Brad Johnson – President AIR
Brad Johnson retired as a Senior Operations Officer and Chief of Station with the Central Intelligence Agency’s Directorate of Operations. He has served domestically and abroad with numerous assignments often during periods of armed conflict. He has served overseas in direct support of the War against Terrorism.
Mr. Johnson is a certified senior expert in Counterintelligence issues with extensive direct experience in the field. He is a senior expert in surveillance and surveillance detection issues.
He has proven expertise in dangerous operational environments with the highest level of training and extensive direct experience in tradecraft for dangerous areas. His proven expertise also extends to denied operational environments (most difficult and restrictive) with the highest levels of training offered anywhere in the USG or the world and extensive direct experience.
Mr. Johnson managed the overseas portion of the Persons Indicted For War Crimes (PIFWC) program and has served overseas as Chief of Station multiple times.
He is an enrolled member of The Cherokee Nation, a Federally Recognized Tribe. Since his retirement from the CIA, Brad has run a successful intelligence related training company.
In the summer of 2017, Mr. Johnson founded the non-profit organization Americans for Intelligence Reform to create awareness for political corruption and diminished capabilities within the intelligence community.
Richard T. Higgins – Senior Fellow
Rich was Vice President of Intelligence & National Security for RED, LLC, a company that develops, tests and evaluates new combat capabilities for special operations, intelligence and irregular warfare missions.
Rich is an expert on the nexus between theological doctrines and information age unconventional warfare and has spent 20 years combating terrorism.
From 2011 to 2013, Rich managed a classified project for Special Operations Command (SOCOM). From 2010 to 2011, he served as the Chair of Special Operations and Low Intensity Conflict at the National Defense University.
In 2004, Rich formed the Department of Defense’s (DOD) Irregular Warfare Support (IWS) program office and served as the organization’s first Program Manager until June 2010. In this role he was directly responsible for the creation of several new strategic and operational capabilities.
Rich has advised the White House, Congress, and Foreign Governments on strategy, technology, and terrorism related matters. He is a 2011 Lincoln Fellow from the Claremont Institute.
A US Army Veteran, Rich holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Tufts University as well as a Masters Degree in Strategic Security from the National War College
Jeemes Akers – Senior Fellow
Jeemes L. Akers retired as a senior analyst from the Central Intelligence Agency in September 2013, with over fifteen years’ experience analyzing a broad array of Southeast Asian and Middle East security, terrorism, cyber and weapons’ proliferation issues. He has traveled extensively in Asia, Europe and Oceania, including deployments to several stations abroad, and has prepared analytical reports, briefings and in-depth studies for high-level Intelligence Community and White House policy makers and foreign partners on a variety of security-related issues.
Prior to his Agency experience, Mr. Akers worked for more than a decade as college professor and school administrator, practiced law, and managed a congressional election campaign. He served in the U.S. Air Force as a Chinese linguist and was awarded an Air Medal for his participation as crew member in combat sorties during the Vietnam War.
More recently, Mr. Akers spent several years as a visiting professor at the College of the Ozarks teaching courses including Terrorism and Criminal Justice, History of the Modern Middle East, History of Modern China, History of Modern Russia, History of Modern Germany, and a Legal History of the United States. When not teaching at CofO, Mr. Akers is continuing work on a three-novel series and his artwork.
Darryl J. Floyd – Director of Legislative Affairs
Veteran, United States Army special forces Combat Medic with a degree in Criminal Justice.
Strategic, Business focused Political Consultant with focus on data interpretations, flow of information and statistical analysis. Background in research and development of new ways of expanding the political base through social media with an established ability to bridge diverse, political, and social circles.
Exceptional interpersonal communication, negotiation, and presentation skills with all levels of corporate and political communities.,
National Basketball Association Certified Sports Agent representing clients with media relations and the social expectations demanded of professional basketball players. Assisting negotiations for securing the best financial positioning and contractual considerations.
South Carolina House of Representatives Assistant Chief Page, assisting State Representatives and State Senators with research and legislative functions, playing key role in cross party negotiations
Vlad Lemets – Digital Communications Director
Vladimir (Vlad) Lemets immigrated from Russia in 2002 and joined US. Army in 2005 at the age of 18. He received his Citizenship in 2006. He is a Combat Veteran who served with 1st Cavalry Division in Iraq during the Operation Iraqi Freedom campaign 2006-2008 and 2009-2010.
Vladimir was honorably discharged after his tours of duty in 2010 and served in the Army Reserves with 724th Military Police Battalion for a short while after. Vlad received the Iraq Campaign Medal with three campaign stars, 2 Army Commendation Medals, Meritorious Unit Commendation, National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, and Combat Action Badge.
In June 2015 Vlad helped co-found the national Veterans for Trump grassroots organization where he served as Chief Strategist. Vladimir played a big role when it came to uniting many Veterans for Trump grassroots groups under one banner, he was also instrumental in growing facebook following to over 300K.
Following the 2020 election results he was a key player in organizing community comprised of veterans and first responders with conservative values into what has become known as Veterans for America First.
Steve Woodward – Senior Fellow
Stephen Woodward is an independent commentator on politics and culture supported by a 40-year professional background in print, broadcast and digital journalism, marketing communications and speechwriting.
Woodward is a staunch constitutionalist and defender of American liberty who co-hosts a talk radio program, publishes a current events newsletter and opinion blog, and produces a weekly video podcast from his home base in central North Carolina.
Woodward was raised in northern Virginia near Washington, D.C., later earning a bachelor’s degree in communications studies at Virginia Tech. He was a charter staff member of national newspaper USA Today for more than a decade (1982-1994) before establishing himself as a public relations, marketing cand brand consultant.
As a journalist, Woodward specialized in coverage of the international Olympic Games. He covered three winter and two summer Olympic Games for USA Today; the 2000 summer Games and 2002 winter Games for NBC Sports as an associate producer/writer; the 2002 soccer World Cup for USA Today; and the 2004 summer Olympic Games for ESPN and ESPN.com.
Woodward’s assignments took him around the world, to major European capitals, and across Asia, Australia, and Russia. Today, he is semi-retired in Pinehurst, North Carolina, where he resides with his wife, Jackie, a longtime corporate marketing executive.