AFCEA Senior Leader Joins Air Force Cyberspace Operations and Support Hall of Fame

Since 1999, the U.S. Air Force has honored individuals who have made significant contributions to the Air Force and communications and cyber career fields, both as a member of the service and as a leader in the public and private sectors, by inducting them to the Cyberspace Operations and Support Hall of Fame. Col. Mike Black, USAF (Ret.), vice president for defense at AFCEA International, has been inducted into the hall of fame’s class of 2025 for his longtime leadership and dedication to the mission.

Inspired by his father’s military service, Black received a congressional appointment to the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1981. After graduating, he went to Keesler Air Force Base to receive his basic communications officer training.

From leading 59 theater communications projects as commander of the 5th Combat Communications Support Squadron to executing a $4 billion theater deployable communications program for U.S. Central Command, Black built a long list of accomplishments while serving in the military.

Additionally, for more than four years, Black served as deputy commander and then commander of the White House Communications Agency, executing more than 2,000 presidential missions.

After retiring from the Air Force in 2011, Black shared his skills and connections with small veteran-owned businesses to help them grow, including Premier Management Corporation, JMA Solutions and Concise Network Solutions.

Now, as the vice president for defense at AFCEA, Black builds important professional relationships with government, industry and academia to help AFCEA’s network grow. Black uses his leadership experiences and knowledge of military communications to further position AFCEA International as a leader in the cyber, defense, security, intelligence and related information technology disciplines. 

Black emphasized that his work at AFCEA played a large role in helping him receive this recognition. Although he retired from the Air Force, he’s been able to continue the mission by contributing to the production of large-scale technology-focused conferences where crucial national security discussions occur.

“Being inducted into this hall of fame is not a finish line—it’s a reflection point. It’s a moment to look back with gratitude, to look around with pride and to look forward with hope,” Black said in his acceptance remarks. “Our Air Force continues to evolve at the speed of technology, but the constant that never changes is the human connection. The mission always comes down to people—leaders who inspire, teams who trust one another and innovators who refuse to accept ‘good enough.’”

Black said he’s honored to be inducted into the hall of fame, but he emphasized that he wouldn’t have the success without the support of his family and all of those he served alongside, commanders, noncommissioned officers and everyone in between.

“This honor is about legacy—our legacy,” Black shared. “It’s about the men and women who took the Air Force into the information age, who built the backbone of digital command and control, and who made sure that no mission failed for lack of communication. And it’s about those who continue that mission today, ensuring our airmen and Guardians stay connected, informed and ready—always.”

Black accepted this honor alongside inductees Maj. Gen. Phillip Bracher, USAF (Ret.); Scott Jack; and Brig. Gen. Greg Touhill, USAF (Ret.). He said he is honored to join the now more than 100 men and women who have earned a spot in the Cyberspace Operations and Support Hall of Fame, and the induction ceremony made him reflect on what this honor means to him.

“As I stood on that stage, I felt the weight of our collective work—the Airmen, joint service teammates, NCOs [noncommissioned officers], officers and mentors who dedicated their lives to ensuring our nation’s air, space and cyber missions never lost connection,” Black shared via LinkedIn. “The technology will always evolve, but the constant is people. Leadership, teamwork, trust and friendship—that’s what endures.”