Prior to his retirement in April 2014, Capt. Peter Troedsson, USCG (Ret) served as the Coast Guard liaison to the Office of the Secretary of Defense. This assignment culminated a 30-year active duty military career during which he served as a military fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations and as chief of staff of the Eighth Coast Guard District in New Orleans.

A career helicopter pilot, Troedsson commanded Coast Guard Group/Air Station Astoria, Ore., and Air Station Savannah, Ga. He served in a number of operational aviation assignments, including an exchange with 771 Royal Naval Air Squadron in Cornwall, England, and was designated as a helicopter instructor pilot. His staff assignments included work on the staff of the Coast Guard's resource director, where he was responsible for developing and communicating the Coast Guard's capital investment plan.

Troedsson graduated from UCLA with degrees in political science and Scandinavian languages. He holds a Masters in Public Administration from George Washington University and a master's in strategic studies from the Air War College. He currently serves as city manager of Albany, Oregon.