General Peter Pace served for more than 40 years in the Marine Corps before retiring in October 2007 from the most senior position in the United States Armed Forces. As Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from 2005 until 2007, he served as the principal military advisor to the President of the United States, the Secretary of Defense, the National Security Council, and the Homeland Security Council during a time of tremendous change in the nation's strategic focus. Prior to becoming Chairman, he served as Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from October 2001 to September 2005. General Pace holds the distinction of being the first Marine to have served in either of these positions.
A 1967 graduate of the United States Naval Academy, General Pace holds a Master's Degree in Business Administration from George Washington University and attended Harvard University for the Senior Executives in National and International Security programs. The General is also a graduate of the Infantry Officers' Advanced Course at Fort Benning, Ga.; the Marine Corps Command and Staff College in Quantico, VA; and the National War College at Ft. McNair, Washington, DC.
General Pace serves on the Board of Directors for the Marine Corps Law Enforcement Foundation – a charity that provides scholarship bonds to children of Marines or Federal law enforcement personnel who were killed while serving our country at home or abroad. He also serves on the boards of Pike Electric Corp., Qualys, Inc. and Textura Corporation. He heads up the advisory board to the Wall Street Warfighters Foundation, a nonprofit charity that provides vocational assessment, training support and job placement services for disabled military veterans interested in careers in the financial services industry. He and his wife Lynne are on the advisory board for Our Military Kids, an organization that supports children of deployed Guard and Reserve personnel with tutoring and enrichment activities.
General Pace is President and CEO of SM&A Strategic Advisors.