Scott W. Loehr is a third generation Floridian, having been born and raised in Fort Lauderdale.  He earned a B.A. in History from Florida State University and an M.A. in History, with concentrations in Historic Preservation and Museum Studies, from Colorado State University.

Scott joined the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force as its CEO in December of 2017. In nearly forty years in the cultural-resources management profession, Scott has held leadership positions with the Museum of the Cape Fear Historical Complex (Fayetteville, NC), the Augusta (GA) Museum of History, the Newport (RI) Historical Society and the Delaware Historical Society. His areas of focus include strategic and organizational planning; operating, programmatic and capital fundraising; board relations and development; and exhibition and program development.

He is a past grants reviewer and evaluator with the Institute of Museum and Library Services, as well as a Museum Assessment Program assessor.  Scott has served on numerous non-profit boards, particularly state museum associations.  He is a co-editor and author of local history books.

Scott and his wife Deborah reside in Savannah, Georgia. They have two sons and five grandchildren.

Dan DeGood is the son of an Eighth Air Force B-24 pilot who flew thirty missions with the 453^rd Bomb Group / 924^th Bomb Squadron.

He worked on the “Wick Searcy Memorial Clays Schoot” for 6-years and help raise $170,000 for the museum. He also serves the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force as a volunteer tour guide.

He served as the Senior Vice President of Prudential financial in charge of Institutional Business Development. He was a member of the Institutional Business Senior Leadership Team Responsible for monthly review of financial performance for 5 Operating entities.

Mr. DeGood is retired and has served the community as the Landings Association Board of Directors-Finance Committee 3-years; Forest City Gun Club Former Treasurer and Board Member developing their first budget for operating expenses; Board liaison to Capital Asset Committee; United Way of Coastal Georgia-Finance Committee Mediation Center-Active civil and domestic mediator; Former SCORE mentor-small business start-ups-providing advice on developing financial plans and marketing plans.

Mr. Hawie is an avid student of World War II and particularly of the deeds of the Mighty Eighth Air Force during that conflict. He serves as a docent at the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force and has served as a Trustee and a member of the Executive Committee.

Mr. Hawie is a graduate of the Wharton School of Finance and Commerce at the University of Pennsylvania, and graduated Magna Cum Laude from the Boston University School of Law.

Mr. Hawie practiced corporate law with Shearman & Stealing in New York City beginning in 1962, and joined King & Spalding in Atlanta in 1968 where he practiced until his retirement as a senior partner in that firm in 2000.

Since his retirement, he has been active in various nonprofit organizations. His major interest has been in the history of the Mighty Eighth during its bombing of Nazi-occupied Europe.

Ed lives on St. Simons Island, GA.

Harry was born and raised in Memphis, Tennessee where he was active in Scouting and attained Eagle Rank. He graduated from Memphis State University and the University of Tennessee Medical units before training in surgery and neurology at the University of Louisville. He completed a residency in Neurosurgery at Duke University. He has practiced in Memphis since 1971 and has written numerous papers and book chapters for the medical literature. He retired from active practice in December 2021 but continues to perform consulting work.

He was in the US Army Reserve and after nine and one-half years, was discharged as a Staff Sergeant. Later he served with the US Navy Reserve for twenty years retiring with the rank of Captain. During that time, he deployed to the Middle East in 1991 during Operation Desert Storm. In 2003, he was activated to the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland during the Global War on Terrorism.

Since 1977, Harry has been a member of the Memphis Belle Memorial Association and later became a member of the Board of Trustees of MBMA whose mission was preserving and restoring the B-17F “Memphis Belle”. He has served as president and currently is the archivist for the association. After the MBMA asked the national Museum of the US Air Force to assume the continuation of the restoration of the “Memphis Belle“, he has continued to work with their restoration division in the ongoing restoration of the “Belle“. He co=authored the book Memphis Belle – Dispelling the Myths.

