[2] Before joining the Department of Commerce, Lautenbacher formed his own management consultant business, and worked principally for Technology, Strategies & Alliances Inc.

He was also president and CEO of the Consortium for Oceanographic Research and Education, which is a non-profit organization with the goal of increasing basic knowledge and public support across the spectrum of ocean sciences.

[1] During his final tour of duty, he served as Deputy Chief of Naval Operations (Resources, Warfare Requirements and Assessments) in charge of Navy programs and budget.

[4][5] After the unauthorized killing of a gray whale by members of the Makah Indian tribe in September 2007, Lautenbacher met with tribal leaders to discuss the issue.

In a November 2002 interview for the Australian television show Lateline, he said that evidence gathered so far fails to convince the US that extreme weather being felt around the globe is a direct result of climate change.

[11] Lautenbacher spearheaded the first Earth Observation Summit, which hosted ministerial-level representation from several dozen of the world's nations in July 2003.