News Release

Air Force Association Delegates Elect National Officers

10/06/2006 - ARLINGTON, Va. -- With a theme of “The Force Behind the Force,” the Air Force Association’s annual National Convention and Air & Space Conference and Technology Exhibition, wrapped up Sept. 22-27 at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel, Washington, D.C.

In addition to celebrations marking AFA’s six decades of supporting the Air Force, educating the public about aerospace dominance, and 50 years of the outstanding enlisted airmen awards, 252 registered delegates representing 45 states, the District of Columbia, and the European area met to conduct AFA business and election of officers. The following officers were elected:

Chairman of the Board
Robert E. “Bob” Largent of Harrison, Ark., is the Chairman of the Board. He previously served as the AFA National President. He is a Life Member and has been active in AFA since 1974. He has served as the Carl Vinson Memorial Chapter Vice President and Vice President for Leadership Development; Georgia State President and Vice President for Awards and Leadership Development; Southeast Region President; and as a member of AFA’s Membership Committee, the Long-Range Planning Committee, and the AFA Organizational Review Group. In addition to chapter and state awards, he has received the national Medal of Merit, Exceptional Service Award, and Presidential Citation.

Largent was commissioned through AFROTC in 1968 and served for more than 24 years in various strategic missile operations assignments, including Minuteman Combat Crew, Squadron Operations Officer, Chief of Wing Training, Chief of Wing Plans, Squadron Commander, and Assistant Deputy Commander for Wing and Group Operations. He has also served in a variety of staff assignments, including Special Assistant to the Chief of Staff, USAF; in the Office of the Director, Joint Staff, Joint Chiefs of Staff; Military Assistant to the Commander in Chief Pacific; and Chief, Strategy Division, Headquarters US Pacific Command.

Largent retired in 1992 as a colonel and has received, among other awards, the Legion of Merit, Defense Meritorious Service Medal (two times), and the Air Force Meritorious Service Medal (two times).

He currently is the Director, Air Force Programs for Totalis Consulting Group, a company that provides professional and technical services delivery in the federal sector. Largent is involved in a variety of local civic and community activities, including Rotary and his local Chamber of Commerce, as well as those of AFA.

Largent graduated from the University of Arkansas with a degree in business administration and has a master’s of public administration from the University of Oklahoma. He is also a resident graduate of the Air War College.

He currently resides in Harrison, Ark., with his wife, Becky.

Vice Chairman, Field Operations
Joseph E. Sutter of Knoxville, Tenn.,is the Vice Chairman, Field Operations. National President. He is a Life Member and has been active in AFA since 1987. He has served as a member of the Aerospace Education Foundation Board of Trustees and in AFA at the chapter, state, and national levels. He has served as President of the Gen. Bruce K. Holloway Chapter, as both Chapter and State Vice President for Aerospace Education, and as Tennessee State President. At the national level, he has served as both a member and the Chairman of the AFA Strategic Planning Committee and currently serves as a National Director and Chairman of the afa21 Governance Team. He has received the AFA Presidential Citation, Exceptional Service Award, and Medal of Merit and was named AFA Tennessee Volunteer Member of the Year in 1996 and 2004.

Sutter has been active in the civilian community. He is a past President of the Rotary Club of Knoxville and the East Tennessee Military Affairs Council, past Chair of his parish council, and served on the Board of Directors of the United Way of Knoxville. While maintaining active involvement in those organizations, he also currently serves as member of the Board of Directors of Covenant Health.

He served on active duty for 28 years at various USAF locations: Minot AFB, N.D.; Vandenberg AFB, Calif.; the Pentagon; Offutt AFB, Neb.; Whiteman AFB, Mo.; and the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. His primary military duties were in ICBM operations; he commanded an ICBM squadron, operations group, and missile wing. Other military duties included Staff Officer assignments at the Pentagon, including two years in Air Force Legislative Liaison; Hq. Strategic Air Command, Chief of the Advanced ICBM Requirements Division; and Senior Controller, SAC Command Center. He graduated from the Naval War College, College of Command and Staff, with Highest Distinction, and from the Industrial College of the Armed Forces as a Distinguished Graduate.

