Speaker Bios

Judge Michael E. Dunlavey was born in Buffalo, N.Y. He graduated from the University of Notre Dame in 1967 and shortly thereafter spent four years on active duty in the U.S. Army. After completing a tour of duty in Viet Nam, he went on to earn his juris doctor degree from the State University of New York at Buffalo.

Dunlavey established a private practice in Erie, Pa., concentrating in complex civil litigation, while also serving as an Erie County assistant district attorney and part-time public defender. While in private practice, he received numerous awards for his civic activities including the U.S. Small Business Administration’s 1999 National Veteran’s Advocate of the Year Award and, in 2003, was designated Distinguished Pennsylvanian of the Year by Gannon University.

Dunlavey was elected to the Court of Common Pleas in November 1999 and assigned to the Family Law Division. As a member of the Army Reserve, he served and commanded units from Detachment through Division. He was selected for promotion to Brigadier General and assigned as the Deputy Commanding General of the Army’s Intelligence and Security Command, and later re-assigned as the Assistant Deputy Chief of Staff for Intelligence and promoted to Major General. Upon completion of that assignment, he was chosen by LTG Michael Hayden to be his assistant at the National Security Agency (NSA).

Shortly after the September 11 terrorist attacks, Dunlavey was mobilized as a General working for Hayden. He was personally chosen by the Secretary of Defense to establish an interrogation center to house al Qaeda, Taliban and other terrorists in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. He completed that mission in November 2002 and returned to the NSA. In 2003, he was assigned to the new Terrorism Threat Integration Center as Associate Director for Homeland Security. He completed that assignment and returned to civilian life in April 2004.

Among his many awards are the Army Distinguished Service Medal, the NSA Director’s Medal for Excellence, the Legion of Merit, Meritorious Service Medal; the Bronze Star with Oak Leaf Cluster and Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry.

He is the father of four children and two grandchildren.