The Association is fortunate to have a group of talented, dedicated individuals serving as your officers and directors. Contact any of the officers via the Contact Us page.
Officers
Stephen W. Austen, President
Stephen “Steve” Austen, Spaatz #161, is your current National President.
As a CAP Cadet, I grew as a person, met outstanding aerospace leaders, traveled and participated in incredible Special Activities. Things I never would never been able to do without CAP. My favorite Cadet picture is at the right from a Special Activity. To me it captured the spirit of my time as a Cadet Colonel. The Cadet Program is a life-changing experience open to all young people. My job now is to reinvest my blessings into that program.
Steve served as TSA National President from 2004 to 2008 and as treasurer, secretary, and vice-president prior to that. Steve joined CAP in 1965. On his way to earning Spaatz #161 (and later, Falcon #103), he was Cadet Commander of his home unit, Chairman of his Wing and Region Cadet Advisory Councils, a member of the National Cadet Advisory Council, and earned his Wing’s Cadet of the Year award. He participated in the Spiritual Life Conference, Advanced Cadet Leadership Symposium, Air Force Academy Survival Course and IACE, plus six summer encampments serving as C/CC and DCC/Cadets. He commanded the East Bank Composite Squadron (Louisiana Wing), which earned a “Squadron of the Year” award and later served as LAWG’s Director of Public Affairs. Most recently, he was named as “Senior Member of the Year” for both North Carolina Wing and the Middle East Region. Steve and his wife Judy reside in Monroe, North Carolina. He is a Human Resources Manager with Walmart Logistics. (Term expires in 2012)
Ted F. Bowlds, Vice President
Ted F. Bowlds, Spaatz #290, is serving his first term as the Association’s Vice President. He is an active-duty lieutenant general in the U.S. Air Force and holds the distinction of being the first Spaatz Award recipient to achieve that rank in any branch of the U.S. military. He presently serves as Commander, Electronic Systems Center, Hanscom Air Force Base, Mass. Numbering more than 12,000, the men and women of Electronic Systems Center manage the acquisition of command and control, intelligence, and reconnaissance systems for the Air Force as well as joint and coalition partners.
In earlier assignments, General Bowlds served as a flight test engineer on the F-117 stealth fighter and avionics program manager for the B-2 stealth bomber. He has also served as bomber branch chief at the Pentagon, Chief of Advance Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM) development in the AMRAAM System Program Office, and Commander of the Rome Laboratory in Rome, N.Y. Prior to assuming his current position, he was assigned as Commander, Air Force Research Laboratory, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio where he was responsible for managing the Air Force’s $2 billion science and technology program as well as additional customer funded research and development of $1.7 billion.
The general entered the Air Force in 1975 through the AFROTC program at Mississippi State University and holds an undergraduate degree in electrical engineering and graduate degrees in electrical engineering and engineering management. He is a graduate of USAF Test Pilot School, Air War College and Syracuse University’s National Security Management Course. (Term expires in 2013)
Sandie D. Aurich, National Secretary
A native of Oregon, Sandie Aurich, Spaatz #894, joined the Civil Air Patrol cadet program in 1979. Building her career in CAP, she has served in numerous cadet leadership positions, including Cadet Commander, Encampment Commander, CAC chair, a multi-squadron drill team Commander, and regional CAC. Active in the search and rescue she has lead ground teams, served as liaison between seniors and cadets, and participated as an air crew spotter. Awards as a cadet included, the .Grass Hopper. award and find for search and rescue; Squadron, Group, and Wing cadet of the year; Frank G. Brewer award; solo wings in powered and gliders; and several Commander Commendations. In 1988, Sandie earned the General Carl A. Spaatz Award. Joining the senior program, she has served in many positions including Deputy Commander for Cadets. She was named Oregon Wing Senior of the Year; Cadet Programs Officer of the Year; and Pacific Region.s Senior of the Year, all in 1997. She has also earned the Charles E. .Chuck. Yeager award. Sandie is currently a senior at Ashford University, where she is working on her Bachelor.s degree in Psychology. After completing her degree, she plans to work on her Master.s degree in Social Work. (Term expires in 2012)
Bruce Krell, Treasurer
Bio forthcoming. (Term expires in 2013)
Board of Directors
The Association’s Board of Directors consists of the four elected officers plus 9 members-at-large and one alternate. The at-large seats on the board are filled via the Association’s annual elections; one-half of these at-large seats are up for election each year. At-large directors serve a two-year term. For more information, see the Association’s by-laws.
