Podcasts about Chesterfield County

The betting on a fusion-powered future is heating up with Google's deal to purchase 200 megawatts of power from Commonwealth Fusion Systems planned fusion power plant in Chesterfield County, Virginia. Rick Needham, chief commercial officer of Commonwealth Fusion Systems, who struck the deal with the tech giant, speaks with Host Llewellyn King and Co-host Adam Clayton Powell III.

In the 2nd hour Jeff talks about Chesterfield County and Ice then chats with Stan Andrewski.

Atop the 7 o'clock hour, we check in with Virginia Delegate and attorney Mark Earley Jr., who reflects on ICE-spawned detentions in Chesterfield County (and the protests thereagainst).

Plus: A fire broke out in Shockoe Bottom; "Significant weaknesses” were found in an audit in how the City of Richmond oversees government employee credit cards; and other stories.

Reports of more than a dozen people being detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, at the Chesterfield County Courthouse has led to protests in the Richmond suburb. Brad Kutner has more. 

Plus: UVA professors ask board to hold off on further DEI dismantling, Richmond's mayor is calling on regional leaders for water infrastructure solutions, Chesterfield County is now on fire ant quarantine — and more Central Virginia news.

On the latest episode of Chesterfield Behind the Mic, we talk to Nate Wise with SOAR365 about the important work the organization does, how its programming differs between children and adults, the long history of summer camps they've offered at Camp Baker in Chesterfield, and how folks can get involved or even volunteer to help those who need these types of services.   Credits: Director: Martin Stith Executive Producer: Teresa Bonifas Producer/Writer/Host: Brad Franklin Director of Photography/Editor: Matt Boyce Producer/Camera Operator: Martin Stith and Matt Neese Graphics: Debbie Wrenn Promotions and Media: J. Elias O'Neal, Katie Cominsky, and Lina Chadouli   Music: Hip Hop This by Seven Pounds Inspiring Electronic Rock by Alex Grohl   Guest: Nate Wise, SOAR365   Recorded in-house by Communications and Media   Chesterfield.gov/podcast     Follow us on social media! On Facebook, like our page: Chesterfield Behind the Mic. On Twitter, you can find us at @ChesterfieldVa and on Instagram it's @ChesterfieldVirginia. And you can also watch the podcast on WCCT TV Thursday through Sunday at 7 p.m. as well as on weekends at noon on Comcast Channel 98 and Verizon Channel 28.  

The Chesterfield County charter has had an extraordinary journey over more than 275 years — disappearing multiple times along the way before ending up in the library's hands in 2017.

The Thanksgiving Shooting and the Police Trauma response. A Domestic violence call In Virginia that escalated to three people being shot. And Police Officers fired upon. A Domestic Dispute call in Virginia turned into an Active Shooter. Where the suspect shot 3 people and also fired on Police Officers at the scene. This assault took place on a Thanksgiving. A former Chesterfield County Virginia Police Officer tells the story of the incident and their actions. It is also promoted across their Facebook , Instagram , LinkedIn , Medium and other platforms. Kyle "Ashley" Woods is our guest and he tells the tale. He talks about the tactical response and the reasons why they did what they did. Kyle also discussed the trauma response he experience, both during and after the incident. The Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast episode is available for free on their website, Apple Podcasts, Spotify and most major podcast platforms. “You train for it, you think you're ready for it… but when it actually happens, nothing prepares you for the real thing.” These are the words of former Chesterfield County Police Officer Kyle “Ashley” Woods as he recounted a Thanksgiving that turned into a violent and traumatic ordeal, not only for the victims but also for the police officers who responded to the call. In a gripping episode of the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast, Woods shares the harrowing details of a domestic violence call that escalated into an active shooter situation in Chesterfield County, Virginia. What started as a typical domestic dispute report quickly spiraled into chaos, leaving three people shot and officers dodging bullets at the scene. The Thanksgiving Shooting and the Police Trauma response. Look for supporting stories about this and much more from Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast in platforms like Medium , Blogspot and Linkedin . A Holiday Marred by Violence The incident unfolded on a Thanksgiving, a time typically reserved for family and gratitude. But for Woods and his fellow officers, it became a life-threatening crisis. “A call came in, domestic in nature, nothing out of the ordinary on the surface,” Woods explained. “But the second we arrived, everything went sideways. Shots were already fired, people were already down. And then he turned on us.” Available for free on their website and streaming on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and other podcast platforms. Woods described the tactical response that followed, the quick decisions, the coordination, and the sheer intensity of responding under fire. He explained that while training prepares officers for high-pressure situations, the reality of being fired upon brings a level of psychological stress that lingers long after the gunfire ends. The Lingering Trauma Woods was candid about the aftermath, not just the physical toll but the emotional scars. “That day stuck with me,” he said. “Even after the reports were done, after the scene was cleared… the trauma didn't stop.” The Thanksgiving Shooting and the Police Trauma response. As a result of his experiences, Woods developed a deeper understanding of how critical incidents affect not just victims and families, but first responders themselves. It's a perspective he brings to his podcast, Critical Incidents, where he now invites others to share their stories of trauma, resilience, and recovery. Domestic Violence and the Holidays: A Complex Picture Domestic violence can spike around the holiday season, a trend that many in law enforcement, including Woods, have seen firsthand. While some data suggests a decrease in calls to national hotlines during actual holidays like Thanksgiving or New Year's Day, crisis centers report a significant surge in victims seeking help from late November through January. You can listen to his stories and interview on our website for free in addition to platforms like Apple Podcasts and Spotify, and other major podcast platforms. Experts point to a combination of factors: heightened stress, financial pressures, family tensions, and increased alcohol consumption. All of these can contribute to volatile situations that sometimes explode into violence. “The holidays bring out both the best and the worst in people,” said Woods. “For many families, it's joy. For others, it's barely contained chaos. And sometimes, that chaos turns deadly.” The Thanksgiving Shooting and the Police Trauma response. Understanding the Psychology of Mass Shooters Various groups have studied the psychological backgrounds of mass shooters. Research shows that many perpetrators have troubling histories, including severe childhood trauma and signs of emotional crisis prior to their acts of violence. According to The Violence Project, over 80% of mass shooters were in some form of crisis, and a majority had suicidal ideations before or during the attack. “These aren't just cold, calculated monsters,” Woods said. “Often, they're deeply broken individuals. Understanding that doesn't excuse the act, but it might help us prevent the next one.” Follow the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and podcast on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Medium and most all social media platforms. The Mission Behind Critical Incidents Founded by Woods, Critical Incidents is more than just a podcast. It's a platform for understanding how defining moments, from near-death experiences to frontline trauma, shape who we are. Each episode features candid conversations with individuals from all walks of life, including first responders, trauma survivors who have faced extraordinary challenges. The Thanksgiving Shooting and the Police Trauma response. Woods explained, “This podcast is about connection. It's about understanding what people go through and how they come out the other side. Sometimes they're stronger. Sometimes they're still healing. But either way, their stories matter.” About Chesterfield County and Its Police Force Chesterfield County, located just south of Richmond, Virginia, is home to a diverse and growing population of over 364,000 residents. The Chesterfield County Police Department, founded in 1914, has a long-standing reputation for professionalism and community service, with approximately 500 sworn officers and over 100 professional staff members. The interview is available as a free podcast on the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and podcast website, also available on platforms like Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most major podcast outlets. Despite its size and resources, no department is immune to the emotional toll of critical incidents like the one that occurred on that Thanksgiving Day. A Call for Awareness and Support Woods hopes that by sharing his story and those of others through The Critical Incidents Podcast, the public will gain a deeper understanding of the realities faced by police officers, trauma survivors, and anyone who's lived through a life-altering event. “The job is tough,” he said. “But it's the human side of these stories that needs to be heard. That's how we learn. That's how we heal.” The Thanksgiving Shooting and the Police Trauma response. Do a search online to find the Critical Incidents Podcast. You can listen to the interview with him on the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast, available for free on their website, also on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and most major podcast platforms. You can also follow them on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X and other Social Media Platforms. You can help contribute money to make the Gunrunner Movie . The film that Hollywood won't touch. It is about a now Retired Police Officer that was shot 6 times while investigating Gunrunning. He died 3 times during Medical treatment and was resuscitated. You can join the fight by giving a monetary “gift” to help ensure the making of his film at agunrunnerfilm.com . Your golden years are supposed to be easy and worry free, at least in regards to finances. If you are over 70, you can turn your life insurance policy into cash. Visit LetSavings.com , LetSavings.com or call (866) 480-4252, (866) 480-4252, again that's (866) 480 4252 to see if you qualify. Learn useful tips and strategies to increase your Facebook Success with John Jay Wiley. Both free and paid content are available on this Patreon page . Time is running out to secure the Medicare coverage you deserve! Whether you're enrolling for the first time or looking for a better plan, our experts help you compare options to get more benefits, lower costs, and keep your doctors, all for free! Visit LetHealthy.com , that's LetHealthy.com or call (866) 427-1225, (866) 427-1222 to learn more. Find a wide variety of great podcasts online at The Podcast Zone Facebook Page , look for the one with the bright green logo. Be sure to check out our website . Be sure to follow us on MeWe , X , Instagram , Facebook, Pinterest, Linkedin and other social media platforms for the latest episodes and news. Background song Hurricane is used with permission from the band Dark Horse Flyer. You can contact John J. “Jay” Wiley by email at Jay@letradio.com , or learn more about him on their website . Get the latest news articles, without all the bias and spin, from the Law Enforcement Talk Radio Show and Podcast on Medium , which is free. The Thanksgiving Shooting and the Police Trauma response. Attributions Chesterfield County Va. Police Department 12 News Violence Free Colorado Wikipedia NIJ Critical Incidents Podcast

