Juanita Henry, Air & Space Forces Association and Rod Wilson, Northern Sentry
The Air & Space Forces Association has a new Chair of the Board, Kathleen Ferguson. She succeeds Bernie Skoch, who completed his tenure as AFA’s Chair of the Board on Sept. 30.
Ferguson, who was appointed to the seat by AFA delegates in September, has experience as a career civil servant, military spouse, and longtime AFA leader. With more than three decades of service in the Department of the Air Force and a deep connection to military family life, Ferguson brings a powerful blend of professional expertise and personal commitment to her new role.
Advocacy Grounded in Experience
Ferguson says her 34-year Air Force career happened by chance. What started as a 90-day temporary GS-5 civilian position turned into decades of civil engineering work at Air Force Bases, across Air Combat Command, and in the Pentagon. Her career culminated in 2014 as the Acting Assistant Deputy Secretary of the Air Force for Installations, Environment, and Energy.
During that era, Ferguson was well known as a tireless advocate. She testified before Congress countless times, developed policy to strengthen missions, and represented the Air Force on Capitol Hill during difficult moments.
“When I worked in the Pentagon, I worked for a Secretary of the Air Force, and I was the one he always chose to go to Capitol Hill to talk about the tough problems and the things that were not popular, because he knew I would be able to speak rationally, on behalf of the Air Force, and diffuse a difficult situation,” she said.
Her reputation for steady, effective advocacy in government service now informs her leadership at AFA.
Northern Sentry: Looking ahead, what are the challenges for the Air & Space Force Association?
Ferguson: I think you heard a lot of them today (at the AFA Convention)…Membership, advocacy, relevancy, trying to bring the young folks in.
Northern Sentry: With program like Cyberpatriots and StellarXplorers?
Ferguson: I think that’s one way, and we have done a lot of talking about AFA partnering with like-minded groups, like the group of civic leaders in Minot (Task Force 21).
Northern Sentry: Do you think that the parents of young people who are involved in Cyberpatriots and StellaXplorers can be enticed to get involved in AFA?
Ferguson: Certainly, I think we have potential to gain membership from this group.
I have a 35 year career in the Air Force and have travelled to bases all over the world and Minot is one of those bases that has a very open and welcoming community, and I think that continues today.
We need to continue to link AFA up with other community partners (like Task Force 21 and the Military Affairs Committee) like the Chambers of Commerce.
The world has changed its perspective and there is increasing concern over readiness, retention and general resilience, and 80% of the military folks living downtown (on some bases), military members are fully integrated into the community. What can the communities do, whether it’s AFA, the local chamber or even the Mayor of the community…what can we all do to welcome and integrate members of the military into our communities quickly.
Northern Sentry: What type of time commitment does it take to be the Board Chair of the AFA?
Ferguson: I don’t know, but I am certainly about to find out. What I do know is that I am committed to the position. It’s going to take what it’s going to take, and I am committed to doing that and I believe in the mission.
Ferguson’s Vision for the Association
With her deep roots in both military life and federal service, Ferguson is poised to guide AFA through a pivotal chapter—strengthening its advocacy, supporting its families, amplifying its voice, and building a vibrant future.
In outlining her vision, Ferguson named four objectives that will guide her leadership:
- Increase membership and ensure AFA’s voice is heard.
- Continue supporting Airmen, Guardians, Families, and civilians.
- Diversify revenue to sustain long-term viability.
- Promote AFA more broadly to expand its visibility and influence.
These priorities reflect both the challenges and opportunities ahead.
“I want to help lead this organization over the next three years to bring my experience to help improve the viability of AFA for the long term. [I will] continue to support our Airmen, our Families, our Guardians, and the civilians who work side by side with our military members each and every day,” Ferguson said.
