Full biographies for AFA Nominees
The Air Force Association Nominating Committee met on April 16 and selected candidates to send forward for five national officer positions and three elective National Director positions on the Board of Directors. The committee comprises three most recent past Chairmen of the Board, one person selected by the two Vice Chairmen of the Board, two persons from each geographic area, and one person each from the Total Air Force, Air Force veterans, and aerospace industry. The slate will be presented to the delegates at the National Convention in Washington, D.C., in September.
Chairman of the Board
Ronald E. Keys,
Woodbridge, Va., nominated for a first one-year term. Keys is a Life Member of AFA, was a constant supporter of AFA during his active duty career, and presently serves as a member of its Force Capabilities Committee, AFA’s policy advisory group. In 2007, AFA presented Keys with its most prestigious award, the H. H. Arnold Award, as the military member who had made the most significant contribution to national defense. Upon retirement, Keys was also recognized by the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps as the first recipient of the ROTC Distinguished Alumni Award. Keys retired in November 2007 as a general, after more than 40 years of active duty service. During his military career, Keys commanded organizations eight times, including three wings, the USAF Weapons School, a numbered air force, and Allied Air Forces Southern Europe. He was the Air Force Deputy Chief of Staff for air, space, and cyber operations and retired as commander of Air Combat Command, the Air Force’s largest major command. Keys earned a bachelor’s degree from Kansas State University and a master’s degree from Golden Gate University. He also attended Air War College, as well as various other professional courses to include Leadership at the Peak, Center for Creative Leadership, in Colorado Springs, Colo. Keys is the owner of RK Solution Enterprises, and now consults on a wide range of defense and energy-related issues, and serves on several advisory and trustee boards.
James R. Lauducci, Alexandria, Va., nominated for a first one-year term. He is serving his second year as Vice Chairman of the Board for Field Operations. Lauducci is a Life Member and has served in many AFA positions. He is past President of the Donald W. Steele Sr. Memorial Chapter in Northern Virginia, and is a former Virginia State President, Vice President of Programs, Vice President of Special Projects, and Vice President of Membership. At the national level, Lauducci served on AFA’s afa21 Governance Task Force, Membership Committee (two years as Chairman), Strategic Planning Committee, Nominating Committee, and as a National Director. Lauducci was Virginia AFA’s Member of the Year and was awarded AFA’s Medal of Merit, Exceptional Service Award, and Presidential Citation. He spent 24 years on active duty, serving in communications and information-related assignments at Strategic Air Command, NORAD, the Joint Staff, NATO, and the Air Force Secretariat. He is a 2007 inductee into the Air Force Communications and Information Hall of Fame. In private industry, he has held posts in program management, government relations, and business development. Lauducci holds a bachelor’s degree from LeMoyne College and a master’s degree from Troy State University. He was also a Senior Executive Fellow at Harvard University’s JFK School of Government. He is currently Director of Air Force Field Marketing for Harris Corp.
S. Sanford Schlitt, Sarasota, Fla., nominated for a first one-year term. Serving his third year as Vice Chairman of the Board for Aerospace Education, he founded and led CyberPatriot, AFA’s national high school cyber defense competition. He chairs the Aerospace Education Council and is a member of the Board’s Executive Committee. Schlitt, a Life Member and Gold Wings Club and Thunderbird Society member, served as a Trustee for the former Aerospace Education Foundation and, after the merger with AFA, was on AFA’s Board of Directors. He was a member of the afa21 Governance Team. He served on the AFA Constitution and Strategic Planning Committees, was Co-chair of the AFA-AEF Audit Committee, Chair of the AEF Audit Committee, and was on the AEF Nominating and Program Committees. Schlitt was commissioned in the Air National Guard, transferred to the Reserve, and served for 34 years, mainly in contracts management and acquisition. He retired as a brigadier general. He holds degrees from The American University and also attended SOS, ACSC, AWC, and the Leadership Institute at Eckerd College. He established or purchased and sold or successfully merged several businesses, also serving as Chairman of one firm and Board Member of a NASDAQ-listed company. Schlitt served on the staffs of Sen. Hubert H. Humphrey and Sen. Walter Mondale. He is Senior Managing Director of a mortgage investment trust with daily involvement in financial portfolio management.
Vice Chairman Field Operations
Justin M. Faiferlick,
Fort Dodge, Iowa, nominated for a first one-year term. He is a Life Member and chartered the Fort Dodge Chapter and has served as Chapter President, VP, Secretary, and Treasurer and as a State VP and President. Faiferlick completes his term as the National Director at Large in September. On the national level, he has also chaired the Membership Committee for two years, served on the Field Council, Transition Review Team, and Nominating Committee. Faiferlick was recognized as State and Region Member of the Year and has received the AFA Medal of Merit and Exceptional Service Award. In Iowa, he received the Governor’s Volunteer Award and was one of the Top 40, under the age of 40, outstanding community leaders. Faiferlick received a bachelor’s degree from Buena Vista University and a master’s degree in management, with a concentration in organizational leadership, from American Military University. He started his military career as an enlisted member in the active duty Air Force. Now an officer in the Iowa Air National Guard, Faiferlick is the Director of Test with the 133rd Test Squadron, with more than 20 years of total service.
