WASHINGTON - Richard H. Solomon, President of the U.S. Institute of Peace, announced today that Patricia Powers Thomson of IBM Business Consulting has been selected as the organization's next Executive Vice President.  As its second-ranking officer, Thomson will lead the Institute's internal management team, oversee and integrate substantive programs, and manage growth.  She will assume her position on August 1.

"We are delighted that Trish is joining the Institute family.  She brings with her a unique combination of experience in strategic planning, performance measurement, and management that will be invaluable to our successful operation and continued growth," said Solomon.  "The Institute is fortunate to have such a skilled manager and proven leader on its team," added Institute Board Chairman, J. Robinson West.

Thomson was the partner in charge of IBM's Justice and Courts Account.  She had been with IBM Business Consulting (formerly PricewaterhouseCoopers Consulting) in Washington, D.C. since 1996, where she provided management expertise to a broad range of state and federal agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Justice, the State Department, the Defense Department and the California Attorney General.   She also advised foreign governments and multinational corporations on strategic planning, organizational design and business operations and has written extensively on performance management issues. 

Thomson served as a senior advisor to Vice President Gore's task force on reinventing government (the National Performance Review) and was the Assistant Director of Evaluation at the Corporation for National and Community Service, where she played an instrumental role in its start-up.  She served for four years in the U.S. Navy Civil Engineer Corps. 

Thomson holds a bachelor of science degree in engineering from the University of Pennsylvania and a master in public policy degree from Harvard University.