Better know a private prison giant: GEO Group's Board of Directors

Better know a private prison giant: GEO Group’s Board of Directors

Who’s overseeing America’s largest for-profit immigration detention operation? More than a few familiar faces

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Edited by JPat Brown

The GEO Group, voted on its Board of Directors at the end of April, reaffirming many of the members who had already sat on the company’s committee of advisors, including former leaders at the Department of Defense, Department of Homeland Security, and Department of Justice.

Here’s a look at who’s leading one of the largest publicly-traded purveyors of for-profit incarceration

George C. Zoley - Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer and Founder

On the Board since: 1984

You may know him from: His rockin’ tunes.

In a previous life: As the founding force behind GEO Group in early eighties breakup from Wackenhut, Mr. Zoley continues to lead the company as CEO, a position he’s held since the company went public in 1994.



Richard H. Glanton

On the Board since: 1998

You may know him from: The Internet.

Other interests: After a career in law and a stint at energy company Exelon, Mr. Glanton joined GEO Group and became the founder of ElectedFace, Inc., a social media platform that claims “To connect voters of the political districts of the United States of America to their elected officials at all levels of government and to become the primary provider of government agency notifications and documents to the citizens of the various states.”



Clarence E. Anthony

On the Board since: 2010

You may know him from: South Bay City Hall.

In a previous life: Before he joined GEO, and before his work with international consulting firms, Mr. Anthony served as Mayor of South Bay, Florida from 1984 through 2008. Since 1994, South Bay has been home to GEO Group’s South Bay Correctional Facility.




Anne Newman Foreman - Former Under Secretary, United States Air Force

On the Board since: 2002

You may know her from: The arbiter of asbestos claims

In a previous life: In her tenure with the Department of the Air Force, Ms. Foreman served, at various points, as its Under Secretary, General Counsel, and the Chief Ethics Officer. She previously served on the Board of GEO’s predecessor, Wackenhut.



Julie M. Wood

On the Board since: 2014

You may know her from: The agency that relies most heavily on private prisons, this photo of her next to a federal employee in blackface.

In a previous life: In addition to time as the Department of Commerce’s Assistant Secretary for Export Enforcement and the Chief of Staff for the Criminal Division at the Department of Justice, Ms. Wood also spent two years as Assistant Secretary at Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the agency tasked with enforcing the nation’s immigration law and of the biggest customers for GEO Group’s services.



Christopher C. Wheeler

On the Board since: 2010

You may know him from: His legal practice.

In a previous life: Mr. Wheeler has spent his legal career looking at real estate, corporate, and administrative law. His corporate bio lauds his experience: “Mr. Wheeler brings extensive real estate, finance and legal knowledge to the board of directors. His credentials in lending and bond financing strengthens the board of directors’ collective knowledge, capabilities and experience.”



Norman A. Carlson - Director Emeritus

On the Board since: 1994

You may know him from: His time at the Bureau of Prisons

In a previous life: Mr. Carlson served as the head of the federal incarceration wing for almost 20 years. He served on the Board of GEO for just as long, 1994 - 2014. In 2015, he was appointed as a director Emeritus, making him available for consultation despite an inability to vote.




For more on private prisons in your state, check out the Private Prison Project, and learn how you can get involved here.


Image via GeoGroup