Flag Officer Advisory Council

About the Council

The Arizona State University Flag Officer Advisory Council, est. 2014, provides advice to President Michael M. Crow, Faculty, Staff and Students on matters of national significance. Council members include retired military generals and admirals from the U.S. Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard. These distinguished leaders have served at the highest levels of government, at home and abroad, to combat terrorism, respond to national disasters, and defend the homeland. They have developed strategy, led diverse organizations, and worked with national and international counterparts to address the nation’s most complex problems. Their vast areas of expertise include decision making, strategic planning, business development, operations, communications, health policy, disaster and crisis management, supply chain, leadership and character development, ROTC and student mentorship, veteran legal advice, and serving as subject matter expert lecturers.

For inquiries about the ASU Flag Officer Advisory Council, please contact:
Kathy Cook, Senior Director of Military and Strategic Initiatives
email kathy.cook@asu.edu  |  phone 480-965-6542

Council Members

C. Donald Alston

Major General, U.S. Air Force, Retired

General Don Alston is the President of Alston Strategic Consulting, LLC, specializing in issues related to nuclear weapons operations, security, and system development. He has extensive experience in congressional relations, national and international media engagement, crisis management, and large-scale institutional change. He retired from active duty after 34 years of service.

Tom Atkin

Rear Admiral (Upper Half), U.S. Coast Guard, Retired

Admiral Atkin is Founder and Managing Principal of The Atkin Group, a firm that provides strategic and operational advice to senior government and corporate executives.  Prior to founding The Atkin Group, he served as the Acting Assistant Secretary of Defense for Homeland Defense and Global Security.

 Donna Barbisch

Major General, U.S. Army, Retired

General Barbisch serves as the founder and CEO of Wicked Solutions, LLC.  In addition, she is the Lead Strategist for the Senior Leader Crisis Decision Making effort at the Institute for Simulation and Training, University of Central Florida, the Senior Policy Advisor for the Center for Disaster Medical Science at University of California, Irvine and Distinguished Fellow at George Mason…

Robert Dail

Lieutenant General, U.S. Army, Retired

General Dail retired in November 2008 after serving 33 years in the United States Army.  At retirement, he was the senior military logistics professional in the Department of Defense.

Vern “Rusty” Findley

Lieutenant General, U.S. Air Force, Retired

General Findley serves as an independent consultant specializing in the defense industry and is President of VMFindley Consulting LLC. He consults with various clients mainly centered in the defense and aerospace arena. He retired from the U.S. Air Force after 35 years of active military service.

Benjamin C. Freakley

Special Advisor to the President for Leadership Initiatives, Arizona State University
Co-founder, Leadership, Diplomacy and National Security Lab

 Benjamin.Freakley@asu.edu
Lieutenant General Benjamin C. Freakley serves as the Professor of practice of Leadership for Arizona State University and as a Special Advisor to ASU President Michael Crow for Leadership Initiatives. Additionally, he serves as the Executive Director of the ASU Decision Theater Network and is a Co-Founder of the ASU Leadership, Diplomacy and National Security Lab.  He retired from the U. S Army…
John Goodman

Lieutenant General, U.S. Marine Corps, Retired

General Goodman serves as Senior Advisor to U.S. Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR), the U.S. Lead Oversight Agency. He advises and assists SIGAR to promote effectiveness and efficiency in the U.S.-funded reconstruction program in Afghanistan. Previously, he was the Director of the DOD Center for Disaster Management and Humanitarian Assistance (COE) responsible for…

Henry Huntley

Brigadier General, U.S. Army, Retired

General Huntley serves as Senior Advisor to the Executive Director of Intergovernmental Affairs at the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs.  He retired as the Director of Human Resources Policy Directorate, Army G1 in the Pentagon.  He served two years as the Deputy Commanding General to US Army Recruiting Command at Fort Knox, KY and prior to that in a variety of operational and…

Brooke Leonard

Major General, U.S. Air Force, Retired

General Leonard, after 31 years of active military service, recently retired from the U.S. Air Force. At his last military assignment, he served as the Deputy Commander and Director of Operations, Combined Joint Task Force - Space Operations, Peterson Space Force Base, Colorado, where he initially led the planning and execution of the command’s standup, and currently leads global operational-…

Joe Lopez

Admiral, U.S. Navy, Retired

Admiral Lopez, after thirty nine years of active military service, retired from the U.S. Navy in January 1999. His last major assignments were: simultaneously (1996-98) the Commander-in-Chief of U.S. Naval Forces Europe/Commander-in-Chief Allied Forces Southern Europe/

Richard “Gregg” Maxon, J.D.