VPM Host Lyndon German and BizSense Reporter Jack Jacobs discuss the top business stories across the Richmond region. This week's stories include the closing of a Carytown brewery, the Byrd Theatre seat replacement project, VCU Health's Chesterfield County expansion and a proposed subdivision in Goochland County.

In this episode of Build Momentum, we are joined by Dr. James Lane, Chief Executive Officer of PDK International, a nonprofit that supports those who work in public education, and its community-based movement Educators Rising. He has served at the federal, state, and local levels: in the U.S. Department of Education as Acting Assistant Secretary and Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education; as Superintendent of Public Instruction in Virginia; and as Superintendent of three Virginia school divisions in Chesterfield County, Goochland County, and Middlesex County. Dr. Lane is also a former school principal and band director.Some Questions We Ask:Tell us more about your career at all levels of K-12 education and now as a leader at PDK? (01:22)What is the most rewarding aspect of your career? (05:01)What insights from your time in the Department of Education surprised you—and were there any misconceptions about the superintendency that you experienced while working as a policymaker? (08:02)What are your thoughts about the 2023 RAND study, and do you have similar perspectives as other superintendents? (12:36)What are your strategies for bringing the community together to see your vision? (17:09)How have you been able to connect with the whole community to support you along the way in your career? (22:59)What is your opinion regarding humanizing the role of superintendents? (28:36)What advice would you give to supporters of K-12 education about advocating for district leaders? (33:13)In This Episode, You Will Learn:About Dr. James Lane (01:32)Rewarding aspect of his expansive career (05:20)Insights he gained and misconceptions he encountered (08:21)Thoughts about the 2023 RAND study (13:06)Strategies for bringing the community together (17:34)How he connected with the community (23:13)His thoughts on humanizing the role of superintendents (28:51)Advice on advocating for K-12 district leaders (33:47)Quotes:“For me, the rewarding part of education is working with kids and preparing them for an amazing life and career and job and everything else. And I tried to remember that in every role I've ever been in.”“The very best school districts I've seen have stability in the board and the superintendent, and then that leads to stability in the principalship, of the teachers, and of expectations around what we do in schools.”“What your families want for their kids is important. Be willing to change what you want to do in that community based on the feedback of families.”“The best thing that we can do to improve schools is make sure there's a great teacher in every classroom who's engaging parents and students.”Stay in touch with Dr. James Lane:PDK InternationalEducators RisingLinkedIn Stay in touch with Sarah Williamson:SWPR GROUP WebsiteLinkedInStay in touch with Chad Bolser:LinkedInAbout "The Secret to Transformational Leadership," which Sarah co-authored with Dr. Quintin Shepherd:Transformational Leadership Secret websitePurchase the print or ebook

The approved budget is not official yet, as Gov. Glenn Youngkin has until May 2 to make changes to the state's budget. In other news: Charlottesville City Schools delay school zone speed cameras; new superintendents voted in for Goochland and Hanover counties; and other news.

