Kimberly S. Dickman, Ed.D.

Kimberly S. Dickman, Ed.D. serves as an assistant professor in the Department of Biology and assistant professor at the U.S. Air Force Academy Center for Character and Leadership Development (CCLD), where she leads the Healthy Relationship Education branch of the Development Division in the Center. CCLD’s mission is to advance the understanding, scholarship, practice, and integration of character and leadership development, resulting in cadets and permanent party prepared for service to the nation.

Dr. Dickman is a licensed clinical professional counselor and certified educator. She began her work in education for the Department of Defense in 1991. During her 20+ years of civilian service she has performed at the Wing and Headquarters Air Force level before coming to USAFA. Of note is her work in the Sexual Assault Prevention and Response program where she focused on education, analysis, and prevention science. Her extensive experience allows her to serve at USAFA as faculty and lead in topics such as healthy relationships, emotional intelligence, positive psychology, prevention science, human sexuality, and leadership development.

Dr. Dickman is widely recognized and is frequently requested to present across the DoD and on a national scale.

Education

• Bachelor of Arts degrees (Psychology with science emphasis), University of Colorado, Boulder, Colo. (1989)
• Master of Arts degree (Educational Psychology), University of Colorado, Boulder, Colo. (1991)
• Master of Science (Mental Health Counseling), Texas A&M Central Campus, Killeen, Texas (1998)
• Doctorate in Education (Educational Leadership), Argosy University, Honolulu, Hawaii (2011)
• Post Doctorate Studies (Human Sexuality and Relationships), University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Mich. (2015)

Professional Experience

• DoDEA School Teacher; Seoul American High School, Seoul, Korea (August 1991 – May 1996)
• Adjunct Faculty (Psychology), Central Texas Collage, Killeen, Texas (August 1996 – June 1998)
• Mental Health Counselor, Intern, Darnell Community Hospital, Fort Hood, Texas (October 1996 – June 1998)
• Mental Health Counselor, Turning Points Center, Fort Collins, Colo (August 1998 – May 2000)
• Adjunct Faculty (Psychology), Front Range Community College, Fort Collins, Colo. (August 1998 – May 2000)
• Mental Health Counselor, Malmstrom AFB, Great Falls, Mont. (August 2000 – June 2002)
• Lead School Counselor, Misawa High School, Misawa AFB, Misawa, Japan (August 2002 – June 2005)
• School Counselor, Anderson Elementary, Anderson AFB, Yigo, Guam (June 2005 – June 2007)
• Sexual Assault Response Coordinator, RAF Alconbury, United Kingdom (July 2007 – August 2009)
• Sexual Assault Response Coordinator, RAF Mildenhall, United Kingdom (August 2009 – August 2011)
• Sexual Assault Response Coordinator, Fort Meade, Maryland (August 2011 – October 2013)
• Director Training & Development, Headquarters AF, Pentagon, Washington D.C. (October 2013 – July 2015)
• Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Analyst, US Air Force Academy, Colo. (July 2015 – July 2019)
• Assistant Professor, Center for Character and Leadership Development, US Air Force Academy, Colo. (July 2019 – Present)

Honors & Awards

• USAFA Academy Educator of the Year for CCLD, 2020
• USAF Civilian Meritorious Service Medal, 2015
• Vice Chief of Staff Civilian of the Year (Cat II), 2014
• USAF Civilian recipient General Wilma Vaught Visionary Leadership Award, 2012
• USAF A1 in Wing Specialist of the Year for 2009
• USAFE Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Program of the Year for 2009
• 501 CSW Civilian of the Year (Cat II), 2009

Research and Scholarly Interests

• American Association of Sex Educators, Counselors, and Therapists
• Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor – Montana
• Department of Defense Certified Educator – Secondary Education
• Dare to Lead Facilitator
• Emotional Intelligence Certified Facilitator
• True Colors Facilitator
• Human Performance Institute Corporate Athlete Facilitator
• Arbinger Mindset Facilitator

Publications

• Inside Higher Education June 2019
• Sexual Harassment Handbook (contributor) March 2020

Patricia Barron

Mrs. Patricia “Patty” Barron was appointed as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Military Community and Family Policy in January 2021.

Mrs. Barron is currently responsible for a broad portfolio that includes policy, advocacy, and oversight of all community support to service members and their families, including quality-of-life issues; key legislative and policy issues affecting military families; family, child, and youth programs; the Military OneSource program and non-medical counseling resources; military spouse career advancement; morale, welfare, and recreation; defense resale policy for commissaries and exchanges; and family advocacy programs. Her oversight also includes casualty and mortuary affairs, and military funeral honors.

Prior to joining Military Community and Family Policy, she served as the Director of the Family Readiness Directorate at the Association of the United States Army and supported all AUSA family programs and events by providing management and oversight to all directorate activities. Previously, she served as the Director of Outreach, Military Family Projects, at Zero to Three and also worked as the Director of Youth Initiatives at the National Military Family Association where she oversaw NMFA’s Operation Purple Camp program.

As an Army spouse for 30 years, she has been involved in myriad efforts to support military
families. She served on the Department of Defense Military Family Readiness Council, Zero to
Three’s “Coming Together Around Military Families” Advisory Committee, the Sesame
Workshop “Talk, Listen, Connect; Phase Two” Advisory Panel, the National Child Traumatic
Stress Network Advisory Board, the Child Care Aware of America Advisory Board, and the Boys
& Girls Clubs of America National Military Leadership Council.

