Buff Burkel

Buff Burkel holds extensive experience in leadership and community service roles, currently serving as the Alternate Captain and Board Secretary for the St. Louis Blues Warrior Hockey team and as a Board Member for the Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri. Buff contributes as an author for G.R.I.T. and shares inspirational stories as a motivational speaker with One Tuff Bird. As an ambassador for the Air Force Wounded Warrior Program, Buff mentors veterans and families, while also coaching the Southern Illinois Lady Hawks. Past leadership roles include Chief, Air Mobility Command Aviation Energy and Innovation Division in the USAF and Director of Engagements at the Canadian Joint Operations Command. Buff's education includes a Master of Strategic Studies from Air War College and a Master's in Human Resource Management from Chapman University, complemented by a BS in Biology from the University of Michigan and a MA in National Security Affairs from the Naval Postgraduate School.