Sean O’Keefe, EADS North America’s chief executive officer is now also chairman of the company’s board of directors, announced the company Tuesday. Effective on Jan. 1, he replaced Ralph Crosby, who has retired, in the chairman’s role. “EADS North America just concluded a remarkable year in 2011, having successfully expanded our product portfolio in the US, increased the company’s recognition with our federal and military customers, and extended our record of within-budget and on-time deliveries of the UH-72A Lakota light utility helicopter to our US military customers,” said O’Keefe. He added, “Ralph Crosby’s leadership over the last nine years was foundational to these successes.” O’Keefe, a former Navy Secretary and NASA administrator, became CEO of EADS North America in November 2009.
The Pentagon plans to use U.S. Air Force C-17s and C-130s to deport 5,400 people currently detained by Customs and Border Protection, officials announced Jan. 22, the first act in President Donald Trump’s sweeping promise to crack down on undocumented immigrants and increase border security.