Brigadier General, U.S. Army, Retired

General Maxon served as a Judge on the Arizona Court of Military Appeals and as Judge Pro Tem in the East Valley Veterans Treatment Court (Tempe, Scottsdale, Chandler, Gilbert, Paradise Valley, Carefree/Cave Creek and Fountain Hills). He also served as the Director of the Arizona Department of Veterans Services from March 2007 to July 2008. He is an attorney with over 40 years of public…

Michael McAllister

Vice Admiral, U.S. Coast Guard, Retired

Admiral McAllister recently retired from the U.S. Coast Guard after 36 years of active duty service. His culminating flag assignment was as Commander of the Coast Guard’s Pacific Area where he oversaw all U.S. Coast Guard missions from the U.S. West Coast to the Indo-Pacific region, including both the U.S. Arctic and Antarctic. As a Vice Admiral he previously served as the Deputy Commandant…

Chris Miller

Lieutenant General, U.S. Air Force, Retired

General Chris Miller last served on active duty as the Air Force's deputy chief of staff for strategic plans and programs, leading the Air Force's multi-billion, five-year program formulation and longer-range planning efforts. In his current work at the Air Force Academy's Center for Character & Leadership Development, he is the inaugural Helen and Arthur E. Johnson Chair for the Study of…

John Miller

Vice Admiral, U.S. Navy, Retired

Admiral Miller serves as the President and CEO of The Fozzie Miller Group, LLC and as a Principal Partner of Global Alliance Advisors, LLC, both Washington DC based national security firms positioned at the intersection of government policy, defense acquisition programs, and industrial performance. The firm teams with US and international clients to deliver solutions that blend national…

Marcela Monahan

Brigadier General, U.S. Marine Corps, Retired

General Monahan supports clients in business development and strategic growth efforts, using her significant expertise and experience in military doctrine, force readiness and security requirements integration, as well as capacity building and sustainment programs and international relations.  She delivers strong industry and military experience in strategic and risk assessments, foreign…

Fred Rudesheim

Lieutenant General, U.S. Army, Retired

General Rudesheim has over 36 years of experience in the US Army and working with other US agencies and international partners, the last 11 years principally in the national strategic and international arena. He has extensive experience at the policy level with the nations of the Western Hemisphere, and more recently, the Middle East. Following retirement from the U.S. Army, he served as…

Bob Schmidle

Lieutenant General, U.S. Marine Corps

General Schmidle is the University Advisor on Cyber Capabilities and Conflict Studies at Arizona State University. Dr. Schmidle is also a Professor of Practice in the School of Politics and Global Studies. Additionally, he is a Senior Fellow in the Center on the Future of War at Arizona State University.

Keith Smith

Rear Admiral (Upper Half), U.S. Coast Guard, Retired

Rear Admiral Keith M. Smith is a distinguished United States Coast Guard veteran of 41 years, having retired in August of 2022. A unique leader among his peers, rising from the ranks of the enlisted corp to his last position as Deputy Commander of Atlantic Area. His expertise lies in Homeland Security, Counter Terrorism, Drug Interdiction, and Emergency Management with leadership and…

Sandra Stosz

Vice Admiral, U.S. Coast Guard, Retired

Admiral Stosz is an experienced senior leader who has served and operated in the military, maritime, homeland security, transportation and academic sectors.  Her expertise includes leadership development, strategic vision and planning, change management, training and education, and leading and managing complex organizations.

Craig Timberlake

Major General, U.S. Marine Corps, Retired

General Timberlake serves as the Chief of Student Leadership Development for the International Leadership of Texas (ILTexas); a public charter school located throughout Texas.  He retired from the United States Marine Corps after over 41 years of active-duty service and rose through the enlisted ranks to Staff Sergeant prior to receiving a commission via the Enlisted Commissioning Program…

John Wharton

Major General, U.S. Army, Retired

General Wharton has served the Nation for more than three decades and has extensive experience in leadership, technology, and logistics. He is currently a public and private sector advisor to numerous technology companies, industries, and nations. His focus is on national security and technology acceleration in support of national priorities and homeland security.

For inquiries about the ASU Flag Officer Advisory Council, please contact:
Kathy Cook, Senior Director of Military and Strategic Initiatives
email kathy.cook@asu.edu  |  phone 480-965-6542