Dr. Friedman chairs the annual meetings of the B-17 Co-Op, a group which is made up of owners and crew chiefs of currently flying B-17s.

Richard “Sandy” Alderson is the son of a World War II Eighth Air Force pilot. Mr. Alderson has spent four decades in Major League Baseball, beginning in 1981 as General Consul and soon thereafter Vice President, Baseball Operations with the Oakland Athletics. He was the architect of the A’s team that won three consecutive American League pennants from 1988 – 1990 and won the World Series in 1989.

Mr. Alderson served as Major League Baseball’s Executive Vice President for Baseball Operations from 1998 – 2005, before returning to the front office to lead the San Diego Padres for four years. He became the New York Mets’ twelfth General Manager in 2010. stepping down in 2018. Mr. Alderson’s hiatus from baseball was brief, as he rejoined the Mets organization in November 2020 as its President until the end of 2022.

Mr. Alderson is a decorated Marine Infantry Officer, with a tour of duty in Vietnam. His many awards include the 2015 Baseball America Executive of the year; 2018 Marine Corps Sports Hall of Fame inductee; Lifetime Achievement Award from the Vietnam Veterans Association; and a Doctor of Humane Letters honorary degree from Dartmouth College. Mr. Alderson is a graduate of Dartmouth College and the Harvard School of Law.

He and his wife, Linda, have two children and six grandchildren.

Dr. Jan Davis is a retired aerospace professional with experience as an astronaut, engineer, and senior manager. She is an Alabama resident and is very active in supporting community functions.

Dr. Davis has Bachelor of Science degrees from the Georgia Institute of Technology (1975) and Auburn University (1977) in biomedical engineering and mechanical engineering, respectively. She did her graduate research work in mechanical engineering at the University of Alabama in
Huntsville, earning a master’s degree (1983) and doctoral degree (1985).

Dr. Davis began her National and Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) career at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) in 1979 as an aerospace engineer. After supporting major NASA programs and projects, including the Hubble Space Telescope and the Chandra X-ray Observatory, she became a team lead and lead engineer for the redesign of the Space Shuttle Solid Rocket Booster External Tank attach ring.

In 1987, Dr. Davis was selected to join the Astronaut corps at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. She spent more than 670 hours in space as a mission specialist over the course of her three Space Shuttle flights: STS-47 (1992), STS-60 (1994), and STS-85 (1997). During these flights, she orbited the Earth 445 times. In 1998, she became the Director of the Human Exploration and Development of Space Independent Assurance Office for NASA Headquarters. Dr. Davis returned to MSFC and served as the Director of the Flight Projects Directorate at the Marshall Center until August 2003. Prior to retiring from NASA in 2005, Dr. Davis was the Director of Safety and Mission Assurance at MSFC leading up to the successful Return to Flight of the Space Shuttle in 2005. After her retirement from NASA, she was an executive with NASA
contracts at MSFC with Jacobs for eleven years and with Bastion Technologies.

Her father was an Eighth Air Force B-17 pilot who was shot down in July 1943 and spent twenty-one months as a prisoner of war. Dr. Davis’ first book, Air Born, combines both her and her
father’s stories across two generations and fifty years of service to their country.

She was elected to the Alabama Aviation Hall of Fame and the Alabama Engineering Hall of Fame. In 2002, she was given the Presidential Rank of Meritorious Executive, and she has
received NASA’s Exceptional Service Medal, Space Medal, and Outstanding Leadership Medal. Auburn University named her as a Distinguished Engineer in 2017.

John J. O’Neil III is a past Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force.

John has served the museum in several different positions over the years. His first tenure with the museum began in 2007 when he was asked to serve on the Board of Trustees. John’s affiliation with the Mighty Eighth Air Force began at birth. John’s father was a combat veteran of the Mighty Eighth Army Air Force from 1942 – 1945. His father (John J. O’Neil Jr.) served as B-17 crewman (Tail & Waist Gunner) in the 95th Bomb Group, Lt. Bill Owen Crew. That crew was transferred to the 482nd Bomb Group in late 1943 to experiment with the early “Bomb Through Overcast” radar platforms of the H2S, H2X. John began attending Bomb Group and crew reunions with his father in the early 1980s until his father’s passing in 2006. John has written several articles and has spoken at events over the years on the history of radar’s use in the Eighth Air Force and the first successful bombing mission to Berlin on March 4th, 1944.

