Lee E. Tafanelli is the current Adjutant General of Kansas

Adjutant General of Kansas

The Adjutant General of Kansas is the highest ranking military official in the State of Kansas and is subordinate to the Governor of Kansas. The Adjutant General is a member of the Governor's Cabinet and advises the Governor on military and emergency management matters...

. He is a former Republican

Republican Party (United States)

The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...

 member of the Kansas House of Representatives

Kansas House of Representatives

The Kansas House of Representatives is the lower house of the Kansas Legislature, the legislative body of the U.S. State of Kansas. Composed of 125 state representatives from districts with roughly equal populations of at least 19,000, its members are responsible for crafting and voting on...

, representing the 47th district.

Political career

Tafanelli was a Republican

Republican Party (United States)

The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...

 member of the Kansas House of Representatives

Kansas House of Representatives

The Kansas House of Representatives is the lower house of the Kansas Legislature, the legislative body of the U.S. State of Kansas. Composed of 125 state representatives from districts with roughly equal populations of at least 19,000, its members are responsible for crafting and voting on...

, representing the 47th district. He first served from 2001-04. Following a yearlong deployment in 2005 in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, he served from 2006 until his resignation January 10, 2011 when he was appointed Adjutant General of Kansas by Governor

Governor of Kansas

The Governor of the State of Kansas is the head of state for the State of Kansas, United States. Under the Kansas Constitution, the Governor is also the head of government, serving as the chief executive of the Kansas executive branch, of the government of Kansas. The Governor is the...

 Sam Brownback

Sam Brownback

Samuel Dale "Sam" Brownback is the 46th and current Governor of Kansas. A member of the Republican Party, he served as a U.S. Senator from Kansas from 1996 to 2011, and as a U.S. Representative for Kansas's 2nd congressional district from 1995 to 1996...

.

Committee membership

• Transportation and Public Safety Budget (Chair)
• Appropriations
• Vision 2020
• Veterans, Military and Homeland Security
• Joint Committee on Kansas Security

Major Donors

The top 5 donors to Tafanelli's 2008 campaign:

• 1. Tafanelli, Lee $1,750
• 2. Koch Industries $1,000
• 3. Wal-Mart $900
• 4. Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation $750
• 5. Kansas Petroleum Marketers and Convenience Store Assoc $750

Military career

On Jan. 28, 2011, promoted to Major General

Major General

Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...

 in the Kansas National Guard

Kansas National Guard

The Kansas National Guard, is the component of the United States National Guard in the U.S. state of Kansas. It comprises both the Kansas Army National Guard and the Kansas Air National Guard. The Governor of Kansas is Commander-in-Chief of the Kansas National Guard when in state use...

, Tafanelli was sworn in as the Adjutant General of Kansas. The adjutant general is the military commander of the state's national guard.
Previously he served as assistant adjutant general-Army, Kansas Army National Guard.

Tafanelli joined the Kansas Army National Guard in 1980 and receiving his commission as a second lieutenant in the Corps of Engineers through Army ROTC at Pittsburg State University

Pittsburg State University

Pittsburg State University, also called Pitt State or PSU, is a public university with approximately 7,100 students located in Pittsburg, Kansas, United States. A large percentage of the student population consists of residents within the Pittsburg region; the gender proportion is relatively equal...

 in 1982.

While serving as commander of the 891st Engineer Battalion, he led the battalion on its deployment to Iraq for Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2005. Later, he commanded the 69th Troop Command and was director of operations for the Kansas National Guard.

Tafanelli has served at the Department of the Army level, as military assistant to the Assistant Secretary of the Army (Manpower and Reserve Affairs)

Assistant Secretary of the Army (Manpower and Reserve Affairs)

The Assistant Secretary of the Army — abbreviated ASA — is a civilian official in the United States Department of the Army.U.S...

 in support of Operation Noble Eagle

Operation Noble Eagle

Operation Noble Eagle is the name given to military operations related to homelandsecurity and support to federal, state, and local agencies...

 and Operation Enduring Freedom.

External links

• Kansas Legislature - Lee Tafanelli
• Project Vote Smart profile
• Kansas Votes profile
• State Surge - Legislative and voting track record
• Follow the Money campaign contributions:
  • 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008