Austyn W. Granville, Jr., Board Seat #1
Bio forthcoming. (Term expires in 2013)
Syed Mohammed Karim, Board Seat #2
Bio forthcoming. (Term expires in 2012)
Michael J. Hower, Board Seat #3
Mike Hower, Spaatz #895, is the Chief Learning Officer of Strategic Knowledge Solutions, Inc., a small, disabled-veteran owned company specializing knowledge management, organizational learning, and leadership development. He recently retired from active duty as U.S. Air Force lieutenant colonel after 20+ years of service. His final assignment was as commander of one of the four student squadrons at Squadron Officer School where he was responsible for educating, motivating, and mentoring the current generation of Air Force company grade officers to the ideals of Air Force leadership through academic and experiential learning. He is also the founder of Air Force Forums, bringing social learning and professional networking to Air Force leaders around the world. Lt Col Hower joined CAP in 1985 and has served as both a cadet commander and squadron commander. He has attended 8 encampments, cadet leadership school, Blue Beret, IACE, and directed the Air Force Space Command Familiarization Course: Colorado. He teaches leadership and ethics for National Staff College, along with space operations for Cadet Officer School. A 1991 graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy, Lt Col Hower is a also an Academy liaison officer and active in the local community, focusing on developing aerospace leaders for the Twenty-First Century and educating tomorrow’s youth on how to thrive in today’s changing world. (Term expires in 2013)
Michael A. Provencher, Board Seat #4
Michael Provencher, Spaatz #1416, is an Air Force Captain serving as an ICBM Operations Crew Scheduler in the 91st Missile Wing at Minot AFB, ND. I.ve served as an ICBM Combat Crew Flight Commander and Afghan National Police mentor while deployed in support of Army Operations in Afghanistan. In CAP, Michael serves as the North Dakota Wing Director of Cadet Programs. He has earned the Gill Rob Wilson award and was recognized as Mississippi Wing Senior Member of the Year. Michael completed the International Business program at Mississippi State University with a B.A. in French and B.B.A. in management. His professional military education includes Air & Space Basic Course, Squadron Officer School, and Air Command & Staff College. (Term expires in 2012)
Richard Benet, Board Seat #5
Rich Benet, Spaatz #1031, is in his first term on the Association.s Board of Directors. Rich earned his Spaatz Award as a member of Maryland.s Frederick Composite Squadron. He holds a Bachelor of Science from University of Maryland at College Park and a Masters of Business Administration in Finance from Tulane University. Rich currently hold the position of Program Manager at DRS Environmental Systems in Florence, Kentucky. (Term expires in 2013)
Janon D. Ellis, Board Seat #6
Janon D. “JD” Ellis, Spaatz #661, recently retired after 23 years of service in the U.S. Air Force where he earned the rating of master navigator with over 4000 hours in the C-130, he commanded the 728th Air Mobility Squadron at Incirlik Air Base, Turkey and served as Chief, Requirements Policy Division on the Headquarters USAF Staff. He earned the Spaatz Award as a member of the Florida Wing and continued to serve CAP after he was commissioned in the U.S. Air Force with Texas, Arkansas, and Illinois Wings and served overseas as the commander of the Yokota Cadet Squadron, Japan. JD currently serves as the Director of Cadet Programs for the National Capital Wing and is employed as a USAF government civilian. He resides in Alexandria, Virginia. (Current as of 11 Jan 12. Term expires in 2012)
Robert J. Mattes, Board Seat #7
Bob Mattes, Spaatz #445, coordinates all aspects of the Association’s scholarship activities. Bob is an active-duty colonel in the U.S. Air Force, whose previous assignments include service as Commander, 412th Operations Support Squadron and Deputy Commander, 412th Operations Group at the Air Force Flight Test Center, Edwards Air Force Base, California. He currently reports directly to the Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Advanced Systems and Concepts in the Office of the Secretary of Defense, leading the Comparative Testing Office and working directly with the governments and industries of 27 nations as well as congressional staffs. Bob holds a Command Pilot rating with over 3700 flying hours. (Term expires in 2013)
Lawrence L. Trick, Board Seat #8
