CMSgt (Ret) Dr Emily Shade was raised in Oregon, joined USAF in 1994, and retired in 2018. Married to Jeromy, they have a 14-year-old son, Kambell, in the house and daughter, Kiyana, who is Active Duty USAF and stationed at Fairchild AFB. Dr Shade is currently serving as the civilian Director of A9 for the Barnes Center for Enlisted Education. She's an avid reader, beekeeper, and hiker.

Captain Pierce Risinger is a USAF Maintenance Officer who is transitioning to the Acquisition field. He received his commission in 2021 from the United States Air Force Academy. He has held a variety of maintenance assignments at the squadron and group levels supporting F-16C/D and HH-60G/W maintenance. During previous operational assignments, he led combat sortie generation, aircraft maintenance, as well as logistics and sustainment operations in combatant command AORs. Captain Risinger has deployed in support of Operations INHERENT RESOLVE and SPARTAN SHIELD.

CMSgt (Ret) Dr. Keith Castille currently serves as co-owner of C2H, LLC and independent contractor advising on force development, policy creation and implementation, and a wide range of business solutions. Keith is a retired veteran, having served 28 ½ years to this great nation as a valued member of the United States Air Force. While on active duty, Keith served in the highest enlisted grade as a Chief Master Sergeant. His last position was the Senior Enlisted Leader, Office of the Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force, Talent Management Cell, Pentagon, Washington, District of Columbia.

With more than three decades of work experience in the human resource field, Keith has developed and honed skills in transformational leadership, organizational culture, instructional system design, and workforce education. His mission is to empower each generation of leaders to thrive in a complex and dynamic world.

Lt Col Jennifer A. Lugo (formerly Suarez), USAF Retired, is the 502 Force Support Squadron Community Services Flight Chief, Joint Base San Antonio (JBSA), San Antonio, Texas. Ms. Lugo currently leads a diverse team of nearly 500 NAF and APF employees, overseeing separate morale, welfare, and recreation activities spread across Randolph, Fort Sam Houston, Lackland, Camp Bullis and Canyon Lake locations servicing over 80,000+ military personnel and their families.

After serving nearly four years in the United States Army, Lt Col Lugo entered the Air Force in 1996 with a commission through the Air Force ROTC program at the University of Texas - San Antonio (UTSA). During her time in the Air Force, she served in a variety of operational, command, joint and staff positions. As a civilian professional, she served as the Associate Director of the Center for Student Professional Development at the UTSA College of Business before becoming a civil service employee.

A native of Saginaw, Michigan, Lt Col Lugo retired from the U.S. Air Force in 2015 following a combined 24-year career with the US Army and US Air Force.

We go directly to the AOR to chat with these two great and young Chiefs!

Chief Master Sergeant Patrick A. Hunt serves as the Senior Enlisted Leader for the Center for Character and Leadership Development at Headquarters, United States Air Force Academy, Colorado. In this capacity, he plays a pivotal role in enhancing the understanding and application of effective character and leadership development practices across military, academic, and athletic environments for cadets, faculty, and staff. Chief Hunt motivates cadets to adopt the Air Force and Space Force Core Values as the cornerstone of their lifelong growth as leaders of character, while providing experiences, tools, and collaborative opportunities to promote leadership and character development. Additionally, he serves as an Academy Faculty Instructor in the Department of Management, where he educates future leaders of the Air and Space Forces on the importance of character and leadership, emphasizing the cultivation of habits of thought and action in organizational leadership contexts. Chief Hunt is a steadfast supporter of the United States Air Force Academy's mission: to forge leaders of character, motivated to a lifetime of service, and developed to lead our Air Force and Space Force as we fight and win our Nation's wars.

David Satchell was born and raised in Omaha, Nebraska. After enlisting in the United States Air Force in 1990, he earned his Bachelor's Degree in Sociology and his Masters in Human Resources at Central Michigan University. Satch navigated the ranks to become a Command Chief Master Sergeant and finished his duty at the Pentagon as an advisor and enlisted cabal to the Secretary of the Air Force, Chief of Staff, and Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force, as part of the executive team. After his retirement in 2020, he accepted an offer as an Operations Manager at Amazon and learned some invaluable managerial strategies in the corporate world. In 2022, he started CORE Leadership Consulting, a coaching, leadership training, keynote speaker, and consulting company, to realign with his passion for developing leaders and organizations.

Satch's authentic leadership approach is built on three foundational imperatives: earn trust, build connections, and create a healthy culture.

Chief Master Sergeant (Retired) Billie Baber dedicated 26 years to the United States Air Force, enlisting in 1996 and culminating her career as the Command Chief Master Sergeant of the 960th Cyberspace Wing before her retirement in January 2023.

A committed advocate for veterans, Billie is especially passionate about supporting homeless veterans and advancing initiatives that uphold human dignity and kindness. She continues to channel her leadership skills and experience toward impactful social causes, with a special focus on empowering and serving those who have served our nation.