Honneur, and the Air Force Systems Command Scientific Achievement Award. He has been recognized as a Pioneer of National Reconnaissance and a Pioneer of Stealth.