AFA Bids Farewell to Bernie Skoch as Board Chair

Bernie K. Skoch has completed his tenure as the Air & Space Forces Association’s 51st Chair of the Board, handing the gavel to his successor, Kathleen Ferguson, on October 1.

Under Skoch’s stewardship, AFA membership surged from around 109,000 members to 130,000 and he attracted prominent individuals as National Directors, including Frank Kendall, the 26th Secretary of the Air Force, and Greg Touhill, the first Federal Chief Information Security Officer of the United States.

Skoch placed a special emphasis on bolstering the advocacy elements of AFA’s mission during his term, and has called advocacy the “the heart and soul of AFA.” He spearheaded the AFA Advocates to Inspire Military Service (AFA AIMS) initiative, a partnership between AFA and the U.S. Air Force Recruiting Service, which was launched in response to the Air Force’s 2023 recruiting crisis. Throughout his tenure, Skoch strived to better equip AFA’s field and chapters to advocate on behalf of the Air Force and Space. He also oversaw AFA’s relocation to a new headquarters in Pentagon City, positioning the Association to be a more public and on-hand advocate for the Department of the Air Force through enhanced visibility and modern capabilities.

Skoch established AFA’s first Heritage Committee which, led by Vietnam War veteran and Emeritus board member Mark Tarpley, is focused on executing the third leg of AFA’s mission: “to honor and respect our enduring heritage.”

Skoch was also instrumental in bringing Lt. Gen. Burt Field, USAF (Ret.) on board as AFA’s President & CEO in 2024.

Long before Skoch became AFA’s Chair, he laid the groundwork for new areas of growth and mission success at AFA. He retired from a 29-year communications career in the Air Force in 2003 as a one-star general. In 2010, Skoch launched AFA’s CyberPatriot National Youth Cyber Education Program. As the National Commissioner, he built the youth STEM program from a fledgling 200-team high school cyber defense competition to a comprehensive cyber education program that now encompasses 5,000 teams and 20,000 students annually, including Middle School and High School teams, summer camps, and cyber education for elementary students and senior citizens. Some 80 percent of alumni of the program credit CyberPatriot with inspiring their pursuit of STEM careers. Skoch also oversaw the expansion and enhancement of StellarXplorers, AFA’s space-focused STEM program, which now involves more than 2,000 students annually.

In the last three years, AFA has made huge strides in building and improving upon itself at both of its annual events, the Air, Space & Cyber Conference in National Harbor, Md., and the AFA Warfare Symposium in Aurora, Colo. Under Skoch’s direction in this area, AFA was awarded the Trade Show Executives “Fastest 50” award for exceptional growth in attendance and exhibit sales.

“AFA owes a debt of gratitude to Bernie, for his leadership over a long and distinguished Air Force career and through his many years at AFA, culminating as Chair of the Board,” Field said. “From founding CyberPatriot, to stewarding AFA’s major events, to his volunteer leadership of our Board of Directors, Bernie has been a leader, mentor, advisor, and source of wisdom for countless individuals. Thank you, Bernie, for all you’ve done for the Air & Space Forces Association, for Airmen, Guardians, and their Families, and for tens of thousands of students, whose experience with AFA’s education programs will leave a lifelong positive impression.”