Speakers

I was raised in farm country in Scott County in Central
Illinois. For most of the early years, I lived and worked
on a dairy farm.
 

After high school, I attended University of Illinois for
four years, did not graduate, and then enlisted in the Air
Force. After a year, the Air Force sent me to Ohio State
University in an officer commissioning program. Upon
graduation from Ohio State, I was commissioned as a second
lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force and began a short stint as
an Accounting and Finance Officer.
 

After two years, I transferred to a nuclear missile wing
and became a Minuteman Missile launch officer. I remained
in the nuclear business in some manner until I retired from
the Air Force in 1983. Except for a one year isolated tour
as a nuclear weapon custodian in remote Turkey, all of my
assignments were in the United States.
 

In 1971, I began a series of jobs related to the Strategic
Air Command Airborne Command Post (SAC ABNCP). First, I
became a Missile Combat Crew Commander-Airborne (MCCC-A) on
EC-135 aircraft assigned to Ellsworth AFB, SD. I later
became a Chief, Airborne Battle Staff on the West Auxiliary
Command Post (WAUXCP). The WAUXCP was a back-up SAC ABNCP
and I regularly flew scheduled SAC ABNCP Missions.
 

I transferred to Offutt AFB, NE to become a Chief, Airborne
Battle Staff on the SAC ABNCP. After the short tour to
Turkey, I returned to Offutt AFB as the Hq SAC staff
officer responsible for managing and budgeting for all of
SAC's EC-135s. On both the WAUXCP and the SAC ABNCP, I was
fully qualified and certified as a MCCC-A.

While in the Air Force, I graduated from the Air Force
Squadron Officer School, the Air Force Command and Staff
College, the Army Command and Staff College, and received a
University of Missouri MBA.
 

After the Air Force, I went to Creighton Law School and
graduated in 1986. I entered the civilian world and worked
as a criminal defense attorney, a county prosecutor, a
federal tax attorney and a bankruptcy attorney. I fully
retired in 2010.
 

I am married to Linda, the girl next door in Illinois. Linda
and I had two girls. Linda graduated from Bellevue
University with a BA in Business. Linda worked in several
federal civil service positions, many of which involved Top
Secret, “black world,” projects. She retired in 2002.
Both Linda and I are former Rotarians.

Courtney Laverty with the THRU Project. They help bridge the gap between the ages of 18+ with regards to foster youth. They need some mentors and I thought the club might be willing to volunteer some time and experience. 

Courtney Laverty Bio
Courtney brings over twenty years of nonprofit experience to the THRU
Project team where she serves as the organization’s CEO. She has worked for
national organizations such as the United Way and CASA as well as grassroots
organizations specializing in teen counseling, shelter for foster youth and
mentoring. She graduated from the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign
and went on to earn a Master in Public Administration (MPA) from Northern
Illinois University. Courtney’s commitment to the fundraising profession led
her to become a Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) in 2020.
Courtney grew up near Chicago and discovered the joy of giving back at an
early age. Her desire to help others reach their full potential has been a guiding force throughout her career.
She and her husband moved to San Antonio with their three children in 2015. Courtney serves on the
boards of Impact San Antonio and the San Antonio chapter of the Association of Fundraising
Professionals.