Pete Geren

Preston M. " Pete " Geren III. ( Born January 29, 1952 in Fort Worth, Texas) is an American politician. He is a former Air Force and Army Secretary of State of the United States.

Study and career

Geren graduated first from 1970 to 1973 is a general education studies at the Georgia Institute of Technology and later at the University of Texas at Austin, which he finished in 1974 with a Bachelor of Arts (BA). He then studied law at the Law School of the University of Texas, where he graduated in 1978 with a Juris Doctor. After the lawyer's approval in 1978, he worked as a lawyer and businessman in Fort Worth. Between 1999 and 2001 he was a member of the board of the airport, Dallas / Fort Worth.

Political career

Congressman

1986 appointed him U.S. Senator Lloyd Bentsen to his Executive Assistant. Geren and began his political career in 1989 with the election of the representatives in the U.S. House of Representatives after his first candidacy had failed in 1986. There, the Democrat representing the interests of the 12th Congressional District of Texas. For the first time he was elected to succeed the retiring speaker of the House, Jim Wright in a by-election. In 1996, he opted not to run again.

During his membership in the House of Representatives he was a member of the Committees on Defence ( Armed Services ), Science and Technology ( Science and Technology ) and Transport and Infrastructure ( Transportation and Infrastructure).

Secretary of State under President Bush

In September 2001, he was Special Assistant to the Minister of Defence. In this role, he was responsible for legislation and special projects. On 29 July 2005 he was appointed President George W. Bush as Acting Secretary of the Air Force. This office he held until its replacement by Michael Wynne on November 4, 2005. On 21 February 2006 he was appointed as successor of Raymond F. DuBois Army Deputy State Secretary ( Under Secretary of the Army ).

As such, he was appointed by President Bush initially on March 10, 2007 to succeed the resigned because of a scandal Francis J. Harvey as Acting Secretary of the Army. Finally, after confirmation by the U.S. Senate, he could officially take over on 16 July 2007 this office. In September 2009, he was replaced by John M. McHugh.