[1] Douglas A. Brook was born in Chicago and raised in East Detroit, Michigan.

He completed the executive education program at the Darden Graduate School of Business Administration in 1977.

He also served as acting director of the United States Office of Personnel Management in 1992.

He stepped down as dean in 2005, but remained a professor of public policy and director of the Naval Postgraduate School's Center for Defense Management Research.

In 2006 Brook was elected as a Fellow of National Academy of Public Administration (United States).