Heather Wilson

For the Irish cyclist, see Heather Wilson (cyclist). For the author, see Heather Gemmen Wilson.

Heather Wilson
Wilson in 2021
11th President of University of Texas at El Paso
Incumbent
Assumed office
August 15, 2019
Preceded byDiana Natalicio
24th United States Secretary of the Air Force
In office
May 16, 2017 – May 31, 2019
PresidentDonald Trump
Preceded byDeborah Lee James
Succeeded byMatthew Donovan (acting)
Barbara Barrett
12th President of the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology
In office
June 17, 2013 – May 10, 2017
Preceded byRobert Wharton
Succeeded byJim Rankin
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from New Mexico's 1st district
In office
June 25, 1998 – January 3, 2009
Preceded bySteven Schiff
Succeeded byMartin Heinrich
Personal details
Born
Heather Ann Wilson

(1960-12-30) December 30, 1960 (age 63)
Keene, New Hampshire, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
SpouseJay Hone
Children3
EducationUnited States Air Force Academy (BS)
Jesus College, Oxford (MPhil, DPhil)
Military service
Allegiance United States
Branch/service United States Air Force
Years of service1978–1989
Rank Captain

Heather Ann Wilson (born December 30, 1960) is the 11th President of the University of Texas at El Paso. She previously served as the 24th Secretary of the United States Air Force from 2017 through 2019, as the 12th president of the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology from 2013 to 2017, and as a Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives for New Mexico's 1st congressional district from 1998 to 2009. Wilson was the first female military veteran elected to a full term in Congress.[1]

While in the U.S. House of Representatives, Wilson served on the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, the Committee on Armed Services,[1] and the Committee on Energy and Commerce.[1] She did not run for re-election in 2008, instead seeking the U.S. Senate seat of retiring senator Pete Domenici; she finished second in the Republican primary to Congressman Steve Pearce.[2] On March 7, 2011, she announced another run for Senate in 2012 to replace retiring senator Jeff Bingaman,[3] but lost the general election to Democrat Martin Heinrich, her successor in the House of Representatives.[4]

In April 2013 she was selected was president of the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology,[5] making her the first female president of the school.[6] President Donald Trump announced on January 23, 2017, that he would nominate Wilson as Secretary of the Air Force.[7] The U.S. Senate confirmed her nomination on May 8, 2017.[8] On March 8, 2019, Wilson announced that she would resign as Secretary, effective May 31, in order to assume the office of President of the University of Texas at El Paso.[9][10] On March 2, 2020, Trump appointed Wilson to the National Science Board.[11]

  1. ^ a b c "WILSON, Heather | US House of Representatives: History, Art & Archives". history.house.gov. Retrieved May 15, 2017.
  2. ^ "Updated: Race for the Senate: Heather Wilson". abqjournal.com. Retrieved May 15, 2017.
  3. ^ "Breaking: Heather Wilson is Running For Senate". abqjournal.com. Retrieved May 15, 2017.
  4. ^ "Updated: Wilson being considered for top national security job". abqjournal.com. Retrieved May 15, 2017.
  5. ^ "Mines Family Welcomes Wilson Family". South Dakota School of Mines & Technology. June 26, 2013. Archived from the original on June 26, 2013. Retrieved May 15, 2017.
  6. ^ "PHOTOS: Heather Wilson's tenure at School of Mines". Rapid City Journal. Retrieved May 15, 2017.
  7. ^ "President Donald J. Trump Intends to Nominate Heather Wilson as Secretary of the Air Force". whitehouse.gov. January 23, 2017. Archived from the original on January 24, 2017. Retrieved May 15, 2017.
  8. ^ "Senate confirms Trump's Air Force chief". TheHill. May 8, 2017. Retrieved May 15, 2017.
  9. ^ Lamothe, Dan; Sonne, Paul (March 8, 2019). "Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson says she will resign". The Washington Post. Retrieved March 8, 2019.
  10. ^ Morgan, Wesley (March 8, 2019). "Air Force secretary is stepping down". Politico. Retrieved March 8, 2019.
  11. ^ www.whitehouse.gov