Chair, SRI Board of Directors, Lieutenant General, U.S. Air Force (Retired), Independent Consultant
Lt. Gen. (retired) Leslie F. Kenne is an independent consultant providing expertise and guidance to industry in the areas of program management, logistics, test and evaluation and ethics compliance. She retired from the U.S. Air Force in 2003 after 32 years of military service. In addition to serving as Chair of the SRI Board, she serves on the corporate boards of Harris Corp. and Oshkosh Corp.
General Kenne graduated from Auburn University with a degree in aerospace engineering and entered the Air Force in 1971 as a distinguished graduate of the ROTC program. She served as a flight line maintenance officer in operations and attended the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School in 1974. She served in various test and evaluation project manager and supervisory positions in development, operational and joint testing organizations during a 12-year period.
General Kenne directed three major development programs while in the Air Force—the Low Altitude Navigation and Targeting Infrared System for Night, the F-16 and the Joint Strike Fighter. She also served as Vice Commander of Aeronautical Systems Center, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio and the Sacramento Air Logistics Center, McClellan Air Force Base, California.
Her last two positions before retiring were Commander of the Electronic Systems Center at Hanscom Air Force Base, Massachusetts and the Deputy Chief of Staff for Warfighting Integration at the Pentagon.