His decorations include the Legion of Merit with two Oak Leaf Clusters; Meritorious Service Medal with four OLCs; Air Force Commendation Medal with one OLC; and the Air Force Achievement Medal.

Sutter graduated from the University of Florida with a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering and from the University of Southern California with a master of science degree in systems management. He works as a consultant on national security matters, serving USAF and other clients in the Washington, D.C., area.

He and his wife, Geri (who is currently serving as the Tennessee State Secretary), have three grown children and three grandchildren.

Vice Chairman, Aerospace Education
L. Boyd Anderson is the Vice Chairman of the Board, Aerospace Education. He served previously as the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the AFA’s Aerospace Education Foundation, President of the AEF, an AEF Trustee, an AEF Presidential Advisor and chaired the Public Awareness Committee. Boyd served as the President of the Rocky Mountain Region. He was a member of AFA’s Membership Committee. He is a past President of the Utah State AFA and Chairman of the Utah AEF.

During his tenure as President of the AEF he was instrumental in the review and restructuring of the Aerospace Education Foundation and its programs. These efforts will enhance the Foundation’s future and establish strong financial posture. The partnerships with Civil Air Patrol, ROTC, USA Today Visions’ Program and the United State Air Force have been enhanced and focused on common objectives. During 2002-2003 the AEF established a Planned Giving Program. He has worked closely with the Air Force Association, at all levels, and has assisted the States and Chapters in developing local AEF programs, volunteers and organizations.

During his tenure as Chairman of the Utah Aerospace Education Foundation he developed AEF programs within the Chapters and State AFA and insured that AE Vice Presidents were appointed in each Chapter and the State. He organized Teacher of the Year Programs, had 30 Visions Classrooms, revitalized the Scholarship Program, developed relationships with all Air Force ROTC programs in the State, increased the number of grants available to schools and enhanced the Utah AFA/AEF Focus on Defense and Charity Golf program. The profits of this program now fund many new and exciting programs such as the Utah Aerospace Education Learning Center that is being built at the Hill Aerospace Museum in cooperation with the Aerospace Heritage Foundation of Utah. He was instrumental in leading the UT AEF to obtain a tax-exempt status.

He served in the Department of Defense for 33 years. He retired in January 1995 from the Air Force Reserve as a Brigadier General. He was the Mobilization Assistant to the Commander of the Ogden Air Logistics Center, Hill AFB, UT. He retired in March of 1994 from Civil Service at the Ogden Air Logistics where he served as the Chief of the Manpower and Organization Office (GM-14).

General Anderson was a distinguished graduate of the Air Force ROTC program. He served on active duty in the Air Force Systems Command at LG Hanscom Field, MA and then in the Air Force Reserve the 945th Military Airlift Group, 508th Tactical Fighter Group, 419th Tactical Fighter Wing and the Command Section at OO-ALC. He held positions as Combat Support Commander, Deputy Commander of Resources and Mobilization Assistant to the Commander. He assisted in the transition from the F-105 to the F-16 fighter aircraft, the first F-16s in the Air Force Reserve and was involved in the management and support of the fighter wing. He was member of the OO-ALC Command Section assisting in the management of the center and it’s worldwide responsibility for logistic support of the F-16, F-4, Minuteman and Peacekeeper ICBM and commodities such as landing gear, airborne photography and reconnaissance, training devices and conventional munitions.

As the Chief of Manpower and Organization Mr. Anderson was responsible for determining, justifying and allocating the manpower to support the AFMC organizations and missions at Hill AFB, UT. He was responsible for as many as 21,000 manpower authorizations.

Mr. Anderson is active in several organizations. Life member of the Air Force Association and the Aerospace Education Foundation, Chairman Emeritus of the Utah Committee for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve, Member of the Ogden-Weber Chamber of Commerce, member of the Chamber’s Military Affairs Committee, member of the Spikers – Ogden-Weber Chamber of Commerce (Ambassadors group), Past State President of the Utah Department, Reserve Officers Association, Member Utah Defense Alliance Board of Directors, Advisor to the Salt Lake City Chamber of Commerce’s Military Affairs Committee and a member of the Board of Directors of the Dee Shaw Stewart Museum, Ogden Eccles Dinosaur Park.

