Blaise J. Durante retired from the Air Force, as a colonel in May 1992 and entered the Senior Executive Service the same month.

Mr. Durante is deputy assistant secretary for management policy and program integration, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Washington, DC. He manages the acquisition staff organization charges with planning, managing and analyzing the Air Force's research and development, and acquisition investment budget. He overseas the integration of RD&A budget formulation and execution, and directs streamlined management team activities, including Air Force acquisition reform and reduction in total ownership cost efforts. He directs the development of weapon system acquisition policy including program direction.

As director for Air Force Contracted Advisory and Assistant Services, Mr. Durante directs and is accountable for the Air Force's CAAS programs. He is responsible for acquisition professional development, including directing, coordinating, and reviewing actions mandated by the Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act and DoD directives. His activities also involve managing acquisition reporting systems and the Air Force's international RD&A programs. He is a member of the Air Force Board and the Air Force Budget Review Group, and is chief of the staff of the program executive officer organization. He is responsible for operations support for the assistant secretary of the Air Force for acquisition.

Mr. Durante received his bachelor's of science degree in chemical engineering from Northeastern University in Boston, MA. He received one master's degree in management and supervision from Central Michigan University in Mount Pleasant, MI, another master's degree in national security and strategic studies from the Naval War College in Newport, RI, and is a candidate for a third master's in chemical engineering from the University of Dayton in Dayton, OH.

050301