Here are some updates on association developments or news about AFPAA members. Click or tap on a headline below for more details.
A new, more personalized, and user friendly online membership directory is in store for AFPAA members as the association gets ready to roll out a series of updates to its website.
As briefed at the San Antonio annual meeting, AFPAA has entered into a partnership with Club Express to provide membership management solutions that will enable AFPAA to better serve its members. Club Express specializes in developing the technology and administrative systems that veterans’ and non-profit organizations need to more efficiently manage their operations.
The first of the updates that Club Express has supported AFPAA with was the development of a technologically advanced, password protected membership database that replaces the outmoded system AFPAA has been using to keep track of the association’s almost 500 members.
With that update in place, the next step was the development of a secure financial transaction system, closely integrated with the new database, to safely handle membership applications and renewals, annual meeting registrations, donations, and challenge coin purchases.
While all that work happened behind the scenes, it provided the backbone for the next update, one that will be visible to members. In the near future, a new “Member Services” page will be added to the website where you can log in and interact with AFPAA in a more safe and secure way.
You’ll be able to view an enhanced online membership directory with a simple but powerful search function, make additions and changes to your own member profile, and conduct secure financial transactions. And, as time goes on, new updates will add even more useful features.
When the new system first goes live, Club Express will send a welcome message to each member. The message will contain your new user name and password, with instructions on how to activate your account and a request to review your personal information for accuracy. Be on the lookout for a Blast with more detailed instructions before that happens.
Club Express offers some powerful capabilities, but as with any new system, there will be a learning curve for both users and administrators. For that reason, plans are in place to introduce the new features Club Express offers at a methodical pace rather than all at once. Club Express has an extensive help system that covers all of its many features. If you want to learn more, you can go the Club Express website, or their YouTube channel, which contains instructional videos on virtually any Club Express topic.
Staff Sgt. Zoie Cox, community engagement NCOIC for the 56th Fighter Wing, Luke AFB, Arizona – the Air Force's largest fighter wing – is the 2024 recipient of the Brig. Gen., James W. Hart,
Jr., “Best of the Best” Award.
Cox communicates the mission of 9,500 joint base members to the local, national and international audiences. She is specifically responsible for coordinating base tours, off-base engagements, navigating community inquiries and attending community events.
“Winning the Brigadier General James W. Hart, Jr., ‘Best of the Best’ Award is an incredible honor and quite humbling,” said Cox. “It's a tremendous validation of the hard work and dedication that I have poured into my career. I owe a huge debt of gratitude to the leadership and my fellow airmen at the 56th Fighter Wing; their support and camaraderie have been invaluable.”
Cox is a veteran of several deployments supporting humanitarian, contingency and combat operations in the Air Force Central Command’s area of operations and the Pacific.
“My deployment with AFCENT significantly shaped me as a PA professional. I will carry the lessons I learned alongside my team with me, far into the future.”
Receiving the award has reinforced Cox’s passion for the career field and motivates her to further “raise the bar” in her work.
“Given how critical Public Affairs is to connect the Air Force with the world, my goal now is to ensure the Air Force's story is heard in a way that truly informs and resonates with people,” she said.
Cox is originally from Plain City, Ohio – a small town of a little more than 4,000 residents just minutes from the state capitol of Columbus. She enlisted in the Air Force in 2017. She is a 2018 graduate of the basic photojournalist course.
What advice does she offer to a colleague who aspires to be named AFPAA’s “Best of the Best?”
“My advice would be three-fold: First, embrace every opportunity to learn and grow. Public Affairs is a dynamic field, so stay current on best practices, emerging technologies, and evolving communication strategies. Never stop honing your skills, whether it's through formal training, online courses, or simply seeking out new challenges within your role.
“Second, be proactive and take ownership. Don't just wait for assignments; identify areas where you can make a difference and actively seek out opportunities to contribute. Look for ways to elevate the impact of your work, whether it's through innovative storytelling, strategic community engagement, or effective crisis communication.
“Finally, and perhaps most importantly, be a dedicated and reliable member of your team. Success in Public Affairs is rarely a solo endeavor. Build strong relationships with your colleagues, support their efforts, and be willing to go the extra mile to help them succeed,” Cox said.
In addition to her award of the Brig. Gen. James W. Hart, Jr., “Best of the Best” Award, Cox was also named the Air Force Public Affairs Communication Excellence “Outstanding Communications Airman.”