John is a retired UPS Executive. He is a 1981 graduate of Fairfield University School of Business. John’s career with UPS began in 1980 and spanned over thirty-eight years. He held both operations management and staff level assignments for UPS in CT, RI, MA, NY, SC, GA, IL, Belgium and Atlanta. GA. Prior to his retirement, John was VP of Corporate Global Workforce Planning and Strategy for UPS headquartered in Atlanta, Ga.

John and his wife Susan reside in Snellville, Ga and are the proud patents of three daughters Meghan, Erin and Colleen and three grandchildren Walt, Clara and Grant Wilson.

Ellie Givan “Buck” Shuler III grew up an Air Force “Brat”, the son of Ellie Givan “Buck” Shuler Jr. (Lt. Gen. USAF, Ret.) and Annette Fontaine Maury and literally has lived all over the world.

Buck is a graduate of The Citadel, the Military College of South Carolina. During his junior year Buck was selected for the United States Air Force Undergraduate Pilot Training (UPT) program and signed a contract to enter the Air Force upon graduation. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering.

He completed the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps program, was commissioned as a second lieutenant in May 1984, entering active-duty in October 1984. He completed undergraduate pilot training at Columbus Air Force Base, Mississippi, receiving his pilot wings in January 1986. Buck was then assigned to the 7th Bombardment Wing, 9th Bombardment Squadron, Carswell Air Force Base, Texas, as a B-52H pilot. He served with the 7th Bomb Wing as copilot, standardization and evaluation copilot, aircraft commander, instructor pilot and standardization and evaluation instructor aircraft commander. During Operation Desert Shield, Buck’s crew was the lead crew conducting conventional weapons testing to develop methods to facilitate friendly allied armor and infantry advances in penetrating Iraqi defenses. Additionally, he deployed during Operation Desert Storm with the 4300th Provisional Bomb Wing, Diego Garcia, British Indian Oceans Territories.

After completing his active-duty service commitment, Buck transferred to the United States Air Force Reserves as a B-52 Instructor Pilot,.. Concurrent with his service with the Air Force Reserves, in October 1992 he was employed by Owen Steel Company in Columbia SC as a Structural Engineer and Purchasing Agent. Two years later, Buck was selected to become a member of the 317th Airlift Squadron, the Reserves first C-17 Globemaster squadron. He served as a C-17 aircraft commander until May 1998. when he transferred to the South Carolina Air National Guard.

Buck completed initial C-130 Hercules qualification training at Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas in 1998. In July 2015 Buck became the Chief of Safety for the 145th Airlift Wing, North Carolina Air National Guard at Charlotte, NC. After nearly 34 years of dedicated commissioned service time, Buck retired in April 2018.

Buck is a highly decorated Air Force Command Pilot with more than 6,600 military flying hours, including 272 combat hours and combat support hours flown during Operation Joint Endeavor/Forge, Operation Joint Endeavor, Operation Inherent Resolve and Operation Enduring Freedom. He has been qualified in the T-37B, T-38A, B-52G & H, C-17A, C-130E, C-130H2, WC-130H, and the C-130H3. In July 2017, Buck was hired by United Parcel Service as a MD-11 First Officer. He owns and operates his own general aviation aircraft, a Van’s RB-8.

Buck resides in Hopkins, South Carolina and is married to the former Sharlene Yvonne House and has three sons; William, Matthew and Joseph, a stepson KJ and two stepdaughters, Hannah and Jordyn.

