The 96th Test Wing welcomed eight new people into its Honorary Commander Program during an induction ceremony Sept. 29 at the Air Force Armament Museum.
Each inductee paired up with one of the 96th TW’s group commanders.
The new honorary commanders are:
- Catherine Card, Okaloosa County School District public information officer and specialist in digital media and communications
- Chief Deputy Dusin Cosson, Walton County Sheriff’s Public Safety Operations Division lead
- Brian Liesveld, DEFENSEWERX chief executive officer
- Tim Krueger, Krueger, Fosdyck, Brown, McCall and Associates co-founder and partner
- Elizabeth Spies, Destin Chamber of Commerce vice president
- Kelly Jordan, CareerSource Okaloosa Walton chief operating officer
- Bron Ringstad, Eglin Federal Credit Union senior vice president and chief operation officer
- Iris Santiago, USO Florida area operations manager
“The honor commander program is a shared partnership,” said Col. Chris Keithley, speaking to the new inductees. “We gain insight on what’s happening within the community and our program provides you, our incoming commanders, a better understanding of Eglin's mission.”
The outgoing honorary commanders are:
- Barbara Britt, John Maxwell Team executive director
- Tricia Brunson, Niceville Chamber of Commerce president and CEO
- David Buttler, Faith Assembly Christian Church pastor
- Pete Della Ratta, Holley Navarre Middle School assistant principal
- Amanda Grandy, Real estate agent
- James Lee Hale, Okaloosa County Schools District assistant superintendent
- Rocky Hudson, CHELCO director of engineering and operations
- Todd Jackson, HCA Florida Twin Cities Hospital CEO
- Kelly Jasen, United Way Emerald coast president and CEO
- Marian McBryde, retired
- Amanda Negron, Hsu Educational Foundation CEO
- Patrick Maddox, Okaloosa County director of public safety
- Tanya Rauch, Hotel Effie Sandestin, Autograph Collection director of marketing
- Chad Rewis, Okaloosa County Sherriff’s Office captain
Bernard Johnson, an Air Force Chief of Staff civic leader, remains as the 96th TW commander’s honorary commander, and Pastor David Butler, formerly the 96th Civil Engineer Group’s honorary commander, was inducted as an honorary chaplain.
The new class of honorary commander will serve a two-year term.
(U.S. Air Force photo by Michelle Gigante.)
