The Connection - Oakland City University

From Student Government Presidentto the Pentagon…Catching Up with Matt Konkler ‘95Mathew J. Konkler ’95 was sworn in December, 2001 to serve in the Office of the Secretary of Defense at the Pentagon,Washington, DC. Konkler currently holds the position of Director, Office of Advance, in the Office of the Secretaryof Defense. Mr. Konkler served as an aide to former Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld and currently serves Secretaryof Defense Robert M. Gates.!Before receiving his appointment at the Department of Defense, Mr. Konkler worked as an account executive with US AirwaysInc, the nation’s fourth largest airline. Mr. Konkler has also served in the Office of the Mayor (Hon. Anthony Williams)in Washington, DC (1999) and the Office of the Mayor (Hon. William H. Graham) in Scottsburg, Indiana (1991 –1996).!In December 2006, Mr. Konkler was awarded the Secretary of Defense Outstanding Public Service Award and the Departmentof Defense Medal for Outstanding Service by Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld for his work during the global war onterror, the 2004 tsunami in Sri Lanka and the 2005 earthquake in Pakistan. Konkler has traveled to more than 100 countriesin support of the U.S. Armed Forces and the Secretary of Defense, including numerous visits to Iraq and Afghanistan.!Mr. Konkler currently serves on the Board of Directors at the Children’s House of Olde Town - Montessori School, Fredericksburg,Virginia, the Board of Directors of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Fund - National Capital Region, and the ExecutiveBoard of the Thank You Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to enhancing the lives of the men andwomen in the United States Armed Forces.!Matt briefing then-Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld at Ft Campbell, Kentucky before hespoke to a group of 15,000 soldiers and families, SEPT 14, 2004.PAGE 2 THE CONNECTION VOLUME LXI I NUMBER 1