John Hamre

John Hamre was elected CSIS President and CEO in January 2000.  Before joining CSIS, he served as the 26th U.S. Deputy Secretary of Defense.  Prior to holding that post, he was the Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller) (1993-1997).  As Comptroller, Dr. Hamre was the principal assistant to the Secretary of Defense for the preparation, presentation, and execution of the defense budget and management improvement programs.  In 2007 Secretary Gates appointed Dr. Hamre to serve as chairman of the Defense Policy Board.Before serving in the Department of Defense, Dr. Hamre worked for ten years as a professional staff member of the Senate Armed Services Committee.  During this time he was primarily responsible for the oversight and evaluation of procurement, research, and development programs, defense budget issues and relations with the Senate Appropriations Committee. From 1978 to 1984, Dr. Hamre served in the Congressional Budget Office, where he became its Deputy Assistant Director for National Security and International Affairs.  In that position, he oversaw analysis and other support for committees in both the House of Representatives and the Senate.Dr. Hamre received his Ph.D., with distinction, in 1978 from the School of Advanced International Studies, Johns Hopkins University.  His studies focused on international politics and economics and U.S. foreign policy.  In 1972, he received a B.A., with high distinction, from Augustana College, Sioux Falls, South Dakota, emphasizing political science and economics.  The following year he studied as a Rockefeller Fellow at the Harvard Divinity School.Dr. Hamre is married to the former Julia Pfanstiehl, and they reside in Bethesda, Maryland..