Robert M. Kimmitt

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Robert Kimmitt

Robert M. Kimmitt was nominated by President Bush to be Deputy Secretary of the Department of the Treasury on June 29, 2005. The United States Senate unanimously confirmed him on July 29, 2005, and he was sworn into office on August 16, 2005. Kimmitt served as Acting Secretary of the Treasury from Friday, June 30th, until Monday morning, July 10th, following John Snow's resignation^{[ 1 ]}, but prior to Henry Paulson being sworn in to office^{[ 2 ]}.

Mr. Kimmitt graduated from Bishop O'Connell High School in 1965. Mr. Kimmitt has had a long public service career, both at home and abroad. He served from 1991 to 1993 as American Ambassador to Germany and was awarded the U.S. Defense Department Distinguished Public Service Award as well as Germany’s highest honor, the Order of Merit. Mr. Kimmitt served from 1989 to 1991 as Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, and for his service during the Gulf Crisis and War, President George H. W. Bush presented Mr. Kimmitt with the Presidential Citizens Medal, the Nation’s second highest civilian award.

From 1985 to 1987, Mr. Kimmitt served as General Counsel to the U.S. Treasury Department, where he received the Alexander Hamilton Award, as well as the Arthur Flemming Award for distinguished public service. He served at the White House as National Security Council Executive Secretary and General Counsel from 1983 to 1985, with the rank of Deputy Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs. From 1976 to 1977 and 1978 to 1983, Mr. Kimmitt was a member of the NSC Staff.

From April 1970 to August 1971, Mr. Kimmitt served in combat with the 173rd Airborne Brigade in Vietnam, earning three Bronze Star Medals, the Purple Heart, the Air Medal, and the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry. He retired in November 2004 as a Major General in the Army Reserve. During 1997 Mr. Kimmitt was a member of the National Defense Panel, and from 1998 to 2005 he was a member of the Director of Central Intelligence’s National Security Advisory Panel. He also served as a member of the Panel of Arbitrators of the World Bank’s International Centre for the Settlement of Investment Disputes.

Before rejoining the government, Mr. Kimmitt was Chairman of the International Advisory Council of Time Warner Inc., where he had served from July 2001 to February 2005 as Executive Vice President, Global Public Policy. From March through August 2005, he was also Senior International Counsel in the law firm of Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr. Earlier, Mr. Kimmitt was Vice Chairman and President of Commerce One, a software company headquartered in the San Francisco Bay area. From 1997 to 2000, Mr. Kimmitt was a partner at Wilmer, Cutler & Pickering, and from 1993 to 1997 he was a managing director of Lehman Brothers. From 1987 to 1989, Mr. Kimmitt was a partner in the law firm of Sidley & Austin.

Mr. Kimmitt graduated with distinction from the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1969. He received a law degree from Georgetown University in 1977, where he was editor in chief of Law & Policy in International Business. From 1977 to 1978, he served as law clerk to Judge Edward A. Tamm of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.

Mr. Kimmitt and his wife Holly Sutherland Kimmitt have two daughters and three sons and reside in Arlington, Virginia. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and the American Academy of Diplomacy, and speaks fluent German.