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 [email protected]  |  phone 480-965-6542

Council Members

Current 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.

Robin Braun

Vice Admiral, U.S. Navy, Retired

Admiral Braun serves as Chair of the Defense Advisory Committee on Women in the Services (DACOWITS), a Federal Advisory Committee chartered to provide recommendations to the Secretary of Defense on matters and policies relating to the recruitment, retention, employment, integration, well-being, and treatment of women in the Armed Forces of the United States. She retired from the U.S. Navy in…

Brian Cavanaugh

Lieutenant General, U.S. Marine Corps, Retired

Lieutenant General Brian Cavanaugh is the CEO of VigilanteX, a high-quality, made-in-the-USA product that sets a new benchmark for the surveillance industry. He has deep experience in global risk management, aviation operations, complex problem-solving and performance optimization. 

Peggy Combs

Major General, U.S. Army, Retired

Major General Combs assumed the Office of the President of the Army and Navy Academy, Carlsbad, CA, on October 17th, 2022. Throughout her 33-year service tenure, MG Combs served in a variety of leadership and staff positions at the tactical, operational, and strategic levels. Tactical assignments included a myriad of diverse staff officer positions at the battalion, brigade, and division…

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 Findley

Lieutenant General, U.S. Air Force, Retired

General Findley is an independent consultant specializing in the defense industry and is the President of VMFindley Consulting LLC.  He consults for Collins Aerospace, BAE Systems and Applied Aeronautical Systems Inc (AASI).  He also serves on the Board of Directors of Black Mountain Investment Company.  He was the co-founder and past Vice…

Benjamin C. Freakley

Lieutenant General, U.S. Army, Retired
Special Advisor to the President for Leadership Initiatives, Arizona State University
Co-founder, Leadership, Diplomacy and National Security Lab

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…

Kevin Iiams

Lieutenant General, U.S. Marine Corps, Retired

Lieutenant General Kevin Iiams leads Kevin Iiams Consulting LLC, providing professional organizational and strategic business advice to Omega Air Refueling Services. He is a native of New Orleans, LA and graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1986. He was commissioned into the U.S. Marine Corps and was assigned to fly the FA-18 Hornet. His early operational tours included participation…

Brook 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. He is the Founder and CEO of Leonard Strategic Consulting, LLC and is a Partner at Elara Nova, The Space Consultancy.

Michael McAllister

Vice Admiral, U.S. Coast Guard, Retired

Vice Admiral Michael McAllister, USCG (ret) is the president and owner of Banner Consulting LLC, providing professional advisory services on a wide range on national and homeland security, federal procurement, logistics, talent management, and both U.S. and international maritime safety and security issues.

C. Miller

Lieutenant General, U.S. Air Force, Retired

General Miller is the Chief Executive Officer of the Academy Research and Development Institute (ARDI), a charitable endowment which supports distinguished academic professorships and cadet research at the U. S. Air Force Academy. 

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,…

muehlenbeck

Major General, U.S. Air Force, Retired

Major General Kerry L. Muehlenbeck retired from service in 2025 as The Adjutant General of Arizona and Director of the Arizona Department of Emergency and Military Affairs. In this capacity, she was responsible for managing the day-to-day activities of Arizona’s Army and Air National Guard, Joint Task Force, and the Division of Emergency Management. She led an 8,300-member department, with a…

Jenn Short

Lieutenant General, U.S. Air Force, Retired

General Jennifer Short is a transformational executive leader with a 30-year track record of shaping strategy, leading enterprise operations, and driving cross-sector impact at the highest levels of national defense and government. Known for aligning diverse stakeholders through shared vision and outcome-driven leadership, she brings deep expertise in aerospace, governance, legislative affairs…

Keith Smith

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

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 mentorship as…

Sandra Stosz

Vice Admiral, U.S. Coast Guard, Retired

Admiral Sandy 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.

 

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, acquisition, and logistics. He is currently a public and private sector advisor to numerous industries, universities, and governments. His focus is on support of national priorities and homeland security. John also serves as Senior Advisor at The Chertoff Group and advises…

Emeritus Members
Donna Barbisch

Major General, U.S. Army, Retired

Donna Barbisch, DHA, MPH, began her Army career in the Army Student Nurse program in 1967.  She is a Vietnam Veteran, having served as a 2nd Lieutenant in the 91st Evacuation Hospital, Chu Lai, Vietnam.  During her Vietnam service (1969-1970), she administered care to military and civilian casualties of war.  The severity of casualties, limited resources, and collateral human…

Randy Castro

Major General, U.S. Army, Retired

General Castro is President of Black & Veatch Special Projects Corporation, the company’s federal business. Prior to this position, he was Corporate Senior Vice President for National Governments, AECOM where he managed all Federal Programs: DOD, Federal Civilian, Practice and Regional leads in AECOM’s Design and Consulting Business unit. He was responsible for all business development in…

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…

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…

Carol Mutter

Lieutenant General, U.S. Marine Corps, Retired

General Mutter served for over 31 years in the U.S. Marine Corps. As the first woman in the Marines to be promoted to both major general and lieutenant general, her military career has made history. After she graduated from the University of Northern Colorado with a degree in mathematics education, she was commissioned a second lieutenant in the Marine Corps. In the early 1990s as a brigadier…

LTG Rudesheim Headshot

Born and raised for 18 years in the Republic of Panama, Lieutenant General (ret.) Rudesheim was commissioned as a distinguished military graduate from the University of Texas, Austin in 1981, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science. He holds Master's degrees in International Relations from Troy University, in Strategic Studies from the US Army War College, and in…

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.

For inquiries about the ASU Flag Officer Advisory Council, please contact:
Kathy Cook, Senior Director of Military and Strategic Initiatives
email [email protected]  |  phone 480-965-6542