Mrs. Wilson grew up in New Hampshire. Aviation was a vital part of her childhood, as both her grandfather and father were pilots (she personally learned to fly at a very young age); so it was no surprise that when the Air Force Academy opened to women (her junior year in high school), she applied and was appointed. Heather was the first person in her family to go to college. She achieved distinction at the Academy as the first woman to command basic training and the first woman Vice Wing Commander. After her graduation, she earned her Masters and PhD from the University of Oxford in International Relations. An Air Force officer for several years, she later served under President George H.W. Bush on the National Security Council. She became an entrepreneur in 1991, founding Keystone International, Inc.
In 1995, Governor Gary Johnson (R-NM) appointed her Cabinet Secretary for the Children Youth & Families Department. In this role, she helped reform child welfare laws and the juvenile justice system. She also took a keen interest in early childhood education and Medicare and Medicaid.
Heather Wilson was elected to Congress in 1998, retiring in 2009; she was the first female military veteran to be elected to a full term. She served our country on the House Permanent Committee on Select Intelligence and the Armed Services Committee.
Palladian View is pleased to spotlight this conservative Republican woman leader who has admirably served our country in so many ways. With only 5 Republican women currently in the US Senate, and 2 of those retiring at the end of this year, we look forward to what her experience and leadership will bring to the Senate.
