Nov 11, 2022
In Honor of Veterans Day: A List of Great Military Keynote Speakers
Veterans Day is a time to remember and give thanks to all the brave men and women who have served in our country’s armed forces. If you’re looking for a way to honor our vets at your next event, why not book a military keynote speaker? Below, we’ve put together a list of some of the best military keynote speakers out there.
Vernice FlyGirl Armour is America’s first African-American female combat pilot and the author of Zero to Breakthrough. FlyGirl was a Diversity Liaison Office at the Pentagon for Headquarters Marine Corps and has received numerous awards as a pioneering pilot. She is a dynamic keynote speaker who helps business leaders and female entrepreneurs take risks and get breakthrough results.
Thomas A. Kolditz is a retired Brigadier General who served on four continents in his 34 years of military service. Tom is the author of In Extremis Leadership: Leading as if Your Life Depended on It, which recounts more than 175 interviews in Iraq during his combat operations. Tom translates his military experience into profound lessons for leaders in any setting.
Carey Lohrenz is a former Navy pilot who was the first female F-14 Tomcat Fighter Pilot in the U.S.Navy. She has flown missions worldwide as a combat-mission-ready United States Navy pilot. Carey relays her experience of flying on aircraft carriers to exhibit how teams can succeed in this high-risk, time-crunched world.
Colonel Nicole Malachowski is a 21-year Air Force veteran and the first female Thunderbird pilot. A former fighter squadron commander and mission-ready pilot in three operational fighter squadrons, she earned her place as an inductee into the Women in Aviation International Pioneer Hall of Fame. Nicole offers organizations lessons on leadership, followership, and overcoming adversity, helping audiences set in motion their unbeatable spirit to succeed far beyond what they think they can accomplish.
MK Palmore is a former midshipman at the United States Naval Academy and a former commissioned officer in the United States Marine Corps. After his time in the military, MK started a 22-year career as a Special Agent of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. He offers leadership consulting in areas of cybersecurity and crisis response and management.
We not only have a great roster of military keynote speakers, we also have several military family members in the BigSpeak family! Among our ranks, Max Peck, is a Marine Corps Sergeant veteran who joined the Marines after high school. He served a 5-year term, with 3 tours in APAC and the Middle East, including anti-terrorism and classified intelligence-gathering operations. Max earned the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal for his exemplary performance during combat operations and was promoted to a leadership role as a noncommissioned officer. After retiring from the Marine Corps, Max volunteered as a Veteran’s Liaison at the University of California and he remains active in veteran activities.
BigSpeak has a long history of Veteran family members. Heather Cabral‘s husband Dave is a veteran. Our President Barrett Cordero comes from a military family where his dad and father-in-law were Army, three uncles were Army and Marines and his Grandfather was Sr. Colonel Air force. Michelle Gustafsson‘s step-father was a lieutenant commander in the Navy. Rick Ehrlich‘s father was a Sargent in the Marine’s, his grandfather was a Sargent in the Army and his other grandfather was in the Navy. Sondra Ulin‘s dad was in the Airforce. And finally, our founder’s grandfather Captain Benyaurd Wygant, who served in three wars, starting with the Spanish-American War of 1898. He served as the commander of several Naval destroyers such as the USS Tucker, the USS Cleveland, the USS Colorado, and the USS West Virginia. Captain Wygant completed five years of service as the Commanding Officer of the United States Naval Reserve Midshipmen’s School at Northwestern University from 1940 to 1945. Wygant was awarded the Navy Cross for his actions during World War I and the Legion of Merit for actions during World War II.
Veterans Day signifies a day to thank those who are serving or have served. We encourage all of you to ask your friends and family if they served, listen to their time in the service, and most importantly, extend your gratitude for their service. In case we missed listing one of your favorite armed forces experts, here is a more detailed list.
These are just a few of the many great military keynote speakers that are available for booking. If you’re looking for someone to inspire and motivate your audience, look no further than one of these distinguished individuals. They are sure to leave a lasting impression on all who hear them speak
To all those who have served or are currently serving, Happy Veterans Day and we appreciate your sacrifices to protect us.