Sean O’Keefe ’78 MPA, EADS Chairman and CEO, Speaks About Aviation Industry

In a March 5th interview with the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, ’78 MPA Sean O’Keefe talks about his position as CEO and chairman of EADS North America, the North American branch of the world’s second largest aerospace and defense company. EADS North America participates in U.S. Department of Defense programs–sometimes as a prime contractor.

O’Keefe has served in President George H.W. Bush’s administration as comptroller and CFO of the Department of Defense, and as Secretary of the Navy. Among his many honors are the Distinguished Public Service Award, presented by President George W. Bush and Secretary of Defense Richard Cheney in 1993. In addition, O’Keefe is the chair of the Maxwell School Advisory Board.

Read the full interview here.

Sean O’Keefe, ’78 MPA, Named Chairman of EADS

Sean O’Keefe has recently been named Chairman of the Board of EADS North America. EADS is a international leader in the aeronautic, space, defense, and security industries.

To read more about O’Keefe’s appointment, click here.

Maxwell Alums O’Keefe and Glor to Take Part in Orange Central

In a special one-on-one interview event, national security expert and former NASA administrator Sean O’Keefe G’78 will speak with CBS News journalist Jeff Glor ’97 about O’Keefe’s unique experiences in both the public and private sectors. 

O’Keefe is CEO of EADS North America, a global leader in aerospace, defense and related services. Glor, a former anchor for Syracuse news station CNY Central/NBC3, was named news anchor of CBS News’ “The Early Show” in November 2010.

Both alumni are returning to campus as part of Orange Central 2011. “One-on-One with Sean O’Keefe and Jeff Glor: Service, Strategy and Space” will take place Thursday, Nov. 10, at 8 p.m. in the Joyce Hergenhan Auditorium, Newhouse 3. The discussion is free and open to the public, but registration is required as part of the Orange Central events. Visit Orange Central registration. Parking is available in the Booth and University Avenue garages.

As part of Orange Centeral, O’Keefe will also receive the George Arents Award—SU’s highest alumni honor. He will be presented with the Arents Award for Excellence in Public Service. Glor, who is serving as a Orange Central 2011 co-chair, will host the Arents Award presentation.

On four separate occasions, O’Keefe has served as a presidential appointee, including serving as the 10th administrator of NASA.

As CEO of EADS North America, O’Keefe directs EADS activities in the United States, develops strategic partnerships with U.S. companies, and enhances the participation of EADS in the U.S. marketplace—including the development, growth and management of large-scale defense acquisition programs. He assumed the responsibilities as EADS North America’s chief executive officer in 2009, was elected to the company’s board of directors and will become chair in January 2012. EADS is the parent company of such international aerospace, defense and space brands as Airbus, Eurocopter, Astrium and Cassidian.

Prior to joining EADS, O’Keefe served as a company officer and vice president of General Electric in the technology infrastructure sector, leading the Washington operations of the GE Aviation business. From 2005-2008, he served as chancellor of the Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, La.

Appointed the 69th Secretary of the Navy in July 1992 by President George H. W. Bush, O’Keefe previously served as comptroller and chief financial officer of the Department of Defense from 1989. Prior to this, he served on the United States Senate Committee on Appropriations staff for eight years and was staff director of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee.

From 1996-2001, O’Keefe was the Maxwell School’s Louis A. Bantle Professor of Business and Government Policy. He was the 1999 faculty recipient of the Syracuse University Chancellor’s Award for Public Service. He received a master’s of public administration from the Maxwell School. 

Glor is news anchor of CBS News’ “The Early Show.” Previously, he served as the anchor of the Saturday edition of the “CBS Evening News” and a national correspondent for all CBS News broadcasts since Feb. 2009.

Glor has been a national correspondent for CBS News’ “The Early Show” since April 2007. In that position, he has covered many major domestic and international stories, being one of the first journalists on the ground in Haiti following that country’s devastating earthquake in January 2009. He reported from Iraq, where he was embedded with U.S. soldiers and conducted a one-on-one interview with Gen. David Petraeus. Glor also traveled to China in August 2008 to cover the Beijing Olympic Games and to Vancouver in February 2010 to cover the Winter Games. In 2008, Glor was a lead member of the CBS News team that covered Pope Benedict XVI’s historic visits to Washington, D.C., and New York City. He was also “The Early Show’s” primary campaign correspondent during the 2008 presidential election. 

Before joining CBS News, Glor served as the weekend evening news anchor and a weekday reporter for WHDH-TV Boston. Prior to that, Glor was the co-anchor of WSTM-TV Syracuse’s 5 p.m. newscast, and a reporter for the 11 p.m. newscast (2000-03), as well as the morning news anchor (1997-2000). He graduated magna cum laude from SU with dual degrees in journalism, from the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, and in economics, from The College of Arts and Sciences. 

Orange Central 2011 takes place Nov.10-13 on the SU campus and includes reunions, special events and Homecoming, all rolled into one exciting weekend. For more information on Orange Central and an up-to-the-minute schedule of events and activities, visit http://orangecentral.syr.edu. For questions, contact the Office of Alumni Relations at 1-800-SUALUMS (782-5867) or e-mail orangecentral@syr.edu