Lieutenant General, USAF (Retired) Michelle Johnson served as the 19th Superintendent of the U.S. Air Force Academy, a dual role as a military commander and a college president. Currently, she is a National Basketball Association (NBA) senior vice president and head of referee operations in charge of scouting, training, and evaluating referees in the NBA, WNBA, and developmental G League—the stewards of the integrity of the game. She also oversees the NBA Replay Center.

Prior to her tenure as U.S. Air Force Academy Superintendent, she was posted in Belgium to Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe as deputy chief of staff for operations and intelligence in support of NATO military actions in Afghanistan, antipiracy activities off the Horn of Africa, air operations over Libya, Balkan peace keeping, and Baltic air policing. As a major general in U.S. Transportation Command she refined DoD policy for sea-to-rail supply of U.S. forces in Afghanistan via Central Asia, plus civil reserve air fleet and maritime anti-piracy policy. As a brigadier general, Michelle led a Pentagon Joint Staff team that created the policy foundation for U.S. Cyber Command.

Michelle was a command pilot with more than 3,600 flying hours in eight types of multi-engine jet cargo, in-flight refueling tanker and training aircraft. Her flying missions spanned the globe and she deployed multiple times to Southwest Asia. She commanded flying units at the squadron, group and wing levels. She also served in the White House from 1992-1994 as Air Force Aide to Presidents Bush 41 and Clinton. A 1981 USAFA graduate, she earned the leadership role of cadet wing commander, a first for women at USAFA and among all federal service academies. She won a Rhodes Scholarship to Oxford University, UK, and was twice a basketball Academic All-American; she was inducted in the Academic All-America Hall of Fame in 1995.