Ex-Massachusetts Rep Long-time Advocate on Non-Proliferation, National Security Issues; Served on Intelligence Committee, Chaired Key Subcommittee
WASHINGTON, DC (February 24, 2016) — John F. Tierney, a former Massachusetts Congressman who served on the House Intelligence Committee and chaired an influential national security subcommittee, has been named executive director of the Council for a Livable World and the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation, the council’s affiliated education and research organization.
“John Tierney was our unanimous and enthusiastic choice following a national search,” said Robert K. Musil, chair of the Council’s Board of Directors. “During his long House career, John immersed himself in matters of peace and security — issues on which the Council and the Center have taken a leadership role for more than 50 years.”
The Washington-based Council, founded in 1962 by famed physicist Leo Szilard, is the nation’s leading political action committee for promoting nuclear arms control and preventing nuclear proliferation. It also advocates for diplomatic solutions to national security issues.
As a member of the House, Tierney was regularly endorsed by the Council for a Livable World for his commitment to nuclear non-proliferation and thoughtful national security solutions. Tierney, a close ally of Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, rose to become part of the Democratic leadership, serving as a member of both the House Steering and Policy Committee and the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. Tierney also chaired the National Security and Foreign Affairs Subcommittee of the Government Oversight and Reform Committee.
Tierney’s efforts over his 18-year career included oversight of the Government Accountability Office’s annual assessment of the Pentagon’s Weapons Selection Programs and reform of Pentagon spending. In 2009, Foreign Policy Magazine praised Tierney, noting that he “has a reputation for taking on thorny oversight issues the House Armed Services Committee shied away from.”
“We were particularly impressed by the thoroughness and depth of John Tierney’s hearings on national missile defense, one of our top issues,” said Edward Levine, chair of the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation Board of Directors. “We also noted Mr. Tierney’s reputation for mentoring and motivating those who work for him, a consistent theme throughout his respected career.”
Tierney will begin as executive director of the two organizations on March 1, 2016. For more information on the Council, go to www.livableworld.org. For more information on the Center, go to www.armscontrolcenter.org.
