City of Satellite Beach
50th Birthday Celebration
Michael W. Wynne
Secretary, United States Air Force
Michael W. Wynne is a Florida Native, born in Clearwater on September 4, 1944.
He was a Satellite Beach resident throughout high school, attending Eau Gallie Jr. High and then Melbourne High, graduating June 1962.
He graduated from the United States Military Academy and married in 1966 to Barbara Ann Hill, Satellite High graduate 1964.
Together they have four married daughters and eleven grandchildren. They retain a residence in Satellite Beach.
Mr. Wynne was commissioned United States Air Force and served for seven years. with final assignment as Assistant Professor, United States Air Force Academy, Department of Astronautics. He was an Air Force Reserve Officer, assignment support to NORAD Cheyenne Mountain Complex for three years.
During a 20-year career with General Dynamics he served in positions of increasing responsibility, culminating as the President of the Space Systems Division, which had primary products of the Atlas and Centaur Launch Vehicles.
He then spent three years as General Manager for Lockheed Martin Space Launch Systems responsible for Atlas, Titan, Athena and Centaur Systems.
He led development for Atlas III and laid foundation for the current Atlas V launch vehicles, then in development.
He was responsible for 57 launches from Cape Canaveral and Vandenberg Launch Complexes, while associated with space.
He returned and retired from General Dynamics Headquarters as Senior Vice President, International Plans and Strategy in 1999.
He joined a Technology Investment fund, becoming Chairman of two High Technology companies, IXATA and Extended Reach Logistics.
He was confirmed by the Senate, and appointed in July 2001 by the President into first the Principal Deputy Position, and subsequently the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics, where he was the head of procurement for the Department of Defense.
He was again confirmed by the Senate, and appointed by the President as Secretary, United States Air Force in November 2005; a position he currently holds today.
In this position he is responsible for over 700,000 Active, Reserve, and National Guard Airmen and Civilian Employees.
This includes the space launch facilities and Patrick Air Force Base.
Mr. Wynne holds a Masters in Electrical Engineering and a Masters in Business Administration.
He attended courses at Harvard University and Northwestern University and has published papers in engineering, contracts, and cost estimating.