This story originally appeared in the March 2025 Checkpoints magazine.

Kelly Banet, executive vice president for development, sat down with the two U.S. Air Force Academy graduates who served as chair of the Air Force Academy Foundation board of directors during the seven-year Defining Our Future comprehensive campaign. The three reflected on the impact of the campaign and the donors who made it successful. Jack Kucera ’78 served as board chair from August 2017 to August 2023. Current chair Alex Gilbert ’87 took over in August 2023.

Kelly Banet: Jack, can you share your reflections on when the campaign was just an idea and how the board viewed the goals and prospects for success?

Jack Kucera: There was optimism for sure. I’ve been actively engaged in fundraising for the Academy for more than 20 years, and I think people were optimistic that we could do it. We had done some good things, and we were also transitioning from an entity that just supported the Academy to one that was being asked to support all of the supporting foundations as well.

---

Banet: Alex, as the campaign surpassed its two fundraising goals — the initial $270 million goal and then the expanded $300 million — what reactions did the board have to the results?

Alex Gilbert: The board was ecstatic about surpassing the original and expanded goals. But you know, the real key to sustainability of our organization — and the real key to the next campaign and to the period between the campaigns — is to generate continued interest from the nearly 20,000 donors who participated in the Defining Our Future campaign. As Jack always says, someone starts with a $100 gift and continues to make a difference year after year, eventually endowing a chair or program or a building. The board was equally thrilled with the number of donors and the engagement, and that has continued to be something that we’re focused on as we go in between periods of campaigns.

---

Banet: What do you both see as highlights or defining moments of the campaign?

Kucera: It was maybe my first or second meeting as chair when Dr. Paul Kaminski [Class of 1964] showed up with the “Big Idea.” As I look back and I think of the most significant defining moment, it is me realizing we’re making an impact. Not just realizing, but accepting and embracing. The “Big Idea” evolved into the Institute for Future Conflict, and it required that the Academy — particularly the Dean of Faculty mission element and the superintendent — believe in the concept and what we were doing and support it. The evolution of the “Big Idea” into the Institute for Future Conflict was a real defining moment for me in seeing that, when we get to a point where we have true trust, mutual respect and cooperation between the Foundation and USAFA, we can do great things.

Gilbert: Our mission is to support the Academy to build leaders of character, right? And to do that, they need infrastructure, they need process and they need people. Our fundraising did all three. But the infrastructure, I think, is the start. The Madera Cyber Innovation Center, Kucera Legacy Center, Hosmer Visitor Center, Wecker Hall, Hotel Polaris — they are the infrastructure changes that we’ve been a part of. And that will result in continuing to allow the processes of programs like the Institute of Future Conflict and Martinson Honors Program to make a difference. And then we’ve added people, too. I think it’s the combination of actually seeing some of the tangible infrastructure programs that came out of the campaign that was exciting for me.

Banet: Obviously, many new projects and programs have come online in the last seven years and are still coming online here in the next few months, some of which you already mentioned. How would you both describe how the introduction of programs such as the IFC and Martinson Honors Program are influencing cadets to become future warfighters?

Gilbert: The character of conflict continues to change, and so the Academy has to change. As Dr. Kaminski referenced with his “Big Idea,” we have to skate not to where the puck is but where it’s going — a famous Wayne Gretzky quote. Our job as the Foundation is to support the superintendent, the dean and the commandant as the threats change and as they determine how the training and the process have to adapt to get our end result.

Kucera: In a perfect world, from a certain perspective, these cadets who are there today, it’s all they’ve ever known. So, it isn’t different to them — it just is. When I look at the Institute for Future Conflict and the Martinson Honors Program, for example, those are really about skating to where the puck is going to be. We are no longer just relying on cadets to attempt to gain an appointment to the Academy. We’re actively recruiting outstanding, service-minded young people to come to USAFA. We’ve always said we go after the best and the brightest, but these students interested in the honors program are academic superstars. The IFC, the Martinson Honors Program and other investments are helping young people decide that they want to go to the Air Force Academy. We’ve done a great job of aligning donor intentions with the needs of the Academy and our nation in preparing cadets for the future of warfare.

Banet: How does the addition of new buildings and programs compare to expectations?

Kucera: They’re world-class buildings that are changing the landscape of the Academy forever. And at least for me and Alex, every one of these buildings has exceeded expectations, and ideally, we hope they exceeded the donors’ expectations across the board.

Gilbert: I agree that we exceeded fundraising and donor expectations. And really what that means is we also set up the organization — the Association and Foundation — for even greater success down the road. We have the infrastructure to implement another campaign, to implement more and better, whether they’re buildings or programs or processes. I don’t want to put words in Jack’s mouth, but I think we’re both incredibly proud of the organization that’s going to continue this, because we would be remiss if we just built a few of these buildings and then went into hibernation, right? Yeah, we’re excited about the new buildings and expanded programs. But we’re equally excited about the organization going to the next level and getting to 30,000 donors and whatever the next campaign aims to do. One of the intended outcomes was increased organizational capacity. This is a piece that we’ve accomplished and that we have to maintain moving forward.

Banet: What other comments do you have about particular programs supported during the campaign?

Kucera: At the outset, our No. 1 goal wasn’t to raise $270 million; our No. 1 goal was to elevate graduate participation and awareness, and the fact that we’ve had nearly 20,000 people contribute to this campaign speaks to that. We were successful in getting our graduates to be more engaged in what’s going on with the Air Force Academy and supporting it.

Gilbert: To the nearly 20,000 donors: You made a difference. Thank you. Thank you to the graduates, the parents, the grandparents, the friends, families, and corporate and foundation partners. This engagement is what sets us up for the future.

Kucera: We also increase graduate awareness by increasing cadet awareness, and that goes back to the whole naming rights thing. Does it matter if cadets know who Bart Holaday [Class of 1965] or Paul Madera [Class of 1978] were? Perhaps, but what’s really important is for those and other names on buildings to communicate to cadets that there are graduates and donors out there who are supporting their efforts, and hopefully the cadets will leave the Academy with a sense of, “I need to give back in the future when I can.”

Banet: What will the board focus on post-campaign, and what are your hopes for the next one?

Kucera: We’re always building for the future, and somebody has to replace the generous board directors who will be completing their service to the Foundation soon. I know that it’s a big part of your job and responsibilities to continue to recruit directors. An awful lot of our support comes from people who have fully vetted what the Foundation is doing and chosen to commit their time and resources to it. Each of us can be called on to pitch people as needed.

Banet: What closing message do you have for our campaign donors?

Kucera: We are grateful for every single donor who participated in the Defining Our Future campaign. When we give, there’s a sacrificial “I’m committed to the Air Force Academy” dynamic that’s going on, and we feel a tremendous sense of appreciation for every donor’s belief in the Academy, as well as the Association and Foundation. Together, we did it.

Gilbert: Because of nearly 20,000 donors, this campaign was successful. And that success will continue to foster more successes at the Academy and within the Association and Foundation. Each donor can say, “This is our Academy, and I helped improve how it develops leaders of character. I helped define our future.”