Mrs. Barron earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of San Francisco, a
Master of Science in Education from Long Island University, an Executive Certificate in
Nonprofit Management from Georgetown University, and an Executive Education Certificate
from The Harvard Kennedy School of Government. Mrs. Barron is married to retired Army Col.
Michael Barron. They have three adult children: Michael, Megan, and Joseph; a son-in-law,
Vance; and two granddaughters, Sofia and Violet.

Colonel (Ret.) Eric Flake, M.D.

Col(r) Eric Flake M.D. is a Developmental-Behavioral Pediatricians and created the Developmental-Behavioral Family Readiness Center for the DoD. Dr. Flake has published numerous articles and presentations regarding childhood resiliency and autism. He current serves in the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), is Vice Chairman of the MCEC Board of Directors, and is Co-Chair of the MCEC Science Advisory Board.

Allison L. Tidwell is a graduate research assistant for Military REACH, a cooperative agreement between Auburn University and the Office of Military Community and Family Policy (MC&FP) within the Department of Defense (DoD) that aims to leverage research into policy and programming for military families. As a military kid herself, she knows firsthand the stressors and strengths of military families, and she draws upon her personal experiences to inform her work with the team. Allison earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees at Auburn University, and is nearing completion of her Ph.D. in Human Development and Family Science also at Auburn University. Having joined the Military REACH team in 2019, her role includes summarizing and disseminating research findings to lay audiences, synthesizing research to inform military programming and policy, and engaging in outreach with military family advocacy groups. Allison’s areas of research interest and experience include military and Veteran family readiness, resilience, and retention.

Abigail Gewirtz, Ph.D.

Dr. Abigail Gewirtz is a child psychologist, mother of four, leading expert on helping families cope with trauma, and the author of When the World Feels Like a Scary Place: Essential Conversations for Anxious Parents and Worried Children (Workman, 2020).

She is Foundation Professor in the Psychology Department at Arizona State University. Dr. Gewirtz has worked as a clinician, researcher, program developer, and trainer of providers, and is the author of more than 100 publications. A fellow of the Association for Psychological Science and the American Psychological Association, Dr. Gewirtz has conducted research in the United States, Asia, the Middle East, and Africa, and has been invited to speak widely, in the U.S. and across the world, on parenting in times of stress.

Michael D. Matthews, Ph.D.

Michael D. Matthews is currently Professor of Engineering Psychology at the United States Military Academy. He served as President of the American Psychological Association’s Society for Military Psychology from 2007 to 2008 and is a Templeton Foundation Senior Positive Psychology Fellow. From 2014 to 2015, he served as a Fellow for the U.S. Army Chief of Staff’s Strategic Studies Group. Collectively, his research interests center on Soldier performance in combat and other dangerous contexts.

He has authored over 250 scientific papers and edited or authored several books, including (with coauthor Robert D. Caslen) The Character Edge: Leading and Winning with Integrity (St. Martin’s Press, 2020) and Leading in Dangerous Situations (2022, with Patrick Sweeney and others). His two-volume edited book, The Routledge International Handbook of Multidisciplinary Perspectives on Character Development, was published in March 2024.

SEAC Troy E. Black

SEAC Black assumed his current post as the 5th Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on Nov. 3rd, 2023 following his selection and service as the 19th Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps. A native of Louisville, Kentucky, he attended recruit training at Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, S.C., in April of 1988 and attended the School of Infantry and Marine Corps Security Force School.

Throughout his career, SEAC Black has been assigned numerous duties to include: 0331 Machine Gunner, Machine Gun Squad and Section Leader; Weapons Platoon Sergeant and Weapons Platoon Commander; Drill Instructor, Senior Drill Instructor, Fleet Anti-Terrorism Security Team Company (FAST) Platoon Sergeant and Operations Chief, Series Gunnery Sergeant, DI School Instructor, and RTR Drill Master; First Sergeant, G Company 2d Bn, 1st Marines, E Company 3d Amphibious Assault Battalion, Officer Candidates School; Sergeant Major, 3d Bn, 7th Marines, Combat Logistics Battalion 5, 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit, 1st Marine Logistics Group, and Manpower and Reserve Affairs.

He has deployed aboard the USS Forrestal (CV-59) in support of Operation Just Cause and to the Mediterranean in 1989 ; deployed in support of Operation Sea Soldier, Desert Storm/Desert Shield, and Sea Angel with 3rd Bn, 5th Marines in 1990, and to Okinawa in 1992; deployed with FAST Company in support of 5th and 6th Fleet operations to Bahrain, Italy, Pearl Harbor, and Bangor Washington; deployed to Iraq with 2d Bn, 1st Marines in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom II (OIF) in 2004; deployed with 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable) during Operation Bright Star and to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom IV (OIF) in 2005; to Afghanistan with 3d Bn, 7th Marines in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in 2010; deployed with Combat Logistics Battalion 5 in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in 2012; and deployed in support of WESTPAC 14.2 and Operation Inherent Resolve with the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit in 2014.

SEAC Black has a Bachelor of Science in Terrorism and Counterterrorism Studies from National American University and graduated from the Joint Special Operations Forces Senior Enlisted Academy December of 2011.