NDIA Names Retired Gen. Craig R. McKinley President and CEO.

• Position: NDIA News

The National Defense Industrial Association announced that retired Air Force Gen. Craig R. McKinley will be the association's next president and 'CEO, effective Jan. 1.

McKinley is currently president of the Air Force Association, a role he assumed Oct. 1, 2012. McKinley succeeds current NDIA President and CEO Larry Farrell, who announced his retirement after serving in that capacity since 2001.

McKinley, a 38-year-veteran of the Air Force, retired as the first four-star chief of the National Guard Bureau, where he also served as a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff "The board conducted an extensive search for the most qualified individual to serve as our next president and CEO," said NDIA Chairman Arnold Punaro. "With Gen. McKinley, we will have the leadership in place to help introduce a new era at NDIA. In addition to his outstanding military career--which included leading the National Guard during a period when they were extensively committed to combat operations overseas as well as major disaster relief operations at home--he brings a successful track record leading a large defense and aero-space association. Craig is well-known and highly respected by Congress, the executive branch and industry."

McKinley received his commission in 1974 as a distinguished graduate of the ROTC program at Southern Methodist University. He served in numerous assignments in flying and operations, as well as command positions at group, wing, sector and field operating agency levels. He was a command pilot with more than 4,000 hours, primarily in the T-38, F-106, F-16 and F-15. Additionally, he has been pilot-in-command in the C-131 and C-130 operational support airlift aircraft.

His assignments included commander of the I St Air Force, Air...