Chesterfield Sports Enterprise will kick off construction in the coming days on an 89,000-square-foot facility that is set to feature two professional-level ice rinks; The Novelis plant on Reymet Road in Chesterfield County will close May 30 as part of the company's overall restructuring; New brunch spot Sassy's is set to open this summer in the former Butterbean Market & Café in Southside Richmond; and the owners of local fried chicken chain Cocky Rooster have a new sports bar in Midlothian.

Goldshore Resources Intersects Shallow Mineralization at Moss. Independence Gold Intersects Significant Gold and Silver Mineralization in the Johnny Vein System at the 3Ts Project, BC. Several financing deals were announced.  Arras Minerals announced that it has entered into an agreement to sell, up to 15m common shares. Carolina Rush announced the results of its maiden Mineral Resource Estimate for the Brewer Gold-Copper Project in Chesterfield County, South Carolina. Orezone announced operational and financial results for the fourth quarter and full year ended December 31, 2024, along with its 2025 guidance. This episode of Mining Stock Daily is brought to you by…Integra ResourcesIntegra is a growing precious metals producer in the Great Basin of the Western United States. Integra is focused on demonstrating profitability and operational excellence at its principal operating asset, the Florida Canyon Mine, located in Nevada. In addition, Integra is committed to advancing its flagship development-stage heap leach projects: the past producing DeLamar Project located in southwestern Idaho, and the Nevada North Project located in western Nevada. Learn more about the business and their high industry standards over at integraresources.com

The multimillion dollar agreement between Chesterfield County and Competitive Racing Investments ushers in a new era of racing for the longtime stock car racetrack that's been closed since 2020; The JXN Project was recently awarded $75,000 through the Virginia Museum of History and Culture's Commonwealth History Fund to assist in its effort to rebuild the Skipwith-Roper Cottage; The Hadad family is putting its namesake-lake and popular recreational space up for sale; and co-founders Carlisle Bannister and Christy Dobrucky opened a second Supper Club location at the Promenade at Winterfield mixed-use development.

Plus: General Assembly legislation around data centers, a new Albemarle County litter cleanup program, new leash laws for dogs in Chesterfield County and other stories.

The State Crime Commission has endorsed a piece of legislation relating to Virginia's former chief serologist, whose work at the state crime lab was scrutinized with the VPM podcast Admissible: Shreds of Evidence.    In other news: Virginia's vehicle inspection stickers are changing, Chesterfield County has a new superintendent and Albemarle County has a website for permit applications now.    You can listen to Admissible wherever you get your podcasts.    Today's top audio stories include the latest on Mary Jane Burton's legacy, the federal government's settlement with Perdue Farms over labor violations in the Eastern Shore — and more Central Virginia news.   

Our top audio stories today include an update on the ongoing water situation in the City of Richmond, an update on the ongoing water situation in Henrico County and an update on the ongoing water situation's effects in Chesterfield County. We'll be updating our primary post in English and Spanish throughout the week; keep checking back. For the latest water news, visit vpm.org/richmond.

Kailyn Batten joined me for a conversation 18 months ago just days before she started Recruit School 67 with Chesterfield County. Today, fully qualified and off probation she joined me again to talk about her six month recruit academy and her first year on the job. Don't forget to follow us on Facebook and Instagram!Questions or comments, email firehouselogbookpodcast@gmail.com

On the latest episode of Chesterfield Behind the Mic, we talk to veteran Content Writer Jim McConnell about the year that was 2024 in Chesterfield County, looking at some of the stories that stood out to us most throughout the year on both the podcast and the Chesterfield On Point blog.   Credits: Director: Martin Stith Executive Producer: Teresa Bonifas Producer/Writer/Host: Brad Franklin Director of Photography/Editor: Matt Boyce Producer/Camera Operator: Martin Stith and Matt Neese Graphics: Debbie Wrenn Promotions and Media: J. Elias O'Neal, Katie Cominsky, and Lina Chadouli   Music: Hip Hop This by Seven Pounds Inspiring Electronic Rock by Alex Grohl   Guest: Jim McConnell, Creative Content Writer   Recorded in-house by Communications and Media   Chesterfield.gov/podcast     Follow us on social media! On Facebook, like our page: Chesterfield Behind the Mic. On Twitter, you can find us at @ChesterfieldVa and on Instagram it's @ChesterfieldVirginia. And you can also watch the podcast on WCCT TV Thursday through Sunday at 7 p.m. as well as on weekends at noon on Comcast Channel 98 and Verizon Channel 28.

We're experimenting and would love to hear from you!In this episode of Discover Daily, we explore OpenAI's innovative 1-800-CHATGPT service. This new initiative allows users in the US and Canada to interact with ChatGPT through voice calls, with a monthly limit of 15 minutes per phone number. The service extends globally through WhatsApp integration, demonstrating OpenAI's commitment to democratizing AI access across different platforms and user needs.We delve into Commonwealth Fusion Systems' ambitious project to construct the world's first grid-scale commercial fusion power plant in Chesterfield County, Virginia. This revolutionary facility, known as ARC, promises to generate 400 megawatts of zero-carbon electricity, potentially powering 150,000 homes. The multi-billion dollar project, set to connect to the grid in the early 2030s, represents a significant leap forward in clean energy innovation and economic development.Our main story examines the fascinating Magic Spell Hypothesis, revealed by MIT researchers, which challenges traditional understanding of legal document complexity. Through extensive analysis and creative experiments comparing legal texts to magic spells, the study suggests that the intricate language of legal documents is intentionally designed to convey authority and special status, rather than being a product of historical evolution. This groundbreaking research has important implications for the future of legal communication and accessibility.From Perplexity's Discover Feed:https://www.perplexity.ai/page/1-800-chatgpt-aUk5561qS3mKVsXMcMgsZAhttps://www.perplexity.ai/page/world-s-first-fusion-power-pla-cvpvbLC1T3CpQUdSNceExAhttps://www.perplexity.ai/page/the-magic-spell-hypothesis-n5tkbs1JR4OGww9A25c9ZAPerplexity is the fastest and most powerful way to search the web. Perplexity crawls the web and curates the most relevant and up-to-date sources (from academic papers to Reddit threads) to create the perfect response to any question or topic you're interested in. Take the world's knowledge with you anywhere. Available on iOS and Android Join our growing Discord community for the latest updates and exclusive content. Follow us on: Instagram Threads X (Twitter) YouTube Linkedin

Richmond's search for its preferred development team for the seemingly stagnant City Center redevelopment project is said to be down to one team and in final negotiations as the slow-moving process enters a third year; VCU Athletics' new hub near The Diamond took a step closer to becoming reality last week; and a startup that was spun out of MIT is planning to build what it hopes will be the world's first commercial nuclear fusion power plant in Chesterfield County.

