TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. -- On a recent trip to Robins Air Force Base in Georgia, members of the Air Force Sustainment Center Civic Leader Program were recognized for their service and commitment at a special dinner, as they transitioned to emeritus status in the program.
“Our civic leaders are the life of our AFSC communities, and have been valuable members of our team as we navigated the past six years under their guidance,” said Lt. Gen. Stacey T. Hawkins, commander of AFSC.
“Our time together has been an adventure, and we’ve depended on their advocacy to help tell our story.”
Mary Blankenship Pointer has been with the program since 2019. “It is a huge honor to be part of the CLP and be a voice to the community,” she said.
AFSC Emeritus Civic Leader Program members:
- Dr. Bryan Foulk, Air and Space Force Association; DM 50
- Susan Davis, former director, Industrial & Municipal Accounts, Dominion Energy
- Rick Hartle, retired, Boeing Corporation
- Linda Kelley, retired, Layton Hills Mall
- Barbara Riddle, president/CEO, Chamber West
- Mary Blankenship Pointer, owner, Blankenship Pointer Consulting
- Melissa Houston, owner, 929 Strategies Consulting Firm
- Mike Patterson, retired executive director, Oklahoma Department of Transportation
- Patti Ripple, director, Military, Aviation and Aerospace, Greater OKC Chamber
- Steve Slawson, vice president of operations, Slawson Exploration
- Sue Dryden, director of enterprise sustainment, Lockheed Martin
- Gary Garrard, owner, Appraisal Services
- George Greer, Greer Financial Group of Raymond James
- Dan Slagle, 21st Century Partnership, director of operations, Cox Business Florida-Georgia
The members have a special distinction in they have served under three commanders of the Sustainment Center: the late Lt. Gen. Gene Kirkland, who invited the members to become a part of the program in 2019; Lt. Gen. Tom Miller, who is serving today as the deputy chief of staff for Logistics, Engineering and Force Protection at Headquarters Air Force; and then Lt. Gen. Stacey Hawkins, current commander.
Part of the advocacy program is to travel to each of the three bases that comprise the Sustainment Center. The first tour was at Sustainment headquarters at Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma, followed by a visit to Hill Air Force Base in Utah, a special visit to the Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group, known as the “Boneyard”, and finally a visit to Warner Robins Air Force Base in Georgia. At each of the bases, the members learned more about the mission of the center to forge readiness and accelerate innovation in the current strategic environment.
Emeritus members will continue to receive updates from the commander of the Air Force Sustainment Center as they advocate for its mission to the local communities. The incoming class will be announced at a later date.
The Air Force Sustainment Center is one of six centers in the Air Force Materiel Command. It prepares the Air Force’s most sophisticated weapons systems for future competition. AFSC relies on the people and processes to produce to our promise of providing sustainment and logistics readiness; depot level maintenance; supply chain management and operations; and installation support.