Park Brady is a seasoned entrepreneur, real estate developer, and former fighter pilot with a career spanning over five decades. Beginning his professional journey as a U.S. Air Force F-4 Phantom pilot, he transitioned into real estate, founding and leading multiple companies in the vacation rental and property management industries. As a pioneer in the sector, he played a crucial role in the formation of ResortQuest International, leading the company from its inception to managing over 21,000 rental units before its acquisition by Wyndham. His leadership extended to major real estate developments, including large-scale commercial projects and residential communities across Florida, Georgia, and Colorado. Throughout his career, Park has navigated high-profile negotiations, including the sale of over 360,000 acres of land to the Mormon Church and securing approvals for one of the largest real estate developments in the U.S.

In addition to his corporate success, Park has been deeply involved in community service, serving on multiple planning boards, chambers of commerce, and historical preservation committees. His work has influenced the vacation rental and resort management industries, particularly through his leadership at The St. Joe Company, where he oversaw major commercial and residential developments. Beyond business, he is an accomplished author, having written From Jungle to the Boardroom, and remains actively engaged in real estate, consulting, and aviation. With a commercial pilot’s license and extensive experience in property development, Park Brady’s legacy is defined by innovation, leadership, and a deep understanding of the evolving real estate landscape.

A native of Rochester, New York, Bill Cathcart retired from WTOC-TV in 2014, after 29-years of service, the last 24 as the station’s Vice-President & General Manager. He received his undergraduate degree from Hope College in Holland, Michigan, followed by his Masters and Ph.D. Degrees from The Ohio State University.

Bill’s Savannah-area community involvement includes past Board Chair of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Forces, where he continues as a Board Member. He is also a long-time member of the Savannah Area Chamber of Commerce Board, where he served as a past-chairman, and is its current Military Affairs Council Chair. He is a Board member of USO Savannah, STARBASE Savannah, and a long-time member of the Rotary Club of Savannah.

Bill is the Honorary Wing Commander of the Georgia Air National Guard’s 165^th Airlift Wing here in Savannah, as well as holding honorary member status with Hunter Army Airfield’s 1^st of the 75^th Rangers; Hunter’s 3^rd of the 160^th Night Stalkers; and the 3^rd Infantry Division’s Combat Aviation Brigade.

In 2013, Bill was selected by the Department of the Army to become the first Civilian Aide to the Secretary of the Army for the Coastal Georgia Region, a position in which he held till 2022.

Bill and his wife Julie live in Savannah, Ga.

Though he was born in Richland, Washington, Jim was raised in Aiken, South Carolina, the state he considers home. He is the son of a World War II Eighth Air Force veteran who served within the 92nd BG, 482nd BG and the 5th Emergency Rescue Squadron.

Jim volunteered for service in the South Carolina Army National Guard, 122nd Combat Engineer Battalion, Company C, from 1969 to 1976 as a Squad Leader Sergeant. During this time, Jim enrolled in the University of South Carolina, graduating from the USC School of Business with a degree in Accounting.

His thirty-four year business career was spent in the railroad industry. Jim held the position of Controller and CFO with the TTX Company/Hamburg Division, North Augusta, South Carolina; Controller and CFO with GOER Manufacturing Company, Charleston, South Carolina; Vice President and CFO with Railcar Management, Inc., Atlanta, Georgia; and he retired from RMI Acquisition Company in 2012 as Senior Vice President and CFO.

Jim’s current and past memberships include the National Association of Accountants, the American Management Association, Sertoma Club and the Atlanta Civil War Roundtable. He is a past president of the USC Gamecock Club, Atlanta Chapter; and the current president of the USC Gamecock Club, Lexington County, South Carolina, Chapter. When not attending college athletic events, Jim pursues a range of hobbies, including coin collections, researching military history, golf and restoring and driving his vintage corvette.

Jim and his wife, Becky, reside on Lake Murray in South Carolina and have four children and nine grandchildren.