Carol Ansbro, Marion Bamforth, Susan Morris, and Mary Helliwell decided to recreate a fun vacation photo from over 50 years ago.    AND   On a chilly night in Chesterfield County, an entire community came together to wrap one woman, Tracy Demeyer, in the warmth of Christmas.   To see videos and photos referenced in this episode, visit GodUpdates! https://www.godtube.com/blog/recreate-a-fun-vacation-photo.html  https://www.godtube.com/blog/woman-with-weeks-to-live.html  Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

In Episode 89 we became acquainted with Sheriff Karl Leonard of Chesterfield County, Virginia. We circled back with the Sheriff to meet his Behavioral and Mental Health Division Director, Kerri Rhodes. Kerri is no stranger to the tragedy of addiction, but in looking for a way to heal herself, she found a pathway at the Sheriff's HARP program by helping incarcerated individuals with addictions and introducing a coping and healing mechanism called Trauma Tapping. According to Kerri, Trauma Tapping is based on acupuncture and works with the 12 energy meridians in the body. As a clinician, Kerri is the first to admit that she was highly skeptical of how Trauma Tapping could help people to break free from long-standing addiction, and emotional and psychological barriers. With training and consistent effort, Kerri started to see the positive results of this untraditional treatment not just with the incarcerated individuals, but even the correction officers and other members of the Sheriffs' staff. Standing by their, ‘we do crazy' mantra, Kerri launched a series of Trauma Tapping videos for Tik Tok Tuesdays. It wasn't long before these videos garnered millions more views, but also attracted the attention of Bunnie, wife of country music artist, Jelly Roll. Once Jelly Roll started following the Trauma Tapping videos that were posted, weekly, millions more opted in to watch this unique and evidence-based treatment. In 2023 Jelly Roll made his first in-person visit to the Chesterfield County jail, asking to ‘meet the tapping lady'. He returned again in the Fall of 2024, while touring, and made a one-of-a-kind grand gesture, that impacted more than the men behind the wall.

You have to love a person who has spent 43 years in a career and when asked ‘When are you retiring' their response is, ‘When I don't have anything else to learn'. Sheriff Karl Leonard of Chesterfield, Virginia, is that person. For his entire career, he's been a public servant; from a military career to the Chesterfield Police Department to the Pentagon and now the Sheriff of Chesterfield County, and despite all he's experienced, he continues to understand the human condition and find ways to be progressive to help those under his watch. His transparency in taking over the Sheriff's office is refreshing, as he's the first to admit that there was no Sheriff's instruction book. When his jail was inundated, daily, with locals, addicted to Heroin he trusted his instincts and felt that a higher power was guiding him. This led to the creation of the HARP program, a peer mentor-run program that over the last eight years has successfully helped 3500 people, overcome not just Heroin but other drug or alcohol addictions. As Sheriff Leonard says, ‘There's a lot of good people behind bars, and there are bad people too, that deserve to spend their lives there, but that's a small percentage of incarcerated people, and when you learn about (the good people) and their life and the challenges they grew up in, since birth, these are good people with bad circumstances presented to them…'

6pm: Guest - Puget Sound Energy Spokesperson Melanie Coon // SE had 416,488 customers out of power this morning // Assessing the damage from the Bomb Cyclone and why another one might be right behind it // Rantz: Why are some pretending the atmospheric bomb windstorm in Washington wasn’t a big deal? // John Tells the History of the Five Day Forecast // Guest - Sheriff Karl Leonard - Chesterfield County Virgina // Sheriff Leonard started “HARP” (Helping Addicts Recovery Progressively Program) at the Chesterfield County Jail // Country star Jelly Roll brings Chesterfield County inmates on stage to perform at his Show in Charlottesville, VA earlier this month // Someone Is About to Pay $1 Million or More for a Banana Duct-Taped to a Wall

3pm: Guest - Puget Sound Energy Spokesperson Melanie Coon // SE had 416,488 customers out of power this morning // Assessing the damage from the Bomb Cyclone and why another one might be right behind it // Rantz: Why are some pretending the atmospheric bomb windstorm in Washington wasn’t a big deal? // John Tells the History of the Five Day Forecast // Guest - Sheriff Karl Leonard - Chesterfield County Virgina // Sheriff Leonard started “HARP” (Helping Addicts Recovery Progressively Program) at the Chesterfield County Jail // Country star Jelly Roll brings Chesterfield County inmates on stage to perform at his Show in Charlottesville, VA earlier this month // Someone Is About to Pay $1 Million or More for a Banana Duct-Taped to a Wall

Have a comment? Send us a text! (We read all of them)In this episode of Faithful Politics, hosts Will Wright and Pastor Josh Burtram sit down with Congresswoman Jennifer McClellan, who represents Virginia's 4th congressional district, for an engaging conversation. They discuss everything from the challenges and successes she's faced in her first year in Congress to her thoughts on vital issues such as voting rights, climate change, and gun control.Jennifer shares her personal experiences, like overcoming barriers in her own family's voting history, and delves into topics like the significance of climate change for military readiness and the broader implications of criminal justice reform. They also explore her thoughts on the upcoming election, her optimism for the future of America, and what it would mean to have Kamala Harris as the nation's first woman and first Black woman president.As always, Will and Josh keep the conversation lively and personal, even throwing in a fun discussion about Halloween costumes! Tune in for an insightful and candid conversation about the intersection of faith, politics, and public service.Listeners will also get a closer look at Jennifer's passion for improving her district through infrastructure projects, federal grants, and her ongoing efforts to push for legislation that supports marginalized communities. Don't miss this episode as they tackle critical political and social issues while maintaining their unique, balanced approach to discourse.Be sure to check out the show notes for links to resources and more information on Congresswoman McClellan's work. As always, keep your conversations not right or left but up!Learn more: https://mcclellan.house.govBio:Jennifer McClellan entered the U.S. Congress in 2023 after winning a special election to replace the late Congressman A. Donald McEachin. A lifelong Virginia native, McClellan was born in Petersburg to parents who served the community: her father worked as a professor at Virginia State University and her mother worked as a counselor at VSU. McClellan attended Matoaca High School in Chesterfield County, where she was valedictorian. She earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Richmond, where she served as a Charter member of the Rho Rho Chapter of the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.  "The Faith Roundtable" is a captivating spinoff from the Faithful Politics podcast, dedicated to exploring the crucial issues facing the church in America today. Hosted by Josh Burtram, this podcast brings together faith leaders, theologians, and scholars for deep, respectful discussions on topics at the heart of American Christianity. From the intersection of faith and public life to urgent matters such as social justice and community engagement, each episode offers insightful conversations Support the showTo learn more about the show, contact our hosts, or recommend future guests, click on the links below: Website: https://www.faithfulpoliticspodcast.com/ Faithful Host: Josh@faithfulpoliticspodcast.com Political Host: Will@faithfulpoliticspodcast.com Twitter: @FaithfulPolitik Instagram: faithful_politics Facebook: FaithfulPoliticsPodcast LinkedIn: faithfulpolitics Subscribe to our Substack: https://faithfulpolitics.substack.com/

