President Biden announced today that he would be nominating William LaPlante for Under Secretary for Acquisition and Sustainment at the Department of Defense (DoD).

In a press release, the White House stated that LaPlante’s decades of experience in acquisition, technology, sustainment, and defense industrial base (DIB) would aid him in this role, if confirmed.

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Currently, LaPlante serves as president and CEO of Draper Laboratory. Before that, he worked as senior vice president for the MITRE Corporation’s National Sector, overseeing Federally-funded research and development centers for DoD and the Department of Commerce.

Before holding positions in the DIB, LaPlante served in the Obama Administration as the Senate-confirmed Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics from 2014-2017.

“In that capacity, Dr. LaPlante aligned that Service’s 43-billion-dollar acquisition enterprise budget with the Air Force vision and strategy,” said the White House. “In addition, he forged a path forward on critical Air Force acquisition programs such as the B-21 long-range strike bomber, while realizing nearly $6 billion in ‘should-cost savings in other Air Force programs.”

Further, LaPlante is a past and present member of various scientific boards and commissions focused on acquisition.

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Jordan Smith
Jordan Smith
Jordan Smith is a MeriTalk Senior Technology Reporter covering the intersection of government and technology.
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