White House Author
Ellen Houlihan
Vice-Chair, Board of Directors, West Point Association of Graduates
Ellen Houlihan, is Vice-Chair, Board of Directors, West Point Association of Graduates (WPAOG). Ellen is the first West Point woman graduate to be elected to a senior leadership role of the 50,000 West Point graduate members. Her service includes leadership of the overhaul of WPAOG Bylaws and governance model, unchanged since the Civil War. The overhaul provides efficient and effective operational transparency of the Board of Directors and management staff. She has led the largest and most diverse committee of the Board of Directors charged with membership, graduate awards, diversity and inclusion, and 130 alumni clubs around the world. In her role as Vice-Chair, Ellen leads the effort to identify and recruit for the skills needed for WPAOG’s continued growth and relevance to West Point and the nation. Ellen was also the first woman West Point graduate elected President of her West Point class and first woman president of a local alumni club.
From the day of its founding on March 16, 1802, West Point has grown in size and stature, yet remains committed to the task of producing commissioned leaders of character for America's Army. Today, the Academy graduates more than 900 new officers annually, which represents approximately 25 percent of the new lieutenants required by the Army each year. The student body, or Corps of Cadets, numbers 4,200, of whom approximately 15 percent are women.