Mr. Anderson is a recipient of the Secretary of Defense Medal for Outstanding Public Service, December 2002.

Secretary
Judy K. Church of Lenexa, Kan., is the National Secretary. She is a Life Member and has been active in AFA since 1987. Her involvement with the association began through her late husband, National Treasurer Charles H. Church Jr. She was active at the chapter level and also gained national experience as she traveled with him to national meetings and events throughout the country.

She has served AFA in appointed and elected positions at all levels. She held the position of Chapter Treasurer of the Harry S. Truman Chapter and has served as Missouri State President, Vice President, and Vice President for Communications. She is currently serving as the Midwest Region President. At the national level, she serves as a member of the Constitution Committee and has served as both a member and Chairman of the Credentials Committee.

She has also maintained a full commitment to other volunteer work through service on many civic boards. She is a current member of the NE Johnson County Kansas Republican Women’s Board, past member of the Kansas City Symphony Board, and past member of the University of Missouri Kansas City Women’s Council Board.

She was named the 2003 Midwest Member of the Year and was made a Charles H. Church Jr. Fellow by the state of Missouri. At the national level, she has received the Medal of Merit and Exceptional Service Medal.

Church graduated from Southland Girl’s High School, Invercargill, New Zealand. She attended Otago University in Dunedin, New Zealand, and has a diploma in early childhood education. She has two children.

Treasurer
Steven R. Lundgren of Fairbanks, Alaska, is serving a second one-year term as National Treasurer. He is a 20-year member having begun as a Community Partner. He has served AFA in many leadership positions, including Chapter, State, and Region President. He currently chairs the AFA Finance Committee. Lundgren is the AFA Alaska Leadership Development Director and the Fairbanks Chapter Community Partner Vice President. He has received an Exceptional Service Award and the national Presidential Citation.

Lundgren is a member of the Alaskan Command Civilian Advisory Board, Vice Chairman of the Alaska State Committee for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR), and member of the Greater Fairbanks Chamber of Commerce Military Affairs Committee. He is also active as a leader in other civic organizations, serving as Vice Chairman of the Fairbanks Economic Development Corp. and on the Board of Directors of the Greater Fairbanks Chamber of Commerce. Lundgren has also served as a Director of the Interior Alaska Builders Association and the United Way of the Tanana Valley as well as President of the Fairbanks Sunrisers Rotary Club. He has received numerous awards, including the 2004 ESGR Spirit of Volunteerism Award, and he was recently honored with the 2006 Annual Honorary Iceman Award from Eielson AFB, Alaska.

Lundgren’s entire professional career of more than 25 years has been in the financial services industry. He is currently Senior Vice President and member of the Senior Management Committee for Mt. McKinley Bank, the largest community bank in the Fairbanks area. His primary day-to-day job as a commercial lender requires budget analysis, financial statement analysis, trend analysis, risk analysis, and general oversight of a $75 million-plus securities portfolio and $75 million-plus commercial loan portfolio.

He graduated from Oregon State University with a bachelor’s degree in business administration and has completed graduate studies at Portland State University and the University of Alaska. He attended the American Bankers Association National Commercial Lending School in 1991 and the ABA National Commercial Lending Graduate School in 1992 at the University of Oklahoma.

He and his wife, Susan, have three children.

Pursuant to AFA’s governance structure approved by the delegates effective Oct. 1, Sutter assumes the title of Vice Chairman of the Board, Field Operations and L. Boyd Anderson, Ogden, Utah, assumes a new title, Vice Chairman of the Board, Aerospace Education, for a first term in that position.

Other elections
Elected to the Board of Directors for three-year terms were Dennis R. Davoren, Woodland, Calif.; James Hannam, Burke, Va.; Buster Horlen, San Antonio, Texas; Charles A. Nelson, Sioux Falls, S.D.; Paul W. Schowalter, Hickory, N.C. (at large); and Charles P. Zimkas Jr., Colorado Springs, Colo.

Five new Region Presidents elected were Marvin L. Tooman (Midwest Region); Mike J. Peters (Far West Region); Maxine Donnelly, (Northeast Region); Leonard Vernamonti (South Central Region); and Edward W. Garland (Texoma Region).

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