Delegates Elect New Board Members

The 143rd General Conference in Las Vegas unanimously approved several changes to the  NGAUS board of directors.

That includes a new chairman and new vice chairs for Army and Air. Area officers for areas II, III, V and VI were also approved, as were new representatives for the company-grade  committee, warrant officer committee and a new retired/separated Army director.

Maj. Gen. Janson “Durr” Boyles is the new NGAUS chairman. Boyles is currently also serving as adjutant general of Mississippi. He began his National Guard career in 1982 and served in medical and engineer units in his home state as he rose up the ranks to become Mississippi’s top officer. He has previously deployed in support of overseas operations in Afghanistan and Kosovo.

Boyles succeeds retired Maj. Gen. Michael McGuire of Arizona, who will now serve on the board as immediate past chair.

“The energy is real around continuing to grow NGAUS,” McGuire said as he closed out the conference. “I’m very, very humbled to have the opportunity to have served as the chair for the last nearly two years.”

“I couldn’t be prouder of our citizen soldiers and airmen,” he added. “You are the vanguards of this Constitution.”

Two new vice chairs were also elected. They are Brig. Gen. Jimmie Cole, the assistant adjutant general of Tennessee, who will serve as vice chair, Army; and Maj. Gen. Ondra L. Berry, the adjutant general of Nevada, who will serve as vice chair, Air.

Retired Maj. Gen. Joanne Sheridan of Louisiana and retired Brig. Gen. Kenneth Ross, also of Louisiana, were reelected to be secretary and treasurer, respectively.

Other officers approved by delegates were:

Area II

• TAG Rep: Brig. Gen. William Craine, W. Va.
• Army Rep: Col. Brian Borakove, Md.
• Air Rep: Lt. Col. Jody Schweickart, Ohio

Area III

• TAG Rep: Maj. Gen. Sheryl Gordon, Ala.
• Army Rep: Maj. Gen. Randall Simmons, Ga.
• Air Rep: Lt. Col. John Fesler, Tenn.

Area V

• TAG Rep: Maj. Gen. Paul Rogers, Mich.
• Army Rep: Brig. Gen. Mike Oster, S.D.
• Air Rep: Brig. Gen. Sandy Best, Minn.

Area VI

• TAG Rep: Maj. Gen. John Hronek, Mont.
• Army Rep: Col. Jerome Guerrero, Nev.
• Air Rep: Lt. Col. Andrew Sanchez, N.M.

Also elected were Capt. Rasheedah Bilal of California, who will serve as company-grade officer director, Army; Capt. John Watson of Tennessee, who will serve as company-grade officer, Air; and Chief Warrant Officer 4 Robert Nicholson of Tennessee, who will serve as warrant officer director.

Retired Maj. Gen. Max Haston of Tennessee, who previously served as vice chair-Army, was elected to serve as the Army retired and separated director.