2026 Event Schedule

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Carol Foy

2026 Gala Dinner Guest Speaker

World Friendship Through Flight

We are delighted to feature Carol Foy of Spicewood, Texas, as our 2026 Guest Speaker — a pilot whose career reflects adventure and global reach.

In 1989 Carol’s late husband, Northwest pilot Bob Foy, brought home their Mooney. Just learning to land quickly grew into a passion that carried her through all of her ratings including flight instructor. Nationwide friendships grew as she took on leadership roles with the Ninety-Nines and Air Race Classic participation. Now, she flies for the State of Texas, supports Pilots N’ Paws and flies her Mooney everywhere. Her most extraordinary achievement began in 2007, when fellow Mooney pilot CarolAnn Garratt invited her to attempt an around‑the‑world speed record to raise funds for ALS. After a year of

intense planning, they launched their “Dash for a Cure,” completing an eight‑day, twelve‑hour circumnavigation on December 11, 2008. Their world speed record still stands, their effort has raised more than $500,000 for ALS and is chronicled in Upon Silver Wings II.

Join us as Carol shares how this remarkable flight was accomplished, its global impact, and how she knows aviation can foster world friendship!

Kirk "Tick" Pierce, Lt Gen (ret), USAF

2026 Gala Dinner Guest Speaker

World Friendship Through Flight

Lieutenant General (ret) Kirk “Tick” Pierce founded RivaONE LLC in the spring of 2023 after 35 years of distinguished Air Force service. Kirk leverages his expertise in strategy development, operational command, and national security affairs to deliver innovative solutions to complex problem sets. He has commanded at the Squadron, Group, Wing, and Numbered Air Force level. Kirk is Chair of the Civil Air Patrol Board of Governors, a member of Skydio’s National Security Board of Advisors, and a United Airlines 787 pilot. 

Prior to retirement, Kirk was the Commander of First Air Force (U.S. Air Forces Northern & U.S. Air Forces Space) and the Continental U.S. North American Aerospace Defense Command Region (CONR). As the Joint Force Air Component Commander, he was responsible for planning and conducting air defense and air sovereignty operations in the continental U.S. while supporting the deployment, sustainment, and redeployment, of U.S. Air Forces in support of USNORTHCOM and USSPACECOM. Kirk led the formation of the U.S. Air Forces newest service component command, U.S. Air Forces Space (AFSPACE), and was responsible for training and leading joint forces in search and rescue, recovery, and contingency support operations for NASA’s human space flight programs.

As the Deputy Director of the Air National Guard, he assisted in formulating, developing, and coordinating all policies, plans, and programs affecting more than 107,700 airman and civilians in more than 1800 units. As the NORAD Deputy Director of Operations, Kirk directed all facets of aerospace defense, including missile warning, air attack warning, and maritime warning. Moreover, he was tasked with developing, integrating, and deploying counter small unmanned

aerial systems (C-sUAS) to include a national command and control architecture. As the ANG’s Director of Operations, Senior Intelligence Officer (SIO), and Chief Information Officer (CIO), he was responsible for operations, governance, policy implementation and execution across Air,

Space, Cyber, ISR, Information Technology, and Nuclear mission sets while leading over 450 personnel within 11 Divisions. While serving as Senior Military Advisor to the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense-Policy for Force Development and Strategy, Kirk was lead proponent for

Services capabilities and requirements in the Quadrennial Defense Review, Joint force development in Defense Planning Guidance, and represented OSD Policy in the Program and Budget Review (PBR) process with an emphasis on Air Force programs, joint force ISR, and

Pacific theater comprehensive resiliency. 

Lt Gen (ret) Pierce graduated from the University of Notre Dame with a B.S. in Aerospace Engineering and from the National War College with a M.S. in National Security Strategy. He is a fighter pilot with over 4900 hours predominantly in the F-15, F-16 and T-38, including 71 combat missions, and continues to fly the Boeing 787 as a commercial airline pilot.