J. Ross Greene was born and raised in Knoxville, Tennessee. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Tennessee in 1962. He taught at U.T. while working towards a Masters Degree in Civil/Structural Engineering, where he graduated with honors in 1964. In 1965 he and his wife, Lynne, moved to Georgia where he began his engineering career with Portland Cement Association, teaching advanced structural design concepts to design engineers, as well as completing work for his Professional Engineering License.

His career took a distinct turn when he fell in love with finance and investing. After working as an asset manager at Goodbody/Merrill Lynch and C & S Investment Counselling, he founded an investment consulting firm, Greene Consulting Associates in 1978. In 2018, after forty years, he turned over the reins to his twin sons, David and Dan.

His avid interest in WWII accelerated when in the early 2000’s his cousin, Rosalind, discovered over a thousand wartime letters between her mother and father, 2nd Lt. Ross W. Perrin Jr., a B-17 Bombardier/Navigator. Six of these letters were written, with his mother’s help, by Ross to his “Uncle Bud” for whom he was named. On a mission to Mannheim, Germany on December 11th, 1944, Bud Perrin was killed, 35 days before his daughter, Rosalind, was born.

Using these letters as a roadmap, Ross set off on a six-year odyssey to research and ultimately write a fact-based novel, A Fortress and a Legacy, to “give his cousin the father she never knew”. Research for the book led Ross to the Mighty 8th where he found significant assistance in his quest for specific information. The story combines engaging dialogue and stunning historical accuracy with the pathos of a family torn by war. Further, it captivates readers with its portrayal of the cross-current of personal relationships set against the backdrop of pre-war confusion in the U.S., enlistment, training and execution of B-17 bombing missions over continental Europe late in WWII.

The book has led to speaking engagements with WWII reunion groups, colleges and museums, including th 381st Bomb Group Museum in Ridgwell-UK, the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force and the National WWII Museum. He has written widely in WWOO publications, including “Contrails”, the monthly publication of The Birthplace Chapter of the Eighth Air Force Historical Society.

Ross has served on numerous Christian Board of Trustees including; Worldwide Discipleship Association, Georgia Center for Opportunity and Point University.

Ross and his wife Lynne reside in Peachtree City, Georgia. They have three grown children; David Greene, Dan Greene and Meredith Greene Sorrow. Their families have provided them with eight grandchildren.

Mrs. Harper, a Savannah native, is employed by IQVIA Biotech as an Operational Strategist. She earned her Bachelor’s degree from Furman University and an MBA from the University of South Carolina. In addition to serving as a past co-chair of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force’s Legacy Ball and the MG Wick Searcy Memorial Clay Shoot, Mrs. Harper volunteers for a number of Savannah area not-for-profit organizations. These include the Savannah Tree Foundation, the March of Dimes, Telfair Museums, Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and the Historic Savannah Foundation. She is a member of the Metropolitan Rotary Club and the Downtown Garden Club. Mrs. Harper was named the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s Woman of the Year in 2016.

Joey Henslee is Associate General Counsel and Senior Labor, Employments & Compliance Counsel with the Corporate Legal Department for UPS, Inc. in Atlanta, Georgia. In this capacity, his responsibilities include providing legal and business advice and training to the Company’s Human Resources and Labor Relations managers on labor, employment, security, and compliance issues, as well as managing labor and employment-related litigation and addressing employee complaints throughout UPS’s entire U.S. operations. Mr. Henslee’s other areas of substantive responsibility include coordination class action litigation in the wage & hour, disability discriminations, and other employment discrimination areas.

Mr. Henslee graduate, cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa, from the University of South Carolina with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science/Business Administration. He also earned his Master’s Degree in Business and Human Resources from the Darla Moore Graduate School of Business at the University of South Carolina. He is a graduate of the University of South Carolina School of Law, where he was a law clerk to Dennis R. Nolan, Professor of Labor Law.

Mr. Henslee”s passion for learning, history and historical preservation was cultivated by his Anthropologist/Archaeologist mother, as well as his Air Force veteran/amateur genealogist father.

