Secretary of the Navy (U.S.)/Incumbent
Donald C. Winter is the 74th Secretary of the Navy, sworn into office on Jan. 3, 2006. Prior to joining the Department, he was Dr. Winter served as a corporate vice president and president of Northrop Grumman's Mission Systems sector. In that position he oversaw operation of the business and its 18,000 employees, providing information technology systems and services; systems engineering and analysis; systems development and integration; scientific, engineering, and technical services; and enterprise management services. Dr. Winter also served on the company's corporate policy council.
Previously, Dr. Winter served as president and CEO of TRW Systems, a major defense contractor, where he had earlier been vice president and deputy general manager for group development of TRW’s Space & Electronics business; and vice president and general manager of the defense systems division of TRW.
From 1980 to 1982, he was a government official in the Department of Defense, as program manager for space acquisition, tracking, and pointing programs in the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA).
Dr. Winter earned a bachelor’s degree (with highest distinction) in physics from the University of Rochester in 1969. He received a master’s degree and a doctorate in physics from the University of Michigan in 1970 and 1972, respectively. He is a 1979 graduate of the USC Management Policy Institute, a 1987 graduate of the UCLA Executive Program, and a 1991 graduate of the Harvard University Program for Senior Executives in National and International Security. In 2002, he was elected a member of the National Academy of Engineering