Board Of Directors

John O’Shea recently retired from federal civil service as Chief Congressional Actions and Chief Air Operations for the Secretary of the Air Force. In these positions he led a team which synchronized and integrated the efforts of the Air Force staff in preparing the leadership for testimony to the Congressional oversight committees and continuous engagement with the Legislative Branch. He also led an office which managed the global travel of Members of Congress and their staffs ensuring that applicable laws and policies were followed. 

Colonel O’Shea previously served as Chief, Strategic Communications and Director of Education for NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center at Edwards AFB, California.  As Strategic Communications Chief, O’Shea’s office managed public affairs, legislative liaison, technology transfer, history, exhibits and outreach.  As Director of Education, he was responsible for Armstrong’s national and international education activities from kindergarten through the post-doctoral level.

Prior to assuming his position at NASA Armstrong in 2008, O’Shea served briefly as a senior advisor to the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM).  From 2004to 2007, he served as director of OPM’s Eastern Management Development Center in Shepherdstown, West Virginia where he led a center responsible for training 4,000 federal workers annually in manager and leader development.

Colonel O’Shea has more than fifteen years’ experience working on Capitol Hill in both public and private sectors.  He served for five years as Director of Defense Information and Director of Public Affairs for the Reserve Officers Association, an 80,000 member organization that advocates on behalf of the uniformed services.  He was also editor of the Association’s monthly journal of strategic thought, the National Security Report.

O’Shea is a veteran of thirty–one years military service on reserve and active duty.  He enlisted as a private and earned his commission through the Infantry Officer Candidate School where he was inducted into its Hall of Fame in 1999.  His assignments included company-level commands and staff positions at battalion, brigade, division and Department of the Army levels.  He retired with the rank of colonel.

While a lieutenant colonel, O’Shea was assigned as liaison for the Secretary of the Army to the U.S. Congress where he represented sensitive and mission-critical programs.  After promotion to colonel, he served on faculty of the U.S. Army War College and directed the Army’s outreach to business and academia, joining academic and corporate executives with the senior Army leadership to exchange best practices.

A graduate of National Defense University, the Army War College and the Command and General Staff College, he holds a bachelor’s degree in biology/chemistry, a master of science in marine biology and a master of business administration.  O’Shea has expert knowledge of organizational learning, transformation and growth.  He is a member of Sigma Xi, the national research honor society and Phi Sigma, the biology honor society.

Colonel O’Shea’s military decorations include two awards of the Legion of Merit, three awards of the Meritorious Service Medal, a Presidential Unit Citation and campaign ribbons for service in the Republic of Korea.  He was knighted into the Sovereign Military Order of the Temple of Jerusalem during 2001 and was selected a member of the Order of Saint Maurice for his contributions to the Infantry.  His accomplishments in the field of public affairs are recognized by his membership in the National Press Club.