Air Force gets new acquisition chief

William LaPlante Jr. is President Barack Obama's pick to be assistant secretary of the Air Force for acquisition, according to an announcement from the White House on Oct. 30.

LaPlante currently serves as the principal deputy for the assistant secretary for acquisition, a job he began earlier this year. His duties include providing advice and guidance on Air Force acquisition and overseeing research, development, testing, production and modernization for a $40 billion annual portfolio, according to his bio.

LaPlante has spent his career in both the public and private sectors, and has served on a number of advisory boards, including the Defense Science Board, U.S. Strategic Command Senior Advisory Group and Naval Research Advisory Committee. Prior to joining the Defense Department this year, he was employed at defense contractor MITRE Corp.