Walter H. Kansteiner, III
Encyclopedia
Walter H. Kansteiner, III (born November 14, 1955) was the United States Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs from June 2001 until November 2003.
. In May 1989, Kansteiner joined the State Department's policy planning staff as Africa director. He served in this position until June 1991, when he moved to the National Security Council
as director for African affairs. In April 1992, he was appointed as the National Security Council Deputy Press Secretary.
As a founding Principal of The Scowcroft Group
, Kansteiner has advised corporations on a wide range of mergers, acquisitions and privatizations throughout Africa in the telecommunications, forestry, mining, financial services, health care and aviation industries. Kansteiner advised the buy side on the $1.3 billion privatization of Telkom South Africa, to date the largest privatization in Africa. He also was Executive Vice President of W.H. Kansteiner, Inc. in Chicago, an agricultural commodity trading and manufacturing company specializing in tropical commodities in the developing world.
In June 2001 he was appointed by Colin Powell
as Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs. In 2003, he left the post, citing family reasons. He was appointed in April 2004 as independent non-executive director to the board of Spescom Limited
.
Kansteiner is on the Board of Directors of the Corporate Council on Africa
, African Development Foundation
, and Sierra Rutile.
, Postmaster General
in Richard Nixon
's cabinet. She is a Board member of the WILD Foundation
. Red and his brother, Houston, founded Blount Brothers Construction, a large construction and manufacturing firm formerly headquartered in Montgomery. It was later renamed Blount International and moved to Portland, Oregon.
Frances Kansteiner was an Officer, Director and Advisor to the WILD Foundation
. http://www.wild.org/about/board.html She also on the board of Stratford Hall.
Career
In the late 1980s, Kansteiner was appointed Director of Economic Studies at the Institute on Religion and DemocracyInstitute on Religion and Democracy
The Institute on Religion and Democracy is a Christian think tank that promotes Christian conservatism in public life. The organization comments on current events in the Christian community...
. In May 1989, Kansteiner joined the State Department's policy planning staff as Africa director. He served in this position until June 1991, when he moved to the National Security Council
United States National Security Council
The White House National Security Council in the United States is the principal forum used by the President of the United States for considering national security and foreign policy matters with his senior national security advisors and Cabinet officials and is part of the Executive Office of the...
as director for African affairs. In April 1992, he was appointed as the National Security Council Deputy Press Secretary.
As a founding Principal of The Scowcroft Group
The Scowcroft Group
The Scowcroft Group, an international advisory company is managed by Brent Scowcroft, former National Security Advisor to U.S. President George H.W...
, Kansteiner has advised corporations on a wide range of mergers, acquisitions and privatizations throughout Africa in the telecommunications, forestry, mining, financial services, health care and aviation industries. Kansteiner advised the buy side on the $1.3 billion privatization of Telkom South Africa, to date the largest privatization in Africa. He also was Executive Vice President of W.H. Kansteiner, Inc. in Chicago, an agricultural commodity trading and manufacturing company specializing in tropical commodities in the developing world.
In June 2001 he was appointed by Colin Powell
Colin Powell
Colin Luther Powell is an American statesman and a retired four-star general in the United States Army. He was the 65th United States Secretary of State, serving under President George W. Bush from 2001 to 2005. He was the first African American to serve in that position. During his military...
as Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs. In 2003, he left the post, citing family reasons. He was appointed in April 2004 as independent non-executive director to the board of Spescom Limited
Spescom Limited
Spescom Limited is an information and communications technology Group listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange [1] . Founded in 1977[2], it provides specialised business communication solutions for a broad client base that includes telecoms providers , broadcasters, contact centers, government...
.
Kansteiner is on the Board of Directors of the Corporate Council on Africa
Corporate Council on Africa
The Corporate Council on Africa is a trade association focusing on strengthening commercial relationships between the United States and the African continent.-Background:...
, African Development Foundation
African Development Foundation
The United States African Development Foundation is an "Independent United States Government Agency" which provides grants of up to $250,000 to community groups and small enterprises that benefit under served and marginalized groups in Sub-Saharan Africa...
, and Sierra Rutile.
Family
Kansteiner is married, has two children Beverly and Chalker, and resides in Middleburg, Virginia. His wife, Frances Kansteiner, is from Alabama. Her father William Houston Blount, ran Vulcan Materials for many years and his brother Winton M. "Red" BlountWinton M. Blount
Winton Malcolm "Red" Blount, Jr. was the United States Postmaster General from 1969-1972. He is also known as the founder and former Chief Executive Officer of the large construction company Blount International....
, Postmaster General
United States Postmaster General
The United States Postmaster General is the Chief Executive Officer of the United States Postal Service. The office, in one form or another, is older than both the United States Constitution and the United States Declaration of Independence...
in Richard Nixon
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...
's cabinet. She is a Board member of the WILD Foundation
WILD Foundation
The WILD Foundation is a 501 non-profit organization founded in the United States in 1974 by South African Ian Player, and based in Boulder, Colorado....
. Red and his brother, Houston, founded Blount Brothers Construction, a large construction and manufacturing firm formerly headquartered in Montgomery. It was later renamed Blount International and moved to Portland, Oregon.
Frances Kansteiner was an Officer, Director and Advisor to the WILD Foundation
WILD Foundation
The WILD Foundation is a 501 non-profit organization founded in the United States in 1974 by South African Ian Player, and based in Boulder, Colorado....
. http://www.wild.org/about/board.html She also on the board of Stratford Hall.
Memberships and Affiliations
- United States Department of DefenseUnited States Department of DefenseThe United States Department of Defense is the U.S...
, Strategic Minerals Task Force - Senior Associate of The Forum for International PolicyThe Forum for International PolicyThe Forum for International Policy is a non-profit, non-partisan "brain trust" of nationally recognized foreign policy experts.900 17th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20006-Board of trustees:*Dwayne Andreas*David L. Boren*John M. Deutch...
- Member of Council on Foreign RelationsCouncil on Foreign RelationsThe Council on Foreign Relations is an American nonprofit nonpartisan membership organization, publisher, and think tank specializing in U.S. foreign policy and international affairs...
- Senior Associate of the Center for Strategic and International StudiesCenter for Strategic and International StudiesThe Center for Strategic and International Studies is a bipartisan Washington, D.C., foreign policy think tank. The center was founded in 1962 by Admiral Arleigh Burke and Ambassador David Manker Abshire, originally as part of Georgetown University...
- Steering Committee and International Advisory Board Member of New Global Economy Project
- Board member of WildlifeDirectWildlifeDirectWildlifeDirect is a Kenya and US registered charitable organization founded and chaired by African conservationist Richard Leakey, who is credited with putting an end to the elephant slaughter in Kenya in the 1980s...
External links
- US Department of State: Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Walter H. Kansteiner to Travel to Angola and Nigeria
- Excerpts at Special Briefing - leaves U.S. State Dept by Walter H. Kansteiner III, Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, United States Department of StateUnited States Department of StateThe United States Department of State , is the United States federal executive department responsible for international relations of the United States, equivalent to the foreign ministries of other countries...
October 28, 2003, Washington, D.C. - http://www.rasmusen.org/x/archives/c/archives/cat_cia.html
- Letter to Bush Regarding Kansteiner Cynthia McKinney, Member of Congress
- Bio - Walter Kansteiner