Larry Trick, Spaatz #452, served as president of the Association from 1998 to 2000 and was vice president from 1997 to 1998. He currently leads the effort to locate all missing Spaatz Award recipients. A U.S. Navy civil service employee, Larry is program manager for America’s newest X-plane, the X-49A Vectored Thrust Ducted Propeller advanced technology demonstrator, at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland. He holds undergraduate and graduate degrees in aerospace engineering from Penn State University and previously commanded CAP’s Maryland Wing. (Term expires in 2012)
Jeffrey Mueller, Board Seat #9
Jeff Mueller joined Civil Air Patrol in 1991 in Arizona Wing. As a cadet he served in numerous leadership positions including Cadet Commander and Encampment Cadet Commander as part of the Deer Valley Composite Squadron 302. CAP inspired him to join the Air Force, and after graduating with a BS in Aerospace Engineering from Notre Dame he was commissioned a Second Lieutenant. He served his first assignment as a Missileer at Malmstrom AFB, MT. He then returned to his engineering roots doing operation space testing at the Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center (AFOTEC) at Peterson AFB, CO. He currently holds the rank of Major and is a Mission Test Director for Ground Test at the Missile Defense Agency at Schriever AFB, CO. He has remained active in CAP in Indiana Wing, California Wing, Montana Wing and Colorado Wing. He served as Director of Cadet Programs and Encampment Commander in Montana Wing. Upon moving to Colorado he got involved in the encampment program there and completely revitalized the program. He has served as the Chief TAC Officer and the Commandant of Cadets. In July 2008 he took command of the Colorado Springs Cadet Squadron, one of the largest cadet squadrons in the nation. In 2011 the squadron received a Highly Successful in their Subordinate Unit Inspection. Jeff completed the CAP Senior Member Professional Program in 2011, earning the Gil Robb Wilson Award. In 2011, he completed a Global Masters of Business Administration from Thunderbird School of Global Management. (Term expires in 2013)
Committee Chairs/Project Coordinators
Thomas P. Hurley, Bylaws Committee Chair
Thomas P. Hurley, Spaatz #305, chairs the Association’s Bylaws Committee, which is charged with providing guidance to the Board of Directors when requested on procedural or other matters relating to the By Laws and reviewing and proposing changes to the By Laws requested by members and the Board, and reviewing Bylaw complaints of members. The committee also monitors the Association’s election process. The Association’s founding Vice President and a former board member, Tom is president of Thomas Hurley Consulting LLC. He holds certifications as a Project Management Professional and Certified Business Manager and holds securities, mortgage and life/health licenses in the State of Connecticut. Mr. Hurley is also. Tom is a lieutenant colonel in Civil Air Patrol and is a member of the CT Minuteman Composite Squadron in New Haven, CT. Mr. Hurley is married, is a church lector, member of the American Legion and an elected member of his local school board. He holds BS, MS and MBA degrees. (Term at discretion of TSA Board of Directors)
Bob Mattes, Scholarship Committee Chair
Bob Mattes, Spaatz #445, coordinates all aspects of the Association’s scholarship activities. Bob is an active-duty colonel in the U.S. Air Force, whose previous assignments include service as Commander, 412th Operations Support Squadron and Deputy Commander, 412th Operations Group at the Air Force Flight Test Center, Edwards Air Force Base, California. He currently reports directly to the Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Advanced Systems and Concepts in the Office of the Secretary of Defense, leading the Comparative Testing Office and working directly with the governments and industries of 27 nations as well as congressional staffs. Bob holds a Command Pilot rating with over 3700 flying hours. (Term at discretion of TSA Board of Directors)
Larry Trick, Membership Search Coordinator
Larry Trick, Spaatz #452, served as president of the Association from 1998 to 2000 and was vice president from 1997 to 1998. He currently leads the effort to locate all missing Spaatz Award recipients. A U.S. Navy civil service employee, Larry is program manager for America’s newest X-plane, the X-49A Vectored Thrust Ducted Propeller advanced technology demonstrator, at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland. He holds undergraduate and graduate degrees in aerospace engineering from Penn State University and previously commanded CAP’s Maryland Wing. (Term at discretion of TSA Board of Directors)
