NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS – Lt. Col. John W. Erickson Jr. has been appointed as Civil Air Patrol’s National Cadet Advisory Council liaison officer.
The liaison position was established to assist CAP’s national leadership with the planning and successful implementation of its goals and vision for the NCAC. Duties include:
- Acting as liaison among CAP’s national leadership, National Headquarters staff, cadet programs officer and NCAC, including arranging appropriate direct contact between the NCAC chairman and the national commander.
- Working in coordination with the NHQ staff, cadet program officer and NCAC in reviewing and coordinating NCAC agenda and programs.
- Assisting the NCAC with proposals and recommendations.
Erickson, a member of the Colorado Wing’s Colorado Springs Cadet Squadron, brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the CAP national staff after serving more than 20 years in CAP’s aerospace education, cadet and emergency services programs.
“I plan to use my passion and broad-based skills and strengths to the advantage and service of the NCAC, in order to realize its vision and effectuate an organization where Civil Air Patrol cadets gain invaluable leadership experience at higher organizational levels,” he said.
Erickson has bachelor’s degrees in justice and speech communications and a master’s degree in justice administration from the University of Alaska Fairbanks. He also has a doctorate in law from Brigham Young University and is working toward his doctorate in criminal justice from Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Among his many community roles, Erickson is an active pro bono attorney, a Colorado Mounted Ranger, a CAP search and rescue ground team leader and pilot, a nationally registered emergency medical technician and deputy director of CAP’s Civic Leadership Academy in Washington, D.C.
He is employed full-time by the U.S. Air National Guard as the Air Guard legal adviser to the North American Aerospace Defense Command and U.S. Northern Command and is an adjunct professor at Colorado State University-Pueblo.
Erickson and his wife, Tiffany, live in Colorado Springs with their eight children.
