Sixty-two rising Civil Air Patrol officers will be honing their skills for executive-level success at the 2019 National Staff College today through May 2 at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama — home of CAP National Headquarters as well as U.S. Air Force officer developmental education.
The annual professional development opportunity enhances the leadership abilities of members who are, or will be, assuming positions of wing, regional or national importance within CAP. The NSC training includes seminar discussions, case studies and exercises.
“We’re really excited about this year’s class,” said Col. Lisa Robinson, NSC director. “We have a diverse group of CAP leaders here from as far away as Alaska and Hawaii to learn from the experts.”
The 62 students in this year’s class represent 31 CAP wings, a National Headquarters squadron and three CAP region headquarters. They range in age from 26-77.
The students will focus on executive leadership, management, organizational behavior and policy formulation while examining CAP’s national-level operations firsthand.
“Many of our students are commanders or on wing staff, already contributing to CAP’s leadership,” Robinson said. “Those members are here to refine their leadership skills.”
The seven-day course benefits class participants beyond their CAP roles. The leadership, communication and executive management skills, made available through the course at a fraction of what such classes at various schools and universities would cost, are in high demand by employers in all industries.
Special guest for this year will be Air Force Lt. Col. Jason M. Trew, a former Civil Air Patrol cadet now in command of the 30th Student Squadron, Squadron Officer School, at Maxwell. Trew will speak at the graduation banquet May 1.
Instructors are drawn from the U.S. Air Force’s Air University, from senior CAP leadership and other sources of leadership expertise. This year’s speakers include:
Retired Air Force Maj. Gen. George Harrison, 2019 NSC provost.
Maj. Gen. Mark Smith, CAP national commander and CEO.
Brig. Gen. Ed Phelka, CAP national vice commander.
Col. Mark A. Wootan, CAP-USAF commander.
Retired U.S. Army Col. Jayson Altieri, former chair of CAP’s Board of Governors.
Col. Barry Melton, Southeast Region commander.
John Salvador, CAP’s chief operating officer.
John Desmarais, CAP’s director of operations.
Retired Air Force Col. George C. Vogt, CAP’s chief of safety.
John Swain, director, CAP government relations.
Smith said professional development activities like National Staff College are instrumental in CAP’s continuing success as the Air Force auxiliary and as a premier public service organization.
“National Staff College helps our adult officers polish their leadership skills and add to their experience base,” he said. “By taking advantage of such opportunities, they become better leaders in CAP and in their communities.”
The training is a requirement for earning the Gill Robb Wilson Award, CAP’s highest professional development achievement. Because of the graduate-level design of NSC, as well as its focus on national-level operations, attendance is usually restricted to members who hold the grade of major or above and chief and senior master sergeants who have completed CAP’s Region Staff College or its equivalent and have received their wing commanders’ endorsement.
CAP National Headquarters
National Radar Analysis Team Squadron – Lt. Col. Mark Young
Great Lakes Region
Wing Headquarters – Lt. Col. Daniel Roman
North Central Region
Region Headquarters – Lt. Col. Anna-Marie Bistodeau
Rocky Mountain Region
Region Headquarters – Lt. Cols. Alisha Cope and Maj. Kevin Forbes
Alaska Wing
Wing Headquarters – Lt. Cols. Derk MacPherson and Kevin A. McClure
Alabama Wing
Wing Headquarters – Lt. Col. William D. Reed
Dothan Composite Squadron – Maj. Noah Warren
Redstone Composite Squadron – Lt. Col. Kim A. Miller
Arkansas Wing
83rd Composite Squadron – Maj. Patricia J. Schmidt
Arizona Wing
Scottsdale Senior Squadron – Lt. Col. Fairfax O’Riley
California Wing
South Coast Group 7 – Lt. Col. Shairrie Van Duzer)
Falcon Senior Squadron 40 – Maj. Jose Tirona
Eugene L. Carnahan Cadet Squadron 85 – Lt. Col. Andrew J. Peters
Florida Wing
Wing Headquarters – Maj. Eduardo Linares
Group 2 Headquarters – Maj. Deborah Kolos
Georgia Wing
Augusta Composite Squadron – Lt. Col. Charles M. Robertson
Gwinnett County Composite Squadron – Lt. Col. Robert E. Powers
Peachtree City Falcon Field Composite Squadron – Lt. Col. Joel Seidband
Hawaii Wing
Wing Headquarters – Col. Chantal Lonergan
Iowa Wing
Des Moines Composite Squadron – Lt. Col. David T. Coates
Illinois Wing
Group 3 Headquarters – Lt. Col. Kirk Thirtyacre
Chicago Midway Composite Squadron – Maj. Timothy P. Scott
Massachusetts Wing
Wing Headquarters – Maj. James Mazzola Sr.
Hanscom Composite Squadron — Maj. Phillip A. Haberlen
Maryland Wing
Group 1 – Maj. John W. Strong
Maine Wing
78th Composite Squadron – Lt. Col. Blain Cote
Michigan Wing
Wing Headquarters – Majs. Michael D. Hoekstra and Shawna Hoekstra
South Oakland Cadet Squadron – Maj. Christina L. Watts
Minnesota Wing
Wing Headquarters – Lt. Col. William M. Hienz III and Maj. Blane Pierson
Alexandria Composite Squadron – Lt. Col. Jill J. Holm
St. Croix Composite Squadron – Maj. Megan Schroeder
Missouri Wing
Wing Headquarters – Maj. Michael R. Toedebusch
Nebraska Wing
Omaha Composite Squadron – Lt. Col. James T. Brogan III
Nevada Wing
Tahoe Truckee Composite Squadron – Lt. Col. Kenneth I. Aronson and Maj. Patrick McDonough
Nellis Senior Squadron – Lt. Col. Anthony Gorss
New Jersey Wing
Twin Pine Composite Squadron – Lt. Col. Jennifer Rudolph
Ohio Wing
Youngstown ARS Composite Squadron – Lt. Col. Benjamin Kulper
Columbus Senior Squadron – Maj. Mark Holtzclaw
Oklahoma
Oklahoma City Composite Squadron – Lt. Col. David McCollum
Oregon Wing
Columbia Composite Squadron – Lt. Col. Scott Maguire
McMinnville Composite Squadron – Lt. Col. Timothy Paquin
Pennsylvania Wing
Jimmy Stewart Composite Squadron 714 – Lt. Col. John Sumrada
Warren County Composite Squadron – Lt. Col. Thomas L. Brown
South Carolina Wing
Coastal Charleston Composite Squadron – Majs. Steven Hyland and Sammy Williams
South Dakota Wing
Lookout Mountain Composite Squadron – Maj. William A. Collister
Tennessee Wing
Knoxville Composite Squadron 1 – Maj. Stephen Lewis
Choo Choo Senior Squadron – Lt. Col. Jeffery Murphy
Texas Wing
El Paso Composite Squadron – Maj. Natalie Franc
Nighthawk Composite Squadron – Maj. L. Mark Hammack
Three Rivers Composite Squadron – Lt. Col. Johanna Augustine
Virginia Wing
Winchester Composite Squadron 1 – Lt. Col. Steven Ritter
West Richmond Cadet Squadron – Maj. Todd A. Meyer
Washington Wing
Fort Vancouver Composite Squadron – Maj. James Wiggs
Inter-State Composite Squadron – Lt. Col. Tracy Lee
Wisconsin Wing
Northeast Group – Lt. Col. Robert Koehler
Wyoming Wing
Cheyenne Composite Squadron – Maj. Harlan Ribnik
