William Austin Chatfield (born July 14, 1951) is an American government executive and lobbyist who served as the 11th Director of Selective Service from November 29, 2004, to May 29, 2009, having been nominated by President

George W. Bush George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Republican Party, Bush family, and son of the 41st president George H. W. Bush, he ...

and confirmed by the

U.S. Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and pow ...

. He was directly responsible to the President for the management of the Selective Service System.

Early life and education

Born in

Catskill, New York Catskill is a town in the southeastern section of Greene County, New York, United States. The population was 11,298 at the 2020 census, the largest town in the county. The western part of the town is in the Catskill Park. The town contains a v ...

, Chatfield was raised in Springfield and

Cranford, New Jersey Cranford is a township in Union County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, located southwest of Manhattan. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 23,847, an increase of 1,222 (+5.4%) from the 2010 census count ...

. He graduated from Cranford High School in 1969. Chatfield attended

Union College Union College is a private liberal arts college in Schenectady, New York. Founded in 1795, it was the first institution of higher learning chartered by the New York State Board of Regents, and second in the state of New York, after Columbia Co ...

in Cranford, majoring in political science and criminal justice, and later continued his studies at American University.

Career

Prior to his presidential nomination, Chatfield, a

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...

resident at the time, had worked over 30 years in the executive and legislative branches of the Federal government. Chatfield commenced public service by enlisting in the

United States Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through combi ...

in 1970. He received military intelligence training in

Coronado, California Coronado (Spanish for "Crowned") is a resort city located in San Diego County, California, United States, across the San Diego Bay from downtown San Diego. It was founded in the 1880s and incorporated in 1890. Its population was 24,697 at th ...

and was sent to

Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only state ...

, where he remained until the end of his active duty commitment. Transitioning to the

Marine Corps Reserve The Marine Forces Reserve (MARFORRES or MFR), also known as the United States Marine Corps Reserve (USMCR) and the U.S. Marine Corps Forces Reserve, is the reserve force of the United States Marine Corps. It is the largest command, by assigned p ...

back in New Jersey, Chatfield served as Doorkeeper of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1978 through 1979, and performed in several appointed positions of increasing responsibility from 1980 through 1987 in the

Reagan Ronald Wilson Reagan ( ; February 6, 1911June 5, 2004) was an American politician, actor, and union leader who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He also served as the 33rd governor of California from 1967 ...

Administration. He served on the staff of the Deputy Undersecretary for Policy at the Department of Defense; as a Regional Director of the Civil Aeronautics Board; Special Assistant to the Director, Office of Personnel Management; Assistant to the Chairman of the Consumer Product Safety Commission; Special Assistant for Congressional Liaison in the Department of the Interior; and Staff Advisor to the Commissioner at the Interstate Commerce Commission. From 1987 until his appointment with the Selective Service, he was a lobbyist and in 1989, established Kindness & Chatfield Associates, a lobbying firm with former Congressman

Tom Kindness Thomas Norman Kindness (August 26, 1929January 8, 2004) was a member of the United States House of Representatives representing Ohio from January 3, 1975 to January 3, 1987. Life and career Born in Knoxville, Tennessee, Kindness graduated from ...

. Chatfield is a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps, with 34 years of active duty and reserve service. He retired from the Marine Corps Reserve as a Chief

Warrant Officer Warrant officer (WO) is a rank or category of ranks in the armed forces of many countries. Depending on the country, service, or historical context, warrant officers are sometimes classified as the most junior of the commissioned ranks, the mos ...

References

Selective Service System
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chatfield, William A. 1951 births Living people People from Catskill, New York People from Springfield Township, Union County, New Jersey People from Cranford, New Jersey United States Marines Union College (New Jersey) alumni United States Marine Corps reservists American University alumni People from Irving, Texas George W. Bush administration personnel Obama administration personnel

Early life and education

Career

See also

References