Plus: Metallica teams up with Virginia Tech

This week, Candi and Victoria bring updates on the Founding Freedoms Law Center suing the City of Richmond. Plus, you'll hear the testimony from brave parents, speaking up for parental rights in Chesterfield County.

On the latest episode of Chesterfield Behind the Mic, we get you ready for another high school football season around the county by touching base on all 10 schools and discuss the different storylines that are facing the various teams this fall.   Credits: Director: Martin Stith Executive Producer: Teresa Bonifas Producer/Writer/Host: Brad Franklin Director of Photography/Editor: Matt Boyce Producer/Camera Operator: Martin Stith and Matt Neese Graphics: Debbie Wrenn Promotions and Media: J. Elias O'Neal and Katie Cominsky   Music: Hip Hop This by Seven Pounds Inspiring Electronic Rock by Alex Grohl   Guest: Jim McConnell, Creative Content Writer   Recorded in-house by Communications and Media   Chesterfield.gov/podcast     Follow us on social media! On Facebook, like our page: Chesterfield Behind the Mic. On Twitter, you can find us at @ChesterfieldVa and on Instagram it's @ChesterfieldVirginia. And you can also watch the podcast on WCCT TV Thursday through Sunday at 7 p.m. as well as on weekends at noon on Comcast Channel 98 and Verizon Channel 28.  

Henricus Historical Park in Chesterfield County will give visitors a glimpse of what life was like for members of the 124th New York Infantry in the summer of 1864, during a living history event Saturday, Aug. 17, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. That summer, Union Army regiments under Gen. Benjamin Butler occupied the Dutch Gap Canal and Bermuda Hundred in present-day Chesterfield County. In the weeks following, the battle lines of both Union and Confederate troops found themselves at multiple stalemates around Aiken's Landing and Jones Neck in the First and Second Battle of Deep Bottom.​ The Aug. 17...Article LinkSupport the Show.

Roxane Gilmore, the former First Lady of Virginia and a former Henrico teacher, has died. Gilmore served as First Lady when her husband, Jim, was governor of Virginia from 1998 to 2002. Jim Gilmore's political career began in earnest when he served as Henrico Commonwealth's Attorney from 1988 to 1997. Roxane Gilmore also taught in Chesterfield County and later as a professor at Randolph Macon College in Ashland. In a statement Wednesday, Gov. Glenn Youngkin expressed his condolences upon learning of her death. "Suzanne and I are deeply saddened by the passing of our friend, former First Lady Roxane Gilmore,"...Article LinkSupport the Show.

In 2020, Virginia became the first southern state to lay out a legal mandate for a carbon-free electrical grid. That's why it was a surprise to many when Dominion Energy announced plans to build a NEW natural gas plant in Chesterfield County. As Mallory Noe-Payne reports it could be the first of several so-called peaker […]

A Henrico citizen has been selected to serve as race director for one of seven NCAA Triathlon Cup events in the United States. Michael Harlow, the founder and director of Live Red Foundation and Endorphin Fitness, will serve as race director for the Triathlon Cup event scheduled for Sept. 29 at Robious Landing Park in Chesterfield County. Triathlon became an emerging NCAA sport for women in 2014 and was granted full NCAA status when Cal Poly Humbolt became the 40th school to add varsity women's triathlon in 2022. USA Triathlon, the sport's governing body, had been seeking race directors to host...Article LinkSupport the Show.

On the latest episode of Chesterfield Behind the Mic, we talk to director Stephanie Brown about the procurement department, the work it does, the successes the group has seen, and the many ways it plays an integral role in helping Chesterfield lead the way for peers in the region and around the nation.   Credits: Director: Martin Stith Executive Producer: Teresa Bonifas Producer/Writer/Host: Brad Franklin Director of Photography/Editor: Matt Boyce Producer/Camera Operator: Martin Stith and Matt Neese Graphics: Debbie Wrenn Promotions and Media: J. Elias O'Neal and Katie Cominsky   Music: Hip Hop This by Seven Pounds Inspiring Electronic Rock by Alex Grohl   Guests: Stephanie Brown, Director of Procurement   Recorded in-house by Communications and Media   Chesterfield.gov/podcast     Follow us on social media! On Facebook, like our page: Chesterfield Behind the Mic. On Twitter, you can find us at @ChesterfieldVa and on Instagram it's @ChesterfieldVirginia. And you can also watch the podcast on WCCT TV Thursday through Sunday at 7 p.m. as well as on weekends at noon on Comcast Channel 98 and Verizon Channel 28.

Lance Harcrow is chief operating officer at Estes Forwarding Worldwide, a leading domestic and international freight forwarder headquartered in Chesterfield County. VEDP Vice President of Logistics Eric Jehu spoke with Harcrow about the issues his company sees as a logistics provider and how data analysis can transform the supply chain moving forward.

Jason Kiker joins Trent and Patrick on “At Home with Roby”.  Jason graduated from NCSU in 2000 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Forest Management.  He is the Owner and Managing Principal of Kiker Resource Management, a forestry consulting firm that his father started in 1978, and Owner of Buchanan Shoals Sportsman's Preserve.  Founded in 2001, Buchanan Shoals is a 5,500-acre hunting club across Anson and Richmond Counties in NC and Chesterfield County in SC.  The club offers hunting for all major wildlife species in the southeast including waterfowl, deer, turkey, quail, and dove.  Jason shares details about his life as a Registered Forester, the club's history and growth, and how his family is involved in the day-to-day operations. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Waukeshaw Development is working on a slate of new projects that'll bring nearly 400 apartments and new commercial space to Petersburg's Olde Towne area; the effort to line up funding for the long-planned Powhite Parkway extension in western Chesterfield County took another step forward this month; Southside's Coqui Cyclery is reopening as Cornerstone Cycle in early June; and a new bakery is coming to Forest Hill.

