Eric K. Fanning is an American civil servant who has been acting U.S. Secretary of the Air Force since June 21, 2013. Born in Michigan, Fanning grew up in the Dayton, Ohio, area. He graduated from Centerville High School in Ohio in 1986 and received his B.A. in history from Dartmouth College in 1990. His interest in government and politics began when he participated in the 1988 New Hampshire primary contest. He also worked at Business Executives for National Security, a Washington, D.C.-based think-tank and at Robinson, Lerer & Montgomery, a strategic communications firm in New York City.