1. Christian Lewis is a life-long Savannahian and graduate of the Savannah Country Day School and subsequently the University of Georgia’s Grady School of Journalism. Christian has a background in commercial radio and television, previously serving in various positions with Savannah-based Lewis Broadcasting, Inc., while more recently being involved in the operations of the J.C. Lewis Motor Company’s auto group. In addition, he currently serves on the board of the J.C. Lewis Foundation, which has gratefully had the opportunity to partner with the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force at various points along the way since the museum’s early days.

With his father’s service in the U.S. Merchant Marine and having lost both his and his wife’s uncle in the conflict, Christian has a keen interest in, and a desire for the preservation of, the history of WWII in general, and the aviation component in particular. Christian has a deep appreciation for all that the Greatest Generation represents and accomplished, and the cultural environs that ultimately produced that generation.

Christian and his wife Mary reside in Savannah, Georgia, and have two grown daughters.

Lt. Colonel Robert McCallum, USAF (Ret.), is a distinguished aviator whose career spans both military and commercial aviation. A graduate of Michigan State University and holder of an MBA from Gaden State University, he earned his commission in the U.S. Air Force, where he became a decorated pilot and instructor. His service included roles as a T-38 instructor and check pilot at Williams AFB, a dual-qualified flight test support pilot at Edwards AFB, and a C-130H aircraft commander at Chicago O’Hare Air Reserve Base. Throughout his Air Force tenure, he excelled in flight safety, standardization, and evaluation, shaping the next generation of pilots.

Transitioning to commercial aviation, McCallum spent over three decades with Delta Air Lines, commanding aircraft across six continents and serving as a line check pilot and international captain on multiple fleets, including the B-777. His leadership extended beyond the cockpit as he was elected three times as Secretary-Treasurer of Delta’s Air Line Pilots Association, managing a $10 million budget and playing a key role in contract negotiations. Today, he continues his aviation legacy as the Director of Operations for Spring Air, an on-demand charter airline based at KSAV. A lifelong student of history, McCallum’s deep connection to military heritage—shaped by his family’s service and his early years in post-war Germany—fuels his passion for aviation, leadership, and service.

Chloe Melas, granddaughter of an Eighth Air Force Veteran,  is an entertainment reporter for NBC News, covering all things entertainment, including Hollywood, for the network across platforms.

Before joining NBC, Chloe spent seven years as a reporter for CNN. Prior to this she helped launch HollywoodLife, was the host of VH1’s morning TV show, The Gossip Table.

Chloe is a graduate of Auburn University. She grew up in both Dallas, TX, and Atlanta, GA and currently resides in New York with her husband and two children.

Al was born on the campus of Texas A&M in 1948 and lived in Texas, then Oklahoma, in his early years. At an early age he became enthralled with his father’s service in the Mighty 8th flying with the 100th BG. His father’s POW experiences, especially the long ’45 winter march, were riveting.

Subsequently, Al attended high school and college in Mississippi, graduating from Mississippi State University where he began his engineering career with NASA on the Saturn V launch vehicle. A series of engineering/management opportunities followed in the defense and, ultimately, petroleum industries. This included 11 years in Saudi Arabia and culminated in 30+ years with Exxon/Mobil. During this period Al had his first B17 ride with the CAF’s Texas Raider’s.

AL retired from Exxon/Mobil in 2005 and relocated to Pooler, specifically to volunteer at the Mighty Eighth. Al has conducted numerous tours for adults, students, and VIPs, and participates in special programs, and outreach programs.

Over the past 15 years, the museum’s collections have allowed Al to learn more of the service and sacrifices made by the men of the 8th, including his father. Al is a frequent visitor to his dad’s old base in East Anglia and the crash site in the Czech Republic.

Al is an active board member og the 8th Air Force Historical Society – Birthplace Chapter, as well as an active member of the 100th BG Association.

Al and his wife Louise live in Pooler, Georgia.