Chesterfield County Board of Supervisors member & retired Chesterfield Police Sargent Kevin Carroll joins Jeff to discuss the current process for finding a new Chief of Police for Chesterfield County. 

More than 100 people on three college campuses in Virginia have been arrested since Friday; Richmond FOIA suit; a city transportation department; closed-door Petersburg casino decisions; and early voting in Chesterfield County.

Also: There's another candidate for lieutenant governor in 2025, Henricus Park loses one-third of its funding, and there's an agrihood proposal in Chesterfield County.

Lego is donating money to help plant more than one thousand native trees at Chesterfield parks; Henrico to contribute to Richmond initiative for the unhoused; Hanover to begin work on its portion of the Fall Line Trail; and the city of Richmond offers Co-Star additional incentives.

Administrators' pitch to change the city's approach to financing its massive Diamond District development appeared to land receptively with Richmond City Council; an Atlanta-based development firm is seeking Chesterfield County's approval to tweak a development project in Midlothian; KavaClub looks to finally be on its way to selling its namesake drink; and a West End church is getting ready to go on the move.

On the latest episode of Chesterfield Behind the Mic, Nick Feucht of the Department of Community Enhancement joins the show to talk about housing in the county, his role in the department, how housing fits into the larger picture for economic development efforts, and much more.     Credits: Director: Martin Stith Executive Producer: Teresa Bonifas Producer/Writer/Host: Brad Franklin Director of Photography/Editor: Matt Boyce Producer/Camera Operator: Martin Stith and Matt Neese Graphics: Debbie Wrenn Promotions and Media: J. Elias O'Neal and Katie Cominsky   Music: Hip Hop This by Seven Pounds Inspiring Electronic Rock by Alex Grohl   Guests: Nick Feucht, Real Estate and Housing Coordinator with the Department of Community Enhancement   Recorded in-house by Communications and Media   Chesterfield.gov/podcast     Follow us on social media! On Facebook, like our page: Chesterfield Behind the Mic. On Twitter, you can find us at @ChesterfieldVa and on Instagram it's @ChesterfieldVirginia. And you can also watch the podcast on WCCT TV Thursday through Sunday at 7 p.m. as well as on weekends at noon on Comcast Channel 98 and Verizon Channel 28.

On the latest episode of Chesterfield Behind the Mic, Allyson Butler of Prevention Services joins the show to talk about the “Accidental Drug Dealer” campaign that Chesterfield County's Mental Health Support Services is holding this spring. She talks through the importance of securing and/or disposing of unused medications, the resources that are out there for Chesterfield residents, and much more.   Credits: Director: Martin Stith Executive Producer: Teresa Bonifas Producer/Writer/Host: Brad Franklin Director of Photography/Editor: Matt Boyce Producer/Camera Operator: Martin Stith and Matt Neese Graphics: Debbie Wrenn Promotions and Media: J. Elias O'Neal and Katie Cominsky   Music: Hip Hop This by Seven Pounds Inspiring Electronic Rock by Alex Grohl   Guests: Allyson Butler, Prevention Services of Chesterfield Mental Health Support Services   Recorded in-house by Communications and Media   Chesterfield.gov/podcast     Follow us on social media! On Facebook, like our page: Chesterfield Behind the Mic. On Twitter, you can find us at @ChesterfieldVa and on Instagram it's @ChesterfieldVirginia. And you can also watch the podcast on WCCT TV Thursday through Sunday at 7 p.m. as well as on weekends at noon on Comcast Channel 98 and Verizon Channel 28.

State Senator Ghazala Hashmi hosted a town hall Sunday for Chesterfield County residents to learn more about a proposed Dominion Energy gas plant; Dominion Energy is selling half its interest in the Virginia Beach offshore wind project; Ricmond's finance department plans to complete a review of certain delinquent meals tax bills by July 1st.

Shortly after Longwood College became fully co-ed, Robert Boyd, Tim White, and company set the tone for Longwood Men's Golf.  Arriving in 1977-78, Longwood experienced early success.  White was named Division III All-American in 1980 and is the only golfer named to the Longwood Athletic Hall of Fame (2016).  In 1982, the Lancers won the College Division of the Virginia Intercollegiate Championship.  Robert is retired and lives in Daniel Island, S.C.  Tim is the golf pro at Lake Chesdin Golf Club in Chesterfield County. 

