Clifford L. Stanley

Dr. Clifford L. Stanley is a retired United States Marine Corps infantry officer. Dr. Stanley served 33 years in uniform, retiring as a Major General. His last active duty position was as the Deputy Commanding General, Marine Corps Combat Development Command, Quantico, Virginia. Upon retiring in 2002, Dr. Stanley served as the Executive Vice President for the University of Pennsylvania, and later served as President of Scholarship America.

He was nominated by President Obama in 2009 to be the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, and was unanimously confirmed by the Senate and sworn in on February 6, 2010. In that capacity, he served as the senior policy advisor to the Secretary of Defense on recruitment, career development, pay and benefits for millions of active duty, Guard and Reserve military personnel, and Department of Defense civilian personnel. He formally retired in November 2011.

Dr. Stanley has an undergraduate degree from South Carolina State University, a Master of Science from Johns Hopkins University, and a Doctorate of Education from the University of Pennsylvania.