The Clinton School of Public Service welcomes Secretary Carlos Del Toro and Katie Milligan (‘13) as the newest members of its Dean’s Advisory Board.
Secretary Del Toro is the President and CEO of Del Toro Global Associates and served as the 78th United States Secretary of the Navy from 2021 to 2025. Milligan, a graduate of the Clinton School, serves as the Program Director for Workforce and Entrepreneurship at Heartland Forward.
“Both Secretary Carlos Del Toro and Katie Milligan embody the Clinton School’s commitment to service and innovation,” said Dean Victoria DeFrancesco Soto. “Their careers demonstrate how leadership rooted in purpose can shape communities and strengthen institutions. We’re honored to welcome them to the Dean’s Advisory Board.”
Sworn in as the 78th Secretary of the Navy and Marine Corps on Aug. 9, 2021, Secretary Del Toro led the nearly 1-million person department through the largest modernization effort in half a century concurrent with the longest sustained surface-to-air naval combat operations since World War II in the Red Sea. Under his leadership, the Department of the Navy sought and commanded the largest budget in recent history.
His 26-year naval career included a series of critical appointments at sea and ashore. After retiring from active-duty service, Secretary Del Toro continued to support a range of government and private sector programs by founding SBG Technology Solutions, Inc., an engineering services company focused on space systems engineering, telecommunications, health IT, cybersecurity, AI, and numerous other program management services.
At Heartland Forward, Milligan has led award-winning programming and helped to raise more than $10 million in support of over 1,000 heartland entrepreneurs.
She previously served as the Chief of Staff for Start Co., a venture development organization based in Memphis, Tenn., and as the Director of Small Business and Entrepreneurship for the Delta Regional Authority (DRA), a federal agency that works to improve regional economic opportunity in the eight state Delta region.
While at the DRA, Milligan launched the Delta Entrepreneurship Network, a competitive fellowship program to identify entrepreneurs and entrepreneurship support organizations in the Delta.
Members of the Dean’s Advisory Board provide advice to the Dean on strategic issues impacting the future of the Clinton School; act as ambassadors of the school and its students, faculty, and research; provide insights to the Dean on how the Clinton School can enhance its mission of social impact; and assist in the recruitment of prospective students and the placement and advancement of Clinton School graduates.