3rd generation warrior, RC-135 pilot, and thought leader, Major Nathan Dial '10, describes his connection to USAFA, his bond with the cadets and how the leadership lessons he learned fuel his drive to serve and support the Long Blue Line. ----more---- SUMMARY Major Dial shares his journey from growing up in a military family to attending the Air Force Academy and becoming a leader in the Air Force. He emphasizes the importance of relationships, approachability, and accountability in leadership. He's kept his connection to the Academy through mentoring cadets and serving on the Association of Graduates board. He is continuously learning and contributing to the discourse through research and writing. Major Dial also discusses the challenges and responsibilities of leadership, including the need to practice what you preach and prioritize personal development, controlling the controllables and dealing with adversity. Finally, the conversation concludes with a discussion on whether leaders are born or made.   OUR FAVORITE QUOTES "Relationships really matter. I think some of my successes would not be available without classmates or upperclassmen who poured into me or offered opportunities or offered help along the way." "Control the controllables. And by that, I mean you control your energy, you control your attitude, you control your effort. And most importantly, you control how you respond to adversity." "Don't be afraid to be vulnerable. Now, you can't be oversharing. But, you're going to know those spots where you can be vulnerable." "I'm a big believer in that you need reps. I think to really hone your skills, your potential, I think you have to have some type of environment that nurtures that out of you." "I think all the best leaders I saw, whether it was cadets or staff or faculty or AOCs, were all approachable and accountable."  - Major Nathan Dial '10   NATE ON OPRAH, AGE 11, APRIL 15, 1999   SHARE THIS EPISODE  FACEBOOK  |  LINKEDIN  |  TWITTER  |  EMAIL   CHAPTERS 00:00:  Introduction and Background 01:32:  Early Life and Influences 03:06:  Choosing the Air Force Academy 05:04:  Journey at the Academy 09:08:  Leadership Development at the Academy 12:50:  Staying Connected to the Academy 18:05:  Leadership Principles 20:20:  Giving Back to the Academy 24:06:  Navigating Highs and Lows 27:40:  Influence of Background on Leadership 29:37:  Making Time for Others 34:06:  Contributing to the Discourse 36:35:  Challenges and Responsibility of Leadership 38:52:  Practicing What You Preach 39:24:  Personal Development and Growth 40:24:  Balancing Personal Interests 41:00:  Controlling the Controllables 42:18:  Dealing with Adversity 43:20:  The Talk: Passing Down Wisdom   OUR FAVORITE TAKEAWAYS - Building strong relationships and treating people with respect are essential in leadership. - Leaders should be approachable and accountable to foster trust and accomplish goals. - Continuous learning and contributing to the discourse are important for personal and professional growth. - Leaders have a responsibility to navigate challenges, practice what they preach, and prioritize their own development. - Balance personal interests to maintain a well-rounded life. - Control the controllables, including energy, attitude, effort, and response to adversity. - Adversity can be a catalyst for growth and empathy. - Passing down wisdom through 'The Talk' is an important tradition that evolves with time. - Leaders are made through nurturing and developing their skills and experiences.     NATE'S BIO 14-year Active-Duty Air Force Officer, Combat Pilot, PhD with a concentration on NATO in the 21st Century. Well-versed in qualitative and quantitative research of public policy and sports analytics. Interested in opportunities advising/helping think-tanks, startups, boards, and private companies analyze, break down, and solve complex problems.  US Air Force Academy 2010  Harvard Kennedy School MPP 2012  ENJJPT 2013  Northwestern Political Science, Ph.D. 2021 ASG Rising Leader 2022 EC-130 Pilot  RC-135 Pilot Facebook:  Nathan Dial  |  Twitter:  therealnatedial  |  Instagram:  dial_like_thesoap  |  Linkedin:  Nathan Dial - Bio copy and image credit:  www.drnathandial.com  CONNECT WITH NATE  |  LEARN MORE  | AN IMPRESSIVE BODY OF WORK   ABOUT LONG BLUE LEADERSHIP Long Blue Leadership drops every two weeks on Tuesdays and is available on Apple Podcasts, TuneIn + Alexa, Spotify and all your favorite podcast platforms. Search @AirForceGrads on your favorite social channels for Long Blue Leadership news and updates!   FULL TRANSCRIPT SPEAKERS Our host is Dr. Doug Lindsay '92  |  Our guest is Major Nathan Dial '10   Maj. Nate Dial  00:00 I think we all have strengths, weaknesses. And so, being authentic to yourself of how are you building a team that highlights your strengths and weaknesses and being self-reflecting self-critical and doing what those are. So, I think that's probably the first thing I think for any leader. I think all the best ones I've been around have all been very, very self-aware. And so, I think that will be the challenge. I think for everybody, how are you self-aware around strengths or weaknesses. Don't be afraid to be vulnerable. I think, you know, you're gonna kind of pick and choose those moments. You'll know those moments. And so, I would try to tell people as they try to think about that.   Doug Lindsay  01:13 My guest today is major Nate Dial, a 2010 graduate of the Air Force Academy, with a bachelor's degree in economics. As a cadet, he was the fall 2009 Cadet Wing Commander, who was also the summer 2009 Basic Cadet Training Director of Operations, soaring instructor, Naval Academy exchange cadet, and he even spent a summer in Peru in an immersion program. He's a 13-year active-duty Air Force officer currently flying RC-135 reconnaissance aircraft out of Omaha, Nebraska. Major Dial's desire to feed his mind and grow as a leader is pretty insatiable. He earned a Master's in Public Policy from the Harvard Kennedy School in 2012. He completed the Euro NATO joint jet pilot training program in 2013. And he even received a doctorate in political science in 2021, with his concentration being on NATO in the 21st century. He is a 2021 Air Force Academy Young Alumni Excellence Award winner, and in 2022, completed the Aspen Strategy Group Rising Leaders program. He is a student and analyst of public policy, and commits time to solving the complex problems that think tank startups' boards and private companies sometimes face. He is also a member of the United States Air Force Academy Association of Graduates' board of directors. Major Dial, thank you for being with us today on the Long Blue Leadership podcast.   Maj. Nate Dial  02:32 Happy to be here. Looking forward to the conversation.   Doug Lindsay  02:35 Do you mind telling us a little bit about where you grew up, you know, kind of where you started and what that was like, and what kind of influences had an impact on you when you started?   Maj. Nate Dial  02:43 For sure. So, my dad was in the Army 30 years. And my mom is a professor who traveled the world with my dad getting a job at the local college, wherever that was. So obviously military was huge for me growing up with around a bunch of the kid. And then education was huge, too with my mom. So naturally with those two items, discipline, reading a lot. And I was a pretty decent little athlete growing up — I played basketball, golf and soccer growing up as a kid. So, you put all that together and naturally kind of led me towards a life of service and a life of service through the military with hopefully one of the academies.   Doug Lindsay  03:18 You moved around a lot during that 30 years. I'm assuming were there any places that really left an impact on your memory for you.   Maj. Nate Dial  03:25 For sure. So, just to give you a quick rundown: So, born in Buffalo, New York, spent time in Seoul, Korea; Richmond, Virginia; Columbia, South Carolina; Carlisle, Pennsylvania; and my dad ultimately retired in '03 in Richmond — that's pretty much home now. They've been there ever since [in?] the same house. The places that stick out, everybody has a kind of an indelible mark on my life. But Richmond, Virginia, really is home. I mean, I was there kindergarten through third grade, and then I returned 10th through 12th grade. So, it's pretty much my central upbringing at this point. So that's, that's probably the place I would call closest.   Doug Lindsay  04:00 And was that idea of, kind of with your dad serving? And if I remember right, your grandfather served as well. A path for you. Is that why the Academy kind of resonate or you decided to go there? What was that thought process?   