CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD
General Walter E. Boomer, USMC (Ret)

General Boomer joined the Marine Corps in 1960 after graduating from Duke University. His service included two tours in Vietnam, where he served as a combat commander in 1966 and 1967 and an advisor to a South Vietnamese Marine infantry battalion in 1971 and 1972. General Boomer was awarded the Silver Star Medal twice for his action in combat. In 1986, he was promoted to Brigadier General and named Director of Public Affairs at Marine headquarters in Washington, D.C. In 1988, he was given command of the 4th Marine Division (Rein.), FMF in New Orleans. During this assignment, he was promoted to Major General in 1988 and to Lieutenant General in 1990. Shortly after his promotion to Lieutenant General, General Boomer was deployed to Saudi Arabia where as the Commanding General, U.S. Marines Central Command and First Marine Expeditionary Force, he led all Marines during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. In 1991, at the completion of his service in the Middle East, General Boomer became the Commanding General, First Marine Expeditionary Force/Commanding General, Marine Corps Base at Camp Pendleton, California; later that year, he was named Commanding General, Marine Combat Development Command at Quantico, Virginia. He was promoted to General and named Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps in 1992, holding that position until his retirement from the Corps in 1994.

Following his retirement from the Marine Corps, General Boomer became Executive Vice President of McDermott International and President of Babcock and Wilcox Power Generation Group. In 1997 he joined Rogers Corporation as President and CEO. General Boomer was appointed Chairman of the Board in 2002 and retired from the company in 2004, remaining a Director of the corporation. General Boomer is also the Lead Director of Baxter International and a Director of Taylor Energy Company. He currently resides in Sheldon, South Carolina with his family.

A native of Rich Square, North Carolina, General Boomer holds a B.A. from Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, and a M.S. in Technology of Management from American University in Washington, D.C. He graduated with distinction from the Naval War College.