William LaPlante, 61, served as the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment from April 2022 to January 2025. From September 2020 to April 2022, Dr. LaPlante served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Draper Laboratory, a research and development company specializing in advanced technology solutions in national security, space exploration, health care and energy. Previously, he served as Senior Vice President and General Manager at MITRE National Security, where he oversaw the operation of the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology. From 2014 to 2017, Dr. LaPlante served as Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics. He previously spent 26 years at The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, where he ultimately led the Global Engagement Department. Dr. LaPlante has been a member of several government scientific boards and commissions focused on maintaining national security, including the U.S. Strategic Command Senior Advisory Group, Naval Research Advisory Committee and Defense Science Board. Dr. LaPlante earned a B.S. degree in engineering physics from the University of Illinois, an M.S. degree in applied physics from The Johns Hopkins University and a doctorate degree in mechanical engineering from the Catholic University of America.