Maj. Nate Dial  04:12 That was huge for me. And so, you're trying to figure out a place to serve that you feel comfortable. As a kid, when my dad was at the Army War College from 1999 to 2003. You get to see a lot of different Academy people come through Naval Air Force army, my dad's ROTC guy from Northern Illinois. So, a lot of those people, when they would see me — especially as a kid — I played a lot of golf. So, my dad ironically didn't play a lot of golf or wasn't very good. And so, as you know, as an officer, especially, oh 506 is at the War College golf huge. And so, he would actually have to go fill in for him a lot of times because I was a pretty decent player. And so, I would be 12, 11 years old playing with these Academy guys like, “Hey, Nate, like if you keep progressing you'd be a great Academy kid.” So that was pretty much embedded in me from age of about 9 to 13. And it kind of never really shook away from me growing up, so it was always kind of in the background in the foreground for me my whole life. Like all kids around my generation, I was 6 years old, I saw “Top Gun.” So, I wanted to be the black Maverick. I wanted to go mach 2 with my hair on fire. But a couple family, friends and uncles have boats and I got seasick every time. So that eliminated the Navy. And I don't swim the greatest. Definitely eliminated the Naval Academy. I didn't like camping as a kid either. And so, my dad, being an Army guy, was like, “You're just not built for it. You're not built to be an Army. So, you should do that we do the Air Force Academy thing.” It's kind of matched up to the dad's wishes, and also my desire to fly. The Air Force Academy was the only Academy I applied to; I only did that in Air Force ROTC coming out of high school. So, I was pretty determined that that was my direction.   Doug Lindsay  05:42 When did this idea of leadership really kind of start to come on if you could spend a little bit of time talking about that?   Maj. Nate Dial  05:48 Yeah, I'll kind of back up in time on that one in terms of service and leadership. It really started when I was 12 years old. So, in fifth grade, again, moved around a lot. So, I went from a really affluent area in Chesterfield County in the suburb of Richmond, Virginia, to Carlisle, and went from a brand-new school with one of the best libraries you could ever imagine to a not-as-great school and not a great a very old library. And so, as a huge reader as a kid, I was pretty determined to try to help and try to figure out a way to improve that library at the school I was at and Carlisle. And so, I was inspired by Oprah Winfrey; she had this campaign going at the time where she put these large water jugs in the 50 largest malls in America and said, “Hey, people, just throw your loose change in these jugs and our goal is to try to send 50 kids to college.” And they ended up raising a ton of money — enough to send 56 Honestly, kids to college. And that really resonated with me as a kid, I was like, I want to do something like this on a smaller scale for my elementary school to raise money for books. So, I had this idea. I pitched it to people at my dad and mom's work, and they agreed to match whatever money we raised at my local school to buy books for kids. And so, I made this presentation to the school principal and he said we had other funds coming in — “We're not really interested in your program that you want to try to pitch us on.” I continue to read and kind of do it on a local level in my own house; I ended up having over the course of the year about 120 150 bucks that I made, got the matching from my mom and dad's work, and then bought books for every kid in my elementary school class. And so, I wrote Oprah about it and about she inspired me everything else. And then she had me on the show and then donated $5,000, worth of books in my name. And so, at that point, it really kind of made a mark on me of, you know, you can make an impact on this world if you're passionate inspired about a problem or a challenge that you want to go solve. And so, I think that as a 12-year-old kind of got that going in me. And so, it was kind of always looking around places. And so, given the dad service, and then all the absolutely amazing opportunity at the Air Force Academy that kind of led me towards that of like this place will help me go to my highest of heights, whatever is possible for me for sure.   Doug Lindsay  08:08 That idea of wanting to make a difference, right? Why did you feel that calling to want to do that?   Maj. Nate Dial  08:14 I'm not sure if it's really like, “Why me?” I think it's more like, “Why not?” It's kind of how I would answer that. And my parents were always really good about anything that I was passionate about, if nurturing, and if it's educational. If it was about impact, my parents really nurtured it. And they were like, OK, like, let's continue to explore, like, let's ask questions, like, help you. And so, I think having a foundation of a family like that, that didn't put any limits on me and said, “We want to nurture that desire to help.” I think that's probably the why — was that I had this idea. My parents didn't shut it down or poopoo it; they were actually like, yeah, they put gasoline on the fire — let me go burn a little bit more. So that was probably how I would say that's the why. What drew me to the academy over other schools was, I wasn't going to be judged just on my academic performance. It was the academics, it was the military, it was the athletics, it was the leadership. There was so much going on there that I was very much a busybody as a kid. And going there was going to be able to feed that busy bardenas Because there's so much going on, there's 36 hours' worth of things to do what a 24 hour day. So, you were never going to be bored at that institution. So, that really spoke to me. And what's also nice about that, too, is when you have a bad performance, let's say in a Physics 215 class, you can take your frustration down on the intramural field, or help instruct somebody as a soaring IP. So, I think that ability to try to nurture every piece of my brain, any kind of desire I had, was awesome there. So, I think it was just super enriching because again, I would talk about the Academy is it's a, it's a will issue, not a skill issue — that if you have a willpower, there's people at that place that want to help you get there and want to help you succeed. Whether that's your classmates, your upperclassmen are the instructors, people really invested in people becoming their best selves. So, I think that's how I would probably encapsulate my journey there.   Doug Lindsay  10:08 And so there was obviously the individual drive from yourself. But did your faculty staff play a role in that? I mean, how did that shape how you showed up as a cadet?   Maj. Nate Dial  10:17 Yeah, huge. So, I was a track, I think my first two years at the Academy, and my career got ended because of two knee surgeries. So that happened. But what spoke to me around the track team was the late Ralph Lindeman, who was the coach there for many, many years. When you're in your offseason there, he gave you every Wednesday off to go to EI. And so, I always helped me as a freshman understand that athletics isn't my job, my job is school and being the best kid that I can be. And so, I think that's me with a really big foundation around like how to balance and compartmentalize the many parts of your life. So, that was a great foundation as a freshman have, I have this athletic performance I have to do. But at the same time, at the end of the day, like, I'm still a student, I needed to get the best grades I can get, I need to try to make sure I can perform as much as I can. So, I think having that was really huge for me initially. So, that was a great foundation, and an amazing AOC. My freshman year was all about performance. And so, he was a pilot beat to pilot and he was about the numbers. And so, I was a pretty good performer in terms of, like, the knowledge test and my academics and athletics. And so, he was much like, “Hey, man, based on your numbers, like, you can go as far as you want at this place.” And I never really thought about that until we really sat me down and [he?] told me that after my first semester, so that again, like, continue to fuel the fire of, like, just keep pushing the envelope and do as best as you can here. And then the same like my sophomore in junior year at an amazing AOC F 16 pilot type, who continued to nurture me. And then my senