Board Member 2004 to 2008

VICE ADMIRAL LEE GUNN now serves as the President of a non-profit corporation in Alexandria, Virginia, after serving in the U.S. Navy for thirty-five years. For the last three years of his career, he served as the Inspector General of the Department of the Navy. Together with his Marine Deputy, he was responsible for the Department’s overall inspection program and its assessments of readiness, training, and quality of service. In one of his several initiatives, Admiral Gunn instituted the Navy’s Operational Cost Management training and evaluation program, and reconfigured Navy’s major command management inspection process to teach and evaluate cost management.

Serving in the Surface Navy in a variety of theaters, Admiral Gunn rose through the cruiser/destroyer force to command of the Navy’s anti-submarine warfare tactical, test, and evaluation Destroyer squadron. He later commanded Amphibious Group Three, consisting of 19 ships, 12 other, separate commands, and 16,000 Sailors and Marines. As Commander of PHIBGRU THREE he served (in addition to many other duties) as the Combined Naval Forces Commander, and Deputy Task Force Commander of Combined Task Force United Shield. TF United Shield conducted the final withdrawal of United Nations peacekeeping forces from Somalia in February and March of 1995. United Shield was, and still is, the only amphibious withdrawal operation under fire conducted since the Korean War.

Admiral Gunn’s awards include the Distinguished Service Medal, the Defense Superior Service Medal, six Legions of Merit, two Meritorious Service Medals, the Navy Commendation Medal (with Combat Distinguishing Device), the Navy Achievement Medal, the Combat Action Ribbon, and numerous theater and service awards.

Immediately after concluding his active duty career, Admiral Gunn was asked by the Chief of Naval Operations to lead the Executive Review of Navy Training. The nine-month Review was conducted by a senior team of experts in a variety of disciplines from the uniformed Navy, the corps of Department of the Navy Civilians, and the business and education communities. The recommendations of the Review are being implemented right now by a team of full-time profes­sionals chosen by the Chief of Naval Operations to bring about a revolution in training and learning.

Admiral Gunn has extensive experience in, and has chalked up impressive accomplishments in, the areas of manpower, personnel and training. He served in eight assignments in those areas during his career. During his last manpower assignment (as Deputy Chief of Naval Personnel, and Commander, Navy Personnel Command) he played a key role in redesigning the Navy’s manpower and personnel establishment and he orchestrated the transfer of the Navy’s Personnel Command from Arlington, Virginia to Millington, Tennessee. Relations he developed with the Congressional delegations and the business and academic communities were key to the success of this BRAC–directed move.

Admiral Gunn holds a Bachelor’s degree in Experimental and Physiological Psychology from the University of California, Los Angeles and a Master of Science degree in Operations Research from the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California.