- Several Air Force leaders have earned Wash100 recognition for advancing modernization, acquisition reform, artificial intelligence and warfighter readiness
- The Wash100 Award recognizes government and GovCon leaders advancing federal missions
- Join Air Force leaders at the 2026 Air and Space Summit on July 30
U.S. Air Force leaders have consistently appeared on the annual Wash100 list for their role in steering the service toward technological transformation to meet emerging threats and outpace adversaries in the air domain.
Each of the winners below has been integral in building a force ready to face challenges today and dominate the battlefield of tomorrow.
Air Force leaders will deliver keynote speeches and participate in panel discussions on service initiatives to adopt cutting-edge technologies and strengthen warfighter readiness at the 2026 Air and Space Summit on July 30. Potomac Officers Club has already confirmed that Gen. John Lamontagne, vice chief of staff of the Air Force, will deliver a keynote at the event. Book your spot today!
What Is the Wash100 Award?
The Wash100 Award is conferred annually by Executive Mosaic to the 100 most influential people in government and government contracting industry.
Winners are selected for their measurable contributions to advancing government and defense missions. The award also recognizes individuals who are positioned to drive innovation, accelerate modernization and influence the direction of the federal government and the GovCon sector for the years to come.
Who Are the Air Force Visionaries Who Have Won the Wash100?
Troy Meink
2026
Meink, the 27th secretary of the Air Force, won the 2026 Wash100 Award for his leadership in accelerating the acquisition and deployment of advanced warfighting capabilities. He led the Department of the Air Force’s structural shift from program executive officers to portfolio acquisition executives in line with broader Department of War acquisition reforms.
Meink explained that the shift is meant to streamline oversight and speed up decision-making.
In August 2055, the official oversaw the first flight of the Air Force’s prototype of the Collaborative Combat Aircraft, or CCA, a semi-autonomous drone meant to fly alongside a manned service aircraft.
He said the milestone demonstrates how clearing barriers and aligning with warfighter needs would lead to the fast delivery of combat capability. He noted that CCA went from concept to flight in record time.
Meink plays a key role in the development of the Golden Dome missile defense system. He aided in crafting the program’s strategy for integrating the sensors, technologies and defensive systems to meet deadlines, he shared at a December 2025 event covered by Missile Defense Advocacy.
Before his confirmation as the Air Force’s top civilian leader in May 2025, he held the role of principal deputy director of the National Reconnaissance Office. Earlier in his career, he served as a KC-135 tanker navigator and instructor and a lead test engineer for the design and evaluation of ballistic missile test vehicles for the Missile Defense Agency.
Matthew Lohmeier
2026
Lohmeier stepped into his role as the 29th under secretary of the Air Force in July 2025, following Senate confirmation. The former fighter pilot works with Meink to oversee $200 billion in assets and supports efforts to organize, train and equip the Air Force and the Space Force.
A first-time Wash100 recipient, Lohmeier won the prestigious award in 2026 for advancing the service’s modernization and warfighter readiness.
As the Air Force’s second-highest ranking civilian official, he has prioritized restoring the warrior ethos and improving service culture. He is also advocating for nuclear modernization, recognizing the role of the Air Force in sustaining two legs of the nuclear triad.
He is also pushing for the modernization of conventional capabilities, such as the Next-Generation Air Dominance program, and resilient space architectures to gain an advantage in a high-end conflict.
Lohmeier is an Air Force and Space Force veteran who graduated from the Air Force Academy in 2006. As a fighter pilot, he logged over 1,200 flight hours in the T-38 Talon and F-15C Eagle aircraft.
He later transitioned to space operations and held leadership roles in missile warning and training roles, including command of the 11th Space Warning Squadron.
Venice Goodwine
2024, 2025
Goodwine, DAF’s former chief information officer, won the Wash100 Award twice: in 2024 in recognition for her leadership in transforming the service’s IT investment strategy and championing the enterprise-wide adoption of emerging technologies, and in 2025 for her role in advancing cloud, cybersecurity and artificial intelligence initiatives.
As Air Force CIO, Goodwine managed a $17 billion portfolio and commanded a global workforce of 20,000 cyber operations and support personnel.
During her tenure, she spearheaded efforts to expand the integration of cloud services across Air Force operations, including in classified networks and the tactical edge, to ensure the availability of data to the warfighter and achieve a decision advantage.
Goodwine also authorized the creation of an innovation hub within the Air Force’s Office 365 platform to enable service members to experiment with AI and oversaw the launch of NIPRGPT, a generative AI tool for non-classified internet protocol router networks.
Prior to her role as Air Force CIO, she served as director of enterprise information technology within DAF’s Office of the Chief Information Officer. Earlier in her career, she held the roles of signals intelligence analyst for the Air Force and communication and information officer for the Air Force Reserve, according to her biography on AF.mil.
In May 2025, Goodwine stepped down from federal service after more than three decades. She now serves as CIO and AI product officer at Arlo Solutions, a technology consulting firm, according to her LinkedIn profile.
Lt. Gen. Luke Cropsey
2025
Cropsey won his first Wash100 in 2025 when he was still the Air Force’s program executive officer for command, control, communications and battle management, or PEO C3BM, and commander of the Air Force Information Dominance Systems Center, also known as AFIDSC. He was recognized for his critical role leading the DAF Battle Network and the Advanced Battle Management System, the Air Force’s contribution to the Pentagon’s Combined Joint All-Domain Command and Control.
As PEO C3BM, Cropsey was in charge of more than 50 programs involved in ensuring that the battle network delivered timely decisions.
As AFIDSC commander, he oversaw the Air Force’s efforts across cyber, electronic warfare, information systems and enterprise digital infrastructure.
An Air Force veteran, Cropsey has led at the squadron, group and wing levels. He also has experience as a space operations planner and executive officer to the director of operations at the European Command Plans and Operations Center in Stuttgart, Germany.
In February, Cropsey was appointed a military deputy at the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics within the Pentagon. In the role, he oversees the service’s research and development, test, production and modernization activities.
Frank Kendall
2014–2016, 2023, 2024
Former Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall has won five Wash100 awards throughout his career, reflecting his lasting impact on the service.
His most recent win in 2024 was a recognition of his efforts to accelerate acquisition, advance modernization and promote AI adoption across the Air Force.
He called on Congress in an op-ed published by Breaking Defense in 2023 to support a legislative proposal that would give the Pentagon the authority to work on “new start” programs, a move that he said would reduce the time it would take to field new capabilities by at least one year.
In the same year, he directed the Air Force’s Scientific Advisory Board to begin a review of the potential military applications of generative AI tools, such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT, and ordered the creation of a group dedicated to integrating AI into military operations.
Kendall is also a thought leader who has participated in multiple Potomac Officers Club events. At the 2023 Annual Air Force Summit, where he delivered a keynote, he emphasized the importance of contested logistics to military preparedness.
Kendall was confirmed by the Senate as the 26th Air Force secretary in 2021. He stepped down from the role in 2025.
The Air Force’s adoption of advanced capabilities to achieve decision advantage and strengthen airman readiness will be central to discussions at the Potomac Officers Club’s 2026 Air and Space Summit on July 30. Panel discussions featuring top Air Force officials and industry leaders will explore the service’s plans for AI, commercial space relay, interoperable optical networks and more! Sign up here to secure your seat.