Scott P. Van Cleef, Fincastle, Va., nominated for a first one-year term. Van Cleef is a Life Member and currently is an AFA National Director. While he was the Roanoke Chapter president, it was named the AFA medium-size Chapter of the Year for 2005 and winner of an AFA Unit Exceptional Service Award in 2006. He was State President for Virginia, named the Outstanding State Organization of the Year for 2008. He has held several other chapter and state positions and holds office at every level of the association. He served on the afa21 Internal Review Group in 2005 and afa21 Field Structure Team in 2006. He further served on the Field Council and Strategic Planning Committee, which for the past two years, he has chaired. Van Cleef was Virginia’s Member of the Year in 2004 and recipient of the Central East Region President’s Award, AFA’s Medal of Merit, Exceptional Service Award, and Chairman’s Citation. Van Cleef served more than 29 years on active duty as a fighter pilot. He commanded an F-16 squadron, was vice commander of an F-16 training wing, and commander of a fighter wing. He is currently a self-employed maker of fine furniture.
Vice Chairman Aerospace Education
George K. Muellner,
Huntington Beach, Ca., nominated for a first one-year term. He is a Life Member and has served as a National Director, member of the Compensation Committee, and is on the Aerospace Education Committee, leading development of the Aerospace Education Strategic Plan. He received the 1997 AFA Theodore von Karman Award. Muellner retired from Boeing in 2008 as President of Advanced Systems and had been VP-GM of Air Force Systems and President of Phantom Works. He served for 31 years in the Air Force, retiring as a lieutenant general, as Principal Deputy, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition. Key Air Force assignments included Program Executive Officer for the Joint Strike Fighter program and Deputy Chief of Staff for Requirements, Air Combat Command. Muellner flew combat missions in Vietnam and commanded the Joint STARS deployment during Desert Storm. He is past President of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. He holds a bachelor’s degree in engineering from the University of Illinois; master’s degrees in engineering from the University of Southern California and from California State University; and an MBA from Auburn University. Muellner is an aerospace industry consultant.
National Secretary
Joan Sell,
Colorado Springs, Colo., nominated for a second one-year term. Sell is a Life Member and has been a Community Partner since 1995. She served as Lance P. Sijan Chapter President, leading the chapter when it received the national-level Unit of the Year award. Sell served as Colorado State President and the Rocky Mountain Region President. Nationally, Sell was in the Field Council’s first class, chaired the Credentials Committee, and served on the Long-Range Planning Committee. She twice received AFA’s Presidential Citation. She served six years on the Colorado Aerospace Education Foundation’s board (three as Chairwoman); 16 years on the Rocky Mountain Chapter Board of the National Defense Industrial Association (two as President); 10 years on the Peterson Air and Space Museum Board (five as Director of Development); six years on the Armed Services YMCA Board; three years on the Colorado Springs Chamber of Commerce Board; and five as Co-chair of a Colorado food bank’s fund-raiser. Sell had a 40-year career in the aerospace industry, retiring as a Director of Business Development. She has provided program development direction for Air Force Space Command, NORAD, US Northern Command, and Space and Missile Systems Center. She owns and operates a spa in Falcon, Colo.
National Treasurer
Steve Dillenburg,
Knoxville, Tenn., nominated for a first one-year term. Dillenburg, a Life Member, joined AFA 30 years ago. He is the Senior Member on the AFA Finance Committee. He provided financial oversight for AFA’s financial objectives, including the merger of AFA, AEF, and the Air Force Memorial Foundation; the AFA building expansion; growth of AFA’s Air & Space Conference; and development and diversification of AFA’s investment portfolio. He served as President of the Gen. Joseph W. Ralston Chapter and the state of Ohio. He was Ohio AFA Member of the Year in 2004 and received an AFA Medal of Merit. He currently serves as Treasurer of the Jerry Waterman Chapter in Tampa, Fla. After six years of active duty as an instructor pilot at Sheppard AFB, Tex., he has spent 30 years in the investment management industry. As a principal at an investment management firm, he served as a Portfolio Manager and Investment Advisor to more than 100 for-profit and nonprofit organizations. Dillenburg created the first Securities and Exchange Commission-registered, stakeholder-enhanced Standard & Poor’s 500 Index fund. Dillenburg graduated from Iowa State University, has an MBA from Midwestern State University in Texas, and is a Chartered Financial Analyst. He is a Senior Vice President-Portfolio Manager in the Tampa office of Bank of America-US Trust.