Rick Perry served as the fourteenth United States Secretary of Energy from March 2017 to December 2019. As Secretary, he was responsible for successfully executing President Donald J. Trump’s energy agenda and the expansive mission of the Department of Energy (DOE), including maintaining the safety and security of the nation’s nuclear arsenal, protecting the electric grid from cyber threats, ensuring access to reliable and affordable energy, overseeing scientific research and development, and promoting the development and export of American technology and energy all over the world. Under his leadership, the nation ushered in a historic energy era, becoming the number one producer of oil and gas in the world, a world leader in the production and generation of renewable energy, and the dominant global force in Supercomputing, Quantum Computing and Artificial Intelligence.

Prior to joining the Trump Administration, Perry served as the 47th Governor of Texas from 2000-2015. As the longest serving governor of the Lone Star State, he championed conservative pro-growth principles that made Texas the world’s 12th largest economy and the economic envy of America. During his time in Austin, Governor Perry also implemented transformative reforms in the areas of security, criminal justice reform, energy, education, healthcare and the economy.

As Chief Executive both as Governor of Texas and Secretary of Energy, Perry understood that the success of government is only as strong as its partnerships with the private sector. He advocated for smart regulatory reforms and strong public-private partnerships, empowering industry rather that creating more bureaucratic barriers. He started the Texas Enterprise Fund which lured hundreds of hundreds of millions of dollars in private sector business and jobs to Texas. At DOE, he appointed the first ever Chief Commercialization Officer who was tasked with bridging the gap between the world-class R&D at the Department’s 17 National Laboratories and commercialization in the private sector.

Rick Perry is a veteran of the United States Air Force, where he flew a C-130 tactical airlift aircraft in Europe and the Middle East. Throughout his career, he has been deeply involved in supporting both the active duty and veteran community, most recently as an advocate for using the power of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to deliver precision health care to warriors suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), and other conditions.

Perry earned distinction early in his life as an Eagle Scout. He was one of the first in his family to go to college, earning a degree in Animal Science from Texas A&M University, where he was a member of the Corps of Cadets and a Yell Leader. He is a lifetime member of both the NRA and American Legion Post #75.

Perry married his childhood sweetheart, Anita, in 1982. They have two children, two beautiful granddaughters, and a grandson who was born on the 4th of July in 2019.

Scott A. Vander Hamm is a Vice President and Corporate Lead Executive for Northrop Grumman’s Midwest regional office based in Bellevue, NE, representing all sectors and
respective business activities.

As Vice President, Government Programs and Corporate Lead Executive, Vander Hamm responds to and represents Northrop Grumman to our customer base, and to our peer industry  partners/competitors, and all other smaller business leaders in the region. The region includes US Strategic Command at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska, as well as Air Force Global Strike Command, Barksdale AFB, LA and other US Strategic Command components across the continental United States.

Vander Hamm retired from the U.S. Air Force on December 1, 2017, after 32 years of service. His final assignment was Assistant Deputy Chief of Staff, Operations for Headquarters Air Force. He was promoted to major general in 2013.
During his Air Force career, Vander Hamm commanded at the squadron, group, wing, joint force component, task force levels and numbered air force levels. As the Commander, Eighth Air Force, he led the “Mighty Eighth” and the air component headquarters in planning and executing strategic deterrence and global strike operations for USSTRATCOM. He has extensive combat experience leading Airmen in
Operations ODYSSEY DAWN (Libya), ENDRURING FREEDOM (Afghanistan), IRAQI FREEDOM (Iraq), and ALLIED FORCE (Serbia). A command pilot with more than 4,600 flying hours, he has operational experience in several aircraft including the B-2 Stealth Bomber, B-1, B-52, and the T-38.

Scott earned degrees from Grand Canyon University in 1985 (B.A.), Northern Michigan University (M.A.), and Marine Corps University (M.S.). He attended Marine Command & Staff College, Quantico, VA in addition to a year as a Secretary of Defense Corporate Fellow with 3M Company, Saint Paul, MN.