Chris Canada

Vice Chair of the Board, Field Operations

Chris “Thrasher” Canada served 28 years on Active duty, during which he flew worldwide Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance collection missions; was a Staff Officer at the Numbered Air Force, Major Command, and Joint Combatant Command levels; and served as Commanding Officer at multiple levels. His other tours of duty ranged from Air Component Coordination Element Director for a counter-narcotics task force to Senior Military Advisor to the Iraqi Ministry of Defense’s Training and Armor Directorates. Canada was authorized Master Navigator Wings and the Air Force Commander’s Badge. He retired from the Air Force in 2013.

Canada lives in Bellevue, Neb., and has worked a variety of Defense jobs: Intelligence Liaison Officer; Engineering Team Lead; Project Office Lead; Red Team Analyst; Program Manager; Information Operations Planner; Test Team Lead for advanced warfare concepts; and NC3 Senior Analyst.  He is also active in the Project Management Institute’s Heartland Nebraska/Iowa Chapter, serving as Vice President for Operations and President. Canada has certifications as a Project Management Professional, Scrum Master, and Master BBQ Judge.

Canada joined the Arnold Air Society in 1980 and became an AFA Life Member in 1985.  He served as Wing Liaison Officer to an AFA Chapter and Chapter Vice President while on Active duty, followed by service as President at the Chapter, State, and Region levels after military retirement. His AFA efforts have been recognized with the Medal of Merit (2014), Exceptional Service Award (2016), and the Chairman’s Citation (2018).

Canada earned his Air Force commission in 1984 through the AFROTC program at the University of Tennessee, where he majored in History and Political Science with a minor in Psychology. He later earned a Masters of Business Administration, with emphasis in Management, from City University of Seattle.