Leonard R. Vernamonti, Clinton, Miss., nominated for a first one-year term. An AFA member since 1964 and a Life Member since 1984, he has served as a Chapter, State, and Region President and currently serves on the Board of Directors. He has been active at the national level since 1989, having served on the afa21 Field Structure Team, Field Council, and Constitution, R&D, and Nominating Committees. He is currently Chairman of the Audit Committee. He has received the Exceptional Service Award and two Medals of Merit. Vernamonti’s more than 40-year military and civilian professional careers have focused on management and finance. He was the Comptroller for all USAF ballistic missile programs and President, CEO, and CFO of a nonprofit with an operating budget twice that of AFA. He currently serves as a Senior Consultant to the aerospace industry, specializing in strategic planning, acquisition, and budget and cost analysis. Vernamonti has a bachelor’s degree in economics from the Air Force Academy and a master’s degree in systems engineering from the University of Florida. He is a graduate of the National War College and the Industrial College of the Armed Forces.
National Director Central
Marvin L. Tooman,
West Des Moines, Iowa, nominated for a first one-year term. He has been a member of AFA since 1991 and is a Life Member. As an undergraduate, he was an Arnold Air Society member. Within AFA, he has served as Gen. Charles A. Horner Chapter President, Iowa State President, and Midwest Region President. Nationally, he is a member of the Aerospace Education Council and previously served on the Field Council and Membership Committee. Tooman received the Medal of Merit, Exceptional Service Award, and Midwest Member of the Year 2004 award. Tooman has served as President and CEO of a regional health care corporation providing rehabilitation services for individuals with brain injury. He then became Iowa’s Chief Regulator for all Iowa health care providers. He volunteered as Secretary and then President of the National Association of Health Facility Survey Agencies. Tooman served for five years on active duty as an Electronic Combat Countermeasures Officer on a B-52. He served for 22 years in the 132nd Fighter Wing, Iowa Air National Guard. In this unit, he served as Chief of Base Administration, Chief of Personnel, Wing ECCM Officer, Chief of Intelligence, and Support Group Commander. He graduated from Central Michigan University and Drake University and holds an educational doctorate in administration.
The Nominating Committee submits three names—John Timothy Brock, Angela Dupont, and Nora Ruebrook—for National Director at Large. Two will be elected.
National Director at Large
John Timothy Brock,
Oviedo, Fla., nominated for a first one-year term. He is a Life Member, a member of the Airman’s Society of the Air Force Memorial Foundation, and a Charter Member of the Thunderbird Society. While still on active duty, he acted as Liaison Officer between the Tennessee Ernie Ford Chapter in San Jose, Calif., and Onizuka Air Force Station. After his retirement from the Air Force, he became active with the Central Florida Chapter. He served as the chapter’s Executive Vice President and as Chapter President. Under his leadership, the chapter won the Donald W. Steele Sr. Memorial Award as AFA’s Unit of the Year. On the state level, he served as Secretary, Executive Vice President, and President. During his tenure as State President, Florida was named AFA’s Outstanding State Organization. Brock served as the Florida Region President. Nationally, he was on the Field Council, Strategic Planning Committee, and Dues Review Committee. He received the Medal of Merit, Exceptional Service Award, and two Presidential Citations. He holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Georgia and a master’s degree from the Air Force Institute of Technology. He served for 24 years in the Air Force and 11 years with Boeing. He is retired.
Angela Dupont, Haverhill, Mass., nominated for a first one-year term. She is the Vice President of Business Development, C2 Programs, and the Electronic Systems Center Account Manager for SAIC. She is responsible for all C2 business development on behalf of SAIC and business development at Electronic Systems Center, Hanscom Air Force Base. She is active in organizations that promote the exchange of ideas within the defense industrial community. Her primary focus has been as a leader in the Paul Revere Chapter, serving eight years on the Executive Committee. Dupont entered the aerospace and defense industry when she joined the Titan Corp. in 2002. Before that, she spent six years at the Massachusetts Port Authority, serving as deputy director, international marketing and administration, responsible for developing new direct international routes to Boston’s Logan Airport. Dupont was chosen by Rep. Martin T. Meehan (D-Mass.) to serve as his Director of Finance from 1993 to 1995. She represented the Congressman at public events, acted as primary liaison for contributors, and recruited and trained volunteers. As Director of Marketing and Sales Development for an international marketing company from 1989 to 1993, Dupont created new sales territory and served on the company’s advisory board to develop strategies for corporate growth.
Nora Ruebrook, Honolulu, nominated for a first one-year term. She is a Life Member and serves on the Finance Committee, is the Far West Region Leadership Development VP, and is President of AFA Hawaii. Ruebrook is a member of the Thunderbird Society, Legacy Society, and Gold Wings. She has received the AFA Medal of Merit and the Exceptional Service Award. Ruebrook serves on the National Board of Directors of the Navy League of the United States. She has been involved with the national governance of organizations such as American Society of Military Comptrollers, Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association, Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence, Association of Old Crows-Electronic Warfare and Information Operations, Association of the United States Army, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, International Association for Counterterrorism and Security Professionals, National Classification Management Society, National Contracting Management Association, National Defense Industrial Association, National Defense University Foundation, National Military Intelligence Association, and the US Naval Institute. Ruebrook is the CEO-Director of a company supporting the cyber, ISR, and R&D communities.