Retired Navy Captain J.J. Cummings is a former Navy fighter pilot and commanding officer of the most technologically advanced vessel in the world, the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford. He also served in leadership roles as the executive officer of the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz, commanding officer of the amphibious assault ship USS Anchorage, and commanding officer of an FA-18F Super Hornet squadron.
Prior to assuming command positions, J.J. was an F-14 Tomcat instructor pilot, a TOPGUN graduate, and successfully completed the prestigious Navy Nuclear Propulsion Program. He was the first Technical Advisor for the 2022 film, Top Gun: Maverick. He completed multiple overseas aircraft carrier deployments, logged 3,900 hours and 740 aircraft carrier landings in fighter aircraft, and has 137 combat missions over Iraq and Afghanistan.
Drawing from his extensive experience in military leadership and naval aviation, Cummings will share reflections on leadership and the experiences that shaped his approach to leading others.
