Speaker

Michelle Johnson, M.A., U.S. Air Force Lieutenant General

Michelle Johnson, retired U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen., started out as a small-town cadet from Spencer, Iowa, and rose through the ranks to become the first woman and 19th superintendent of the U.S. Air Force Academy, a position she held from 2013 to 2017. In this role, which is similar to that of a college president, she served as the military commander of the academy.

Her remarkable 36-year military career began at the academy, where she was a 1981 distinguished graduate with a Bachelor of Science in operations research. As a cadet, Johnson broke barriers as the first woman to serve as cadet wing commander and was twice named a basketball Academic All-American. As the first woman Rhodes Scholar in the U.S. Air Force, Johnson earned a Master of Arts in politics and economics from Oxford University.

During her active-duty career, she completed over 3,600 flying hours as a command pilot, taught political science and instructed powered flights for cadets at the Air Force Academy from 1989 to 1992. Johnson's service reached the highest levels of government when she served as Air Force aide for the White House and carried the nuclear launch codes for both Presidents George H.W. Bush and William J. Clinton.

Her leadership roles spanned policy, communications, logistics, and cyber operations. Johnson commanded flying units in the U.S. and abroad. She was deployed many times to Afghanistan and Iraq. In Belgium, she served as NATO’s deputy chief of staff for operations and intelligence at Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe.

After retiring, Johnson continued to break ground as the first woman to serve as senior vice president and head of referee operations for the National Basketball Association, overseeing officiation for the NBA, WNBA, and G League. Johnson currently serves on nonprofit boards supporting veterans, youth sports, and education.