is past commander of the Colorado Wing (2000- 2003). More recently he has served as the CAP National Glider Program Manager (2011-2018). He started his CAP career more than 66 years ago as a cadet in the Kansas Wing. He continued his active CAP membership throughout his Air Force career where he served in various operational, staff, and command positions before retiring, after nearly 23 years service, as a Lieutenant Colonel, from Air Force Headquarters at the Pentagon. His post Air Force career was in real-estate development and construction. He founded his own company, Meadow Homes, Inc., and developed residential properties in the greater metropolitan Denver area. After selling his business interests he returned to school and completed a Masters Degree in History from the University of Colorado at Denver. He subsequently taught U.S. history as an Adjunct History Instructor for a number of years at the Community College of Aurora. He is an active pilot and flew his own RV-7A, which he built from a kit, for 10 years. He is the recipient of the Federal Aviation Agency Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award which recognizes 50 or more years of safe flying. Colonel Buschmann has been a member of the Colorado CAP Foundation Board of Directors for since 2013 and has served as the Board Vice-President and President.

joined CAP as a cadet in the New York Wing, earning his private pilot certificate through CAP in 1967. This sparked a life-long career in aerospace including overseas assignments as a Regional Manager for GE aircraft engines. He retired in
2023 after also being employed with Frontier Airlines (Manager), STS Engineering (Analyst), Jeppesen (Product Manager), Air Methods (Instructor), Sierra Nevada (Program Manager), and Champion Aerospace (Product Manager). He is a master of
aircraft and engine maintenance and training. In CAP, he has served as unit commander, Wing Director of Emergency Services, and other positions in safety, operations, emergency services, and wing alerting. He is an active pilot and rated as a
CAP mission pilot. He is proud of his outreach to his community that includes serving as a Director on the South Metro Fire Rescue Fire Protection District Board, introducing the
AFA CyberPatriot program to Cherry Creek High School where he mentored, supported, and encouraged the team over six years to a 2 nd Place finish in the Open Division of the
Competition, and flying for Young Eagles and Angel Flight West. He has personally witnessed historic events such as political upheaval in Pakistan, student protests in China (Tiananmen Square), and the fall of an empire (Soviet Union).

has served in both the Colorado House of Representatives (1983-1998) and the Colorado State Senate (2001-2006). He is a veteran of the United States Marine Corps, a licensed pilot, and lives in Hooper, Colorado.  He joined CAP in 1960.  He’s been active in the community serving as Alamosa County Commissioner, State of Colorado Special Highway Committee, National Association of Counties Transportation Committee, Western Legislative Conference Water Policy Committee as well as serving on several boards and commissions.  He has professional memberships in the VFW, NRA, Colorado Water Congress, Colorado Cattlemen’s Association, American Legion, and the Monte Vista Cooperative.  He received the Joseph B. Hartranft Jr Award from the AOPA in 1991, the Colorado Pilots Association award for dedicated service to General Aviation in Colorado, and was inducted into the Colorado Aviation Hall of Fame in 1992.

became a board member of the Colorado Civil Air Patrol Foundation in 2012.  Col Kavich is the former Commander of Indiana Wing. He served in that position from 1998-2002 and prior to that held positions as wing vice commander, wing director of operations, wing plans and program officer, and squadron commander. He was a SAR and counterdrug mission pilot and cadet orientation pilot. He also served as Incident Commander. Col Kavich chaired CAP’s Public Trust Committee from 2009-2012 and was also a member of CAP’s Diversity Committee.  Col Kavich is a former CAP cadet who joined CAP in 1966.  Col Kavich is a 1975 graduate of the University of Louisville and retired from Sears Roebuck and Company in 2006 after a 35-year career.  He more recently retired as a store manager for K&G Fashion Superstore in Northglenn, Colorado.  Col Kavich and his wife Donna have three children and three grandchildren and currently live in Colorado Springs, Colorado.  Col Kavich serves as President of the Foundation. 

