Belfer Center Executive Director Named

Brigadier General John C. Reppert, U.S. Army retired, has been named executive director of the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs (BCSIA) at the Kennedy School of Government.

"I could not be more pleased that General Reppert is joining the Belfer Center. He is absolutely first rate -- one of the most outstanding military officers of his generation," announced Graham T. Allison, director of the Center.

When Allison was Assistant Secretary of Defense, Reppert served as his military assistant. "General Reppert fits perfectly into one of the core substantive competencies of BCSIA because of his exceptional background in Russian affairs and arms control," Allison said. "This remarkable substantive match, coupled with his superb managerial abilities, makes it clear to me that he is absolutely the best person for the job."

Reppert has worked with the Kennedy School's Executive Program for Russian General Officers as defense attaché and Army attaché since 1993. In his most recent assignments, he served as director of the On-Site Inspection Agency (OSIA) in Washington, D.C. (1997-98); and as U.S. Defense Attaché at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow (1995-97). OSIA is responsible for carrying out inspection requirements under the verification provisions of numerous international arms control treaties and confidence-building agreements.

Reppert holds a bachelor of arts degree and a master of science degree from Kansas State University as well as a master's degree in Soviet area studies from the University of Kansas. He also holds a doctorate in international relations from George Washington University, Washington, D.C. The general is a graduate of the Army War College, the Naval War College, the Armed Forces Staff College, and the U.S. Army Signal Corps Officer Advance Course. He was a National Security Fellow of the Kennedy School in 1988-89.

In addition to his command experience and direct involvement in several international arms control negotiations, General Reppert was one of the government's top foreign area officers specializing in Russia. In former Army Chief of Staff Gordon Sullivan's words, "John is a national asset -- the most knowledgable American interlocutor and analyst of Russia's military and national security community."

Reppert succeeds Richard Falkenrath, who, after serving three years as executive director of BCSIA, has joined the Kennedy School faculty.