General Mark Kelly, USAF (Ret.)

Principal

Former Commander of Air Combat Command, U.S. Air Force

General Mark D. Kelly completed his 38-year USAF career as the Commander, Air Combat Command, Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia,  a global organization operating and sustaining conventional fighter, C2, Rescue, ISR, Cyber, and EW forces operating from 11 Air Force Bases and more than 300 operating locations around the world where he trained, equipped and provided combat-ready air, space, cyber and intelligence forces for worldwide rapid deployment and operations.  Prior to leading Air Combat Command, Mark served as the Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations, Headquarters, United States Air Force at the Pentagon. He has also commanded two Numbered Air Forces (12AF and 9AF), an Air Expeditionary Wing in Afghanistan, two Fighter Wings and a Fighter Squadron. Besides six combat deployments, he has served in multiple locations in Europe and the Pacific, including an exchange tour with the Royal Australian Air Force.

Mark entered the Air Force in 1986, receiving his commission from the Air Force ROTC program at Southwest Texas State University. He is a graduate of the US Air Force Fighter Weapons School, the National War College, and the Harvard Kennedy School of Executive Education. He earned his pilot wings at Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training at Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas and is a command pilot with more than 6,000 flying hours, including over 800 combat hours in fighter aircraft.

Mark resides in Raleigh, NC and currently serves as an independent defense and leadership consultant. His current efforts focus on education, innovation, emerging technology, and building high performing organizations. He is on the Strategic Advisory Board of several defense companies, technology startups and emerging technology investment funds.