was born and raised in West Virginia and resided in Arizona and Oklahoma before moving to Aurora, Colorado, in 1971. She was always involved in the community as a volunteer for schools, Boy Scouts, Comitis, YMCA, and city and county committees. She was elected to Aurora City Council in 1987 and served there, including as Mayor–Pro-Tem, until 1995 when she was elected to Arapahoe County Board of Commissioners where she served two terms, including as Chair, up through 2000. In 2000, she was appointed to the Colorado Public Utilities Commission on which she finished her term in 2008. She served on many committees as a result of her elected positions such as: Denver Regional Council of Governments (Chair), Metro Waste Water Board, Transportation Committee for SEBP (Chair), Centennial Airport Board of Directors (Chair), and the Regional Air Quality Council.  She is the mother of two sons and grandmother of three.

has been active in local, state, and federal government since 1969.  She served as treasurer and compliance officer for several political campaigns in Iowa and Colorado, served as the office manager for a family business, and worked at the Colorado Office of Emergency Management.  From 1997 to 2010 she worked for the State of Colorado Department of Military & Veterans Affairs, Division of Civil Air Patrol. Her duties included formulating long-term financial plans for the Division, revising state requested budget needs, and working with the State Legislature on policy matters and support for missions.  Patti served as President of the Denver Chapter of Gold Star Wives of America, Inc. and is a member of several veteran service organizations.  She previously served on the Veterans Advisory Committee for former Senator Ken Salazar and former Representative Bob Beaupre and is currently serving on Representative Ed Perlmutter’s Veterans Advisory Committee.  Ms. Sampers serves as Vice President of the Foundation. 

is a Certified Public Accountant working in public accounting for the past 24 years.  He was previously involved in the banking and aviation industries for 20 years.   He graduated from the University of Colorado, Leeds School of Business.  Rick is an avid aviation enthusiast who started flying at age 13.  He is a licensed commercial pilot with ratings for both multi-engine and single engine aircraft and has his instrument rating. He joined Civil Air Patrol in 1966 as a founding member of a cadet squadron which eventually became Boulder Composite Squadron.  He rejoined as a senior member in 1997 serving in various positions with Boulder Composite Squadron, Group 1, and served on the Colorado Wing Finance Committee.  He joined the Colorado Civil Air Patrol Foundation Board as Treasurer in 2012.

is a retired lawyer after 45 years in private practice.   Mr. Tobey was a founding Board member of the  Foundation in 1996.  He has been active in community, legal, and aviation service as a commissioner on the Arapahoe County Public Airport Authority, member of the Legislative Action Committee for Community Associations Institute, precinct and campaign leader in politics, and Past President of the Colorado Pilots Association.  In Civil Air Patrol, he served as Commander of the Rocky Mountain Region, the Colorado Wing, and the Black Sheep Squadron.  He served on the National Executive Committee of CAP and serves as Colorado Wing Government Relations Advisor, working with United States Senators, Members of Congress, and Colorado state legislators.  He is a veteran Navy attack pilot who flew 188 carrier-based combat missions over North Vietnam.  He was inducted into the Colorado Aviation Hall of Fame in 2019. He is Secretary of the Foundation.

is past At Large Member of the Aurora City Council. Due to corporate transfers in a fortune 100 company for many years, he had the opportunity to be a part of planning commissions and city governance across the U.S. He is the past president and owner of a Montessori School showing his emphasis on education as a high priority. He also was president of Creekside Eagle Bend HOA and was a Director of the Eagle Bend Metropolitan District. He is an officer in the Civil Air Patrol where he continues to support recruiting and training of youth in advanced technology in air and space. He is a decorated combat veteran who served 16 years in the US Army. He has been married for 46 years to his lovely wife Beatice and has three adult children, each of whom attended Aurora schools.

served in the United States Air Force for 27 years retiring as a Colonel in 1987.  He is active in state, community, and local affairs serving as the Past President and Legislative Chair for the United Veterans Committee of Colorado, member of the Colorado Board of Veterans Affairs, Commissioner for the Colorado State and Veterans Nursing Home Commission, Treasurer for the Aurora Museum Foundation, and a member of the Children’s Hospital Grants Committee.  He is a United Methodist Certified Lay Speaker and is active in several Scottish and York Rite Masonic Bodies as well the Master of his Masonic Lodge.  He is a past president of the Aurora Association of Realtors, a past director of the Colorado Association of Realtors, and an active supporter of the Civil Air Patrol having served as Colorado Wing Commander and Rocky Mountain Region Commander.  He served as National Commander of Civil Air Patrol from 1998 to 2001.