The Institute for Defense and Business Inducts Executive Fellows for 2013-2014

CHAPEL HILL, N.C., Oct. 11, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Institute for Defense and Business (IDB), a non-profit research and education institute that provides shoulder-to-shoulder educational exchanges among the Department of Defense, other government agencies, NGOs, international partners, and the private sector to achieve excellence and innovation, announced its 2013-2014 class of IDB Executive Fellows. The IDB established the Executive Fellows Program to provide selected retired senior leaders from the Department of Defense, the Department of Homeland Security, and the military services an opportunity to continue to share their knowledge and experience. For the ninth consecutive year, SAS the leader in business analytics software and services, sponsors the program.

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"With the ongoing impacts of sequestration, the Fellows thought leadership and experience is even more critical to maintaining education excellence for our military and civilian logisticians," said Glenn Edelschein, Director of Strategic Initiatives, SAS Federal. "By bringing together the experience of the Executive Fellows and SAS's commitment to education in advanced analytics, the IDB continues to provide our logistics leaders with the most relevant education programs."

The IDB Board of Directors, chaired by former North Carolina Governor James G. Martin, hosted an installation ceremony in Washington, DC the morning of October 9, 2013 at the Army and Navy Club. U.S. Congressman David Price (D-NC) and Mr. Edelschein provided opening remarks for the event which was widely attended by representatives from the public and the private sector.

Former North Carolina Governor James G. Martin delivered remarks and presided over the induction ceremony. Other speakers included the following:

• General James F. Amos, USMC, Commandant of the Marine Corps
• General Roger A. Brady, USAF (Ret.) Chairman, Board of Advisors, Dead Sea Power and Water Project
• Mr. Mark C. Cramer, IDB President
• VADM Walter B. Massenburg, USN (Ret.), Senior Director, Mission Assurance Business Execution, Raytheon
• Mr. Jeffrey Orner, Chief Readiness Support Officer, U.S. Department of Homeland Security
• Vice Admiral Ann E. Rondeau, USN (Ret.) President, National Defense University

Lieutenant General Kathleen M. Gainey, USA, Deputy Commander, US Transportation Command, will be an official IDB Executive Fellow on December 1, 2013 after her retirement from the military.

The 2013-2014 IDB Executive Fellows inducted were:  Vice Admiral Jody A. Breckenridge, USCG (Ret.) former Commander, Coast Guard Pacific Area; Lieutenant General Loren M. Reno, USAF (Ret.) former Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics, Installations and Mission Support; Vice Admiral W. Mark Skinner, USN (Ret.) former Principle Military Deputy to the Assistant Secretary of the Navy and Lieutenant General Willie J. Williams, USMC (Ret.) former Chief of the Marine Corps Staff.

"The Executive Fellows' expertise in logistics, acquisition and operations provides unprecedented insight to our participants," said Mark C. Cramer, President of the IDB. "This wisdom is particularly valuable as our current and future leaders in our courses strive to navigate through these challenging times.  The Fellows' ability to provide true context and perspective is a national treasure."

Since the beginning of the Fellows Program, these highly qualified and knowledgeable individuals have contributed significantly by serving as guest lecturers across the range of IDB programs, representing the IDB at conferences, and working with faculty on key academic case studies and research. In addition, Fellows provide thought leadership ensuring that IDB programs remain current and vibrant in the ever-changing logistics, business, and geopolitical arenas.

For more than three decades, SAS has provided innovative solutions targeting the unique analytic needs of the federal government. All 15 US federal departments and 80 national governments worldwide use SAS software's analytic and predictive capabilities for critical initiatives such as performance management, budgeting, logistics, cyber defense, combating fraud and improper payments, and threat assessment.

About the IDB
The IDB is a non-profit research and education institute formed in 1997 by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the state of North Carolina. The institute provides custom executive education programs in the areas of logistics and technology, life cycle systems, leadership and organizational transformation, strategic studies, stabilization and economic reconstruction, and the IU-UNC LogMBA program in partnership with the Kelley School of Business and Indiana University.

About SAS
SAS is the leader in business analytics software and services, and the largest independent vendor in the business intelligence market. Through innovative solutions, SAS helps customers at more than 65,000 sites improve performance and deliver value by making better decisions faster. Since 1976 SAS has been giving customers around the world THE POWER TO KNOW^®.

SAS and all other SAS Institute Inc. product or service names are registered trademarks or trademarks of SAS Institute Inc. in the USA and other countries. ® indicates USA registration. Other brand and product names are trademarks of their respective companies. Copyright © 2013 SAS Institute Inc. All rights reserved.

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SOURCE Institute for Defense and Business