“Mentorship is essential for developing the next generation of Air Force Public Affairs leaders, and I am committed to paying it forward by mentoring others,” Cox concluded.
Recently, AFPAA board member —
and association newsletter editor — Dick Cole was invited to speak at a PA career field webinar on his experience as an enlisted Airman documenting the final military evacuation flights out of Saigon —
hours before its fall to the North Vietnamese Army on April 30, 1975.
In this gripping account of a mission under fire, marked by chaos and confusion, Dick recounted the many challenges he faced, and, given recent history, imparted PA lessons learned that are just as valuable today as they were then.
Dick served as an enlisted aeromedical specialist and wing historian and a commissioned B-52G electronic warfare officer/instructor before finishing his career as a public affairs officer, with service at SAF/PA and as the Director of Public Affairs for the Defense Threat Reduction Agency. He has also been an adjunct professor for speech and journalism at the University of Maryland and has authored two books on aviation subjects, while contributing photos to 19 others.
Dick’s participation in this SAF/PA hosted webinar is a great example of the value AFPAA brings to the entire PA career field.
Below is the video recording of his presentation. It runs 49 minutes, and is well worth your time.
Senior Airman Rachel L. VanZale is the the winner of the Brigadier General James W. Hart, Jr., Best of the Best Award for 2023.
She was recognized as the outstanding enlisted, officer, or civilian member who best demonstrated professional excellence and contributed significantly to the effectiveness of the Department of the Air Force public affairs mission. In honor of her achievement, AFPAA will present SrAmn VanZale with the Brigadier General James W. Hart, Jr. Best of the Best Award trophy, a $1,000 check, and a lifetime membership in the association.
SrAmn VanZale is assigned to the 1st Combat Camera Squadron at Joint Base Charleston, South Carolina. She was deployed to Kenya, Somalia, and Djibouti during the first four months of 2023.
In nominating SrAmn VanZale for this prestigious award, her squadron commander, Lt Col William Powell, highlighted her many accomplishments:
Ken Raimondi, lead producer and director for the 3d Audiovisual
Squadron at Joint Base San Antonio- Lackland has been named this
year’s winner of the AFPAA Brig, Gen. James W. Hart, Jr., Best of the
Best Award.
As the award winner, Raimondi was honored at the 2023 annual meeting in Tampa, Fla., receiving a
$1,000 cash award, an engraved trophy and an AFPAA life membership.
Additionally, Raimondi’s name was added to the plaque with the
names of all of the award winners on permanent display in the Brig.
Gen. H.J. Dalton, Jr., Conference Room in the Office of the Secretary
of the Air Force (Public Affairs).
Raimondi was selected the most outstanding public affairs person from
the nominated bandsmen, broadcasters, multimedia and public affairs
specialists.
Raimondi is responsible for producing high-quality staff and major
command video productions. He works independently with senior level
officials in determining communications goals, target audiences, and
distribution methods for audiovisual productions. This includes
writing scripts, shooting video, and editing the products. He also
produces live event broadcasts and directs crews of as many as 20
production personnel.
“I am incredibly honored and in all honesty, surprised to have won
this award!” Raimondi said. “I've spent most of my career Public
Affairs adjacent. I worked for AFN, Air Force Recruiting Service and
the 3d Audiovisual Squadron. In each of these capacities, I've created
products for Public Affairs efforts but only in recent years do I feel
like I've had the opportunity to shape how those products are used. In
that capacity, I have felt more empowered and seen more success than I
ever had before. I hope that by earning this award, as a
non-traditional PA, others in the enterprise feel empowered to use
their expertise and knowledge to shape how and where their talents can
be most effective for the Public Affairs mission.”
Raimondi was assigned as the lead producer and director in September
2022. Prior to that, he had been working as a producer/director with
the 3d AVS for five years. He recently earned a Lonestar Emmy
nomination for his work on a docuseries titled,
“Basic.” (You can watch it here.)
He has earned multiple civilian of the year honors and was named a
“Top Ten Outstanding Young American” by the United States Junior
Chamber of Commerce in 2017.
He served in the Air Force, leaving as a master sergeant. His
distinguished military career includes being a two-time Levitow Award
winner — once at Airman Leadership School and once in the
Noncommissioned Officer Academy. He served in Operation Enduring
Freedom in Afghanistan and served two years in the Republic of Korea.
His work while in uniform was recognized with multiple annual awards
to include being named Air Force Recruiting Service’s top enlisted
airman and competing for the 12 Outstanding Airmen of the Year. He’s
also won a number of Air Force and DoD Media Contest awards.
His military awards include the Meritorious Service Medal, Joint
Service Commendation Medal, Army Commendation Medal, and the Air Force
Commendation Medal.
He has a bachelor’s degree in history from Thomas Edison State
University and a master’s degree in fine arts in film from the Vermont
College of the Fine Arts.
Almost a dozen years ago Jennifer Green-Lanchoney saw a job
announcement to fill a student hire position in the Public Affairs
office at Vandenberg Air Force Base. She applied and after being
interviewed she was hired. Little did she know that this step would
shape her new professional life.
Jennifer soon developed an appreciation for the career field and
changed her college major to communications. Then, with the support of
the PA chief and staff at Vandenberg, she was selected for the Air
Force’s Palace Acquire Program.
Palace Acquire is an internship program for recent college graduates
that provides an opportunity to get a foot in the door that could lead
to a career in Air Force Public Affairs. Those in the Palace Acquire
internship program serve 1.5 years at a wing and 1.5 years at major
command Public Affairs offices. After her time at Vandenberg at wing
level Jennifer went to Air Force Space Command Headquarters at
Peterson AFB.
Between the demands of the internship program, her husband’s military
career, opportunities to move to various learning experience
assignments, and her family, Jennifer had a very busy and full life.
From 2014 through 2020, when she settled into her current position at
Ramstein as the GS-11 Chief of the 86th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
Command Media Operations Section, Jennifer held multiple position in
and out of the military. They included: Community Engagement Section
Chief, Hanscom AFB; Research Program Publicity, Apogee Engineering
LLC, United States Air Force Academy: Public Affairs Specialist, USDA
Rural Development, Santa Maria, California, and Community Engagement
Section Chief, Vandenberg AFB.
Has her career decision impacted Jennifer and her family?
“Being married to someone in the military takes a significant toll on
a military spouse’s ability to stay on a stable career path. Because
of both my husband’s career and my wish to keep our family together, I
had to jump around a bit. I am extremely grateful for the experiences
and positions I have held as they shaped my view of the Air Force and
the world,” she observed.
“Military moves take a huge toll on a family. I like to think that
moving and seeing the country and the world has made my five children
more understanding and resilient, but it would be naive of me to think
it hasn’t had an effect on them during their formative years. I am
constantly impressed with how they have handled all the change and
what great humans they have become.”
Jennifer’s assignment to Ramstein was fortuitous, “Once my husband
retired from active duty (he now works for a tenant unit’s Inspector
General at Ramstein) and I saw an opportunity to move my family
overseas and take on a challenging position in Germany I jumped on
it.”
Shortly after Jennifer arrived, Ramstein became one of the world’s
major media centers as the United States withdrawal from Afghanistan
began and rapidly and chaotically grew in intensity. Before they knew
it, Jennifer and her team were handling a massive influx of national
and international media covering what was now known as Operation
Allies Refuge.
“Our biggest challenge was the sheer number of requests, emails, calls
and the media waiting at our gates. The transparency afforded to
Ramstein by USAFE and OSD was amazing,” she recalled.
“We were able to set the tone at the local level and respond
authentically to media members from across the world. The information
we shared shaped the public perception of thousands of people headed
to the U.S., many for the first time. It was incredibly important that
we got it right.”
In a six week span Jennifer led her team in an effort that supported
22 press conferences and 222 reporters from 53 outlets who conducted
151 interviews during 36 media visits. They also answered 156 queries
related to OAR.
“It was a massive undertaking and it could not have been accomplished
without the work done by the amazing leadership and team we have here
at Ramstein, they deserve the credit as well for what we did” she
said.
That effort was the key to Jennifer being selected by SAF/PA for the
Brigadier General James W. Hart, Jr., Best of the Best Award as the
top Air Force Public Affairs military or civilian practitioner for
2021.
Each year AFPAA’s Best of the Best Award recognizes the top officer,
civilian, or enlisted person in Air Force Public Affairs for
professional excellence and significant contributions to the
effectiveness of the Air Force mission. Funding for the award is
provided by Lockheed Martin Corporation. In addition to the trophy,
each recipient receives a $1,000 check and a Life Membership in
AFPAA.