Strategic Plan/Flight Plan

AFA Dallas Sam Johnson Chapter 2026 Flight Plan to Excellence

Author : John Campbell
President : Sam Johnson Chapter
Campbell927@gmail.com
(V8 Jan 15, 2026)

Sam Johnson Chapter 2026 Flight Plan to Excellence v6

We want 2026 to be the best year yet for the Sam Johnson Chapter of the Air & Space Forces Association (AFA), as we continue to Educate the public on the importance of aerospace power, Advocate for the world’s strongest aerospace forces, and Support our Airmen and Guardians across the Total Air and Space Forces.  

We are setting ambitious goals. Building on the success of 2025, our primary objective for 2026 is to lay the foundation to compete for the Donald Steele Award for Best Chapter in AFA. That’s a steep climb—probably multi-year with some intermediate goals—but with a strong foundation, dedicated members, and experienced leaders, we are well-positioned to compete for this award.

Aviators use a Flight Plan to reach their destination, with waypoints to measure progress and assess performance.  This “Flight Plan to Excellence” outlines our key objectives in 2026 and the waypoints along the path. Most importantly, we invite your help, input, and ideas for making our Chapter even better. Our contact information is at the end of this message, and you can always find details about our events and activities at www.afadallas.org.

John Campbell President

Dave Espep Executive Vice President

Kathleen Meilhan Senior Vice President

How You Can Help

Our Flight Plan is ambitious—and we’ll only reach our destination with your participation and support. Here are four important ways you—our members—can make a difference, get the most out of your AFA membership, and make our Chapter stronger:

• Participate :  Be an active member! Attend our meetings, participate in the golf tournament as a player or sponsor, attend the National Defense Briefing Series, and come to our Military Book Discussions. Every event you attend strengthens the chapter and connects you with others who share your passion for air and space power. You can also get involved nationally, especially through AFA’s Advocacy initiatives, which give you a voice in shaping the policies that keep our Air and Space Forces strong.
• Recruit :  Invite your friends and neighbors to attend our events and join AFA. Membership isn’t limited to veterans—anyone who supports national defense and our Airmen and Guardians is welcome.  AFA’s new membership structure will soon include a free three-year membership tier, making it easy for newcomers to “take a test flight.” Visit the Membership tab at www.afa.org or contact Joel Hatch for details. Businesses can also join as Community Partners—contact Bob Gehbauer to learn more.
• Help Lead the Chapter : Leadership is the key to Chapter success. Our Chapter Council meets monthly and includes both elected officers and more than a dozen appointed officers and coordinators who manage specific programs. It’s a great way to learn about AFA and contribute your skills.  See the Leadership page on our website for a complete list of officers, and contact me if you’re ready to get involved—we have a role for you!

Build the Base

Before we take off, we need a strong base to operate from, and that’s our Chapter. Building a healthy and successful chapter requires Leadership, Planning, Financial Stability, and Programs and activities that attract members and support AFA’s mission.

1. Develop a Strong Leadership Team.  The number one reason chapters fail is lack of leadership, and successful chapters have a succession plan to build a bench and training opportunities to prepare new leaders to be successful. This year we added a new elected position, Senior Vice President–third in line after the President and Executive Vice President—to strengthen our succession plan and provide time for on-the-job training.

• John Campbell is our President.  He previously served for three years as Chapter President and is active at the National level as Chair of he AIMS program.
• Dave Estep is our Executive Vice President and presumably will be next in line to be President.  Dave will also participate in AFA’s 2026 Emerging Leaders Program so he’ll be immersed in AFA’s national activities.
• Kathleen Meilhan will be our Senior Vice President, with an opportunity to prepare for a future leadership role.
• They join Secretary Fletcher Sharp, Treasurer Mike Bofferding, and our outstanding team of appointed officers—each bringing valuable experience and energy.

2. Maintain Financial Health.  To be successful, we must remain financially strong. Our three major revenue sources—the Honor Flag Program, Annual Charity Golf Tournament, and National Defense Briefing Series—are all growing. They provide the resources that fund our scholarships, outreach, and operations, and our finances are expertly managed by Treasurer Mike Bofferding.

