The Romney Institute of Public Management named Brett Swigert, lieutenant colonel in the United States Air Force, the 2017 N. Dale Wright Alumnus of the Year. Swigert received the award on 20 October during a luncheon where he addressed students, faculty, and advisory board members.
During his address, Swigert noted it is important to look to successful predecessors and mentors who exhibit a quality that is central to public administration and is one of the three Air Force core values: service before self.
“This core value is not unique to the Air Force, we’ve learned about the importance of serving others since Primary, Scouting, and so on,” Swigert observed. “Those who have chosen a career in public service have a unique opportunity to put this principle to practice in a very tangible way.”
Swigert received his commission through the Brigham Young University Air Force ROTC program in 1996 and his MPA through the Romney Institute in 2004. He has since served as an intelligence operations watch officer and branch chief at the National Security Agency, team lead for an executive protection team under Presidents G.W. Bush and Bill Clinton, flight commander, commandant of cadets, director of operations, inspector general, squadron commander, and deputy group commander for all space-based missile warning operations.
Swigert is currently the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff’s Chief of Targeting Automation for the Department of Defense. He executes policy and coordinates intelligence-driven targeting for all U.S. military services and combatant commands operating across the world. He is married to Tammy Layton, and they have two sons. Swigert enjoys reading, biking, and Scouting.
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Writer: Emily Colon