3. Plan for Success.  Under the leadership of Executive VP Dave Estep, we are developing a Chapter Strategic Plan—a practical, executable, multi-year roadmap that aligns our efforts and ensures long-term success. This plan forms the foundation for our 2026 Flight Plan.

4. Communicate.  Communication is hard and is never done.  In 2026 we’ll remodel our web site using the AFA template and initiate regular membership updates to members and supporters.

5. Deliver Quality Member Programs.  Our chapter activities must not only align with AFA’s Educate, Advocate, and Support pillars—they should also be engaging, relevant, and enjoyable for our members.  This is probably the biggest challenge we face and one that will require a team effort, and we’ve added a Program Committee to help.

Flight Plan Waypoints: Measure Progress and Assess Performance

To earn national recognition, a chapter must excel in six key areas: program excellence, membership growth, community relations, aerospace education, communications, and overall programming. Here are our 2026 waypoints to hit those targets:

1. Communicate.  Send out at least one newsletter per month with information on Chapter events. Update our web site keep current so it is a useful and current resource.  Reach out to and engage new members.  POCs: John Campbell, Dave Estep, Pat Nugent

2. Make our Award-Winning Sam Johnson AFJROTC Scholarship Program even better.  The Sam Johnson AFJROTC Scholarship Program is our signature program and was selected as AFA’s Best Single Program in 2025.  Since 2020 we’ve awarded over $50,000 to graduating AFJROTC seniors and have grown from six to fourteen Dallas-area high schools.  Growth opportunities may include adding more schools or increasing award levels, commensurate with resources. Contact Bill Harding if you’d like to help, contribute, or nominate a student.
POCs: Bill Harding, Dr. Mike Opatowsky

3. Grow Our Charity Golf Classic.  The annual golf tournament is one of our largest fundraisers and a great opportunity for community visibility.  The next tournament will be held October 9, 2026, at Heritage Ranch Country Club in Fairview and our goal is 144 players and $30,000 net proceeds.  We were almost there in 2025 but taking the next step will require the efforts of all our members. Contact Ross to volunteer or sponsor.
POC:  Ross Fassilino

4. Sustain Our Honor Flag Program.  Partnering with local Boy Scout troops and the Civil Air Patrol, volunteers place U.S. flags in area neighborhoods on major holidays—a community favorite and major fundraiser.  Program lead Joe Sommers has carried this almost single-handedly and could use more help. It’s a great way to get involved and serve the community.
POCs: Joe Sommers, Fletcher Sharp

5. Grow Our Military Book Discussions.  Hosted by Bob Epstein at Prestonwood Country Club, these monthly breakfast discussions draw both AFA and non-AFA participants and have been a source of new members and Community Partners.  See our website for upcoming book selections or contact Bob Epstein for reservations and suggestions.
POC: Bob Epstein

6. Expand the National Defense Briefing Series.  Launched in 2021 in partnership with four other Dallas-area military advocacy organizations, this quarterly series has presented 20 programs on National Security issues and raised over $300,000 collectively.  Our growing reputation attracts high-profile speakers, and we believe this unique, exportable program can serve as a model for other AFA chapters nationwide.  
POCs: John Campbell, Mike Bofferding

7. Expand our STEM programs. Execute the AYODE event and use it to improve CyberPatriot.
POCs: Ric Hamer, Eric Weingaertner

8. Be an AIMS Advocate. The AFA AIMS (Advocates to Inspire Military Service) program is AFA’s initiative to engage at the Chapter level to assist our recruiters and inspire young people to serve. Continue our engagement in the community and with the 344^th Recruiting Squadron, and reach out to new members who join AFA through our AIMS activities.
POC: John Campbell

9. Select our Teacher of the Year.  We’re looking forward to selecting our 2026 Teacher of the Year to recognize our very best educators and mentors. See our web site or contact Ric Hamer if you have any questions about the program or to nominate a teacher.  
POC: Ric Hamer

10. Increase our Community Partner Engagement.  Community Partners connect us with our supporting community businesses.  It’s a two-way street: we build relationships with local businesses and they get to show their support for our Air and Space Forces. This year we want to enroll a dozen or more new Community Partners. See our Community Partner link for more information or contact Bob.
POC Bob Gehbauer.

11. Sponsor Civil Air Patrol Flight Academies. CAP glider and powered flight academies serve as great motivational tools to inspire future air and space force members.  Although the status of future academies is under consideration, we are committed to provide scholarships for these great programs. 
POCs: Ric Hamer, Fletcher Sharp.

12. Sponsor Youth Leadership Conference (YLC) Attendance. YLC summer conferences provide an opportunity for high school students to develop leadership skills via patriotic education.  In 2025 we sponsored xx attendees and would like to expand that in 2026. 
POCs: Bob Gehbauer, Dave Estep

13. Support our Airmen and Guardians.  One of the AFA mission pillars! While we don’t have any active duty bases in our area of responsibility, we do support the Texas Air National Guard’s 254th Combat Communications Group at Hensley Field and its parent unit, the 136th Airlift Wing; as well as the active duty 344th Recruiting Squadron.  In addition to contributing to family and unit social activities, we stand ready to be a resource when needed.  We also support AFA’s Wounded Airmen & Guardians Program. 
POC: Matt Crawford, Lt Col Steve LeMaire, Mike Bofferding

14. Recognize our Chapter and our Outstanding Performers. State and National awards help build a reputation for excellence and are the most visible reward for outstanding individual performance.  Taking the time and effort to prepare and submit these awards is a leadership responsibility. 
POCs: John Campbell, Dave Estep, Kathleen Meilhan.

15. Increase Membership Participation.  Chapter members will participate if we have interesting and engaging programs.  To that end we have appointed a Program Committee to develop an agenda of programs. 
POCs: Dave Estep (chair), Kathleen Meilhan, Joel Hatch, Mike Bofferding, Bob Gehbauer

Chapter Leadership Structure

President	John Campbell	campbell927@gmail.com
Exec Vice President	David Estep	dave.estep@gmail.com
Senior Vice President	Kathleen Meilhan	kathleen.meilahn@gmail.com
Secretary	Fletcher Sharp	fletchersharp@verizon.net
Treasurer	Mike Bofferding	afaboff232@gmail.com
VP Aerospace Education	Ric Hamer	richamer45@gmail.com
VP Legislative Affairs/Advocacy	Bob Epstein	macabee1948@gmail.com
VP Membership	Joel Hatch	hatchmo80@gmail.com
VP Communications/Web Site	Pat Nugent	nuge@tx.rr.com
VP Community Partners	Bob Gehbauer	afabobg@gmail.com
VP Scholarships	Bill Harding	bill519n16@yahoo.com
Honor Flag Program	Joe Sommers, Fletcher Sharp	joesommers@verizon.net
Youth Leadership Conference	Bob Gehbauer	afaboff232@gmail.com
Golf Tournament	Ross Fassilino	rosf@aol.com
Cadet Leadership Course	Steve Yungblut/Jen Colby	steve@pratt-yungblut.com
Cyber Patriot/STEM	Eric Weingeartner	eweingaertner9@gmail.com
Military Book Discussion	Bob Epstein	macabee1948@gmail.com
CAP Liaison	Bill Schroeder	wschroder@cap.gov
Active Duty Liaison	Lt Col Steve LeMaire	Steven.lemaire@us.af.mil
ANG Liaison	Matt Crawford	Matthew.T.Crawford@rtx.com
National Defense Briefing Series	John Campbell Mike Bofferding	campbell927@gmail.com
Program Committee	David Estep (chair)	dave.estep@gmail.com
	Kathleen Meilhan	kathleen.meilahn@gmail.com
	Mike Bofferding	afaboff232@gmail.com
	Bob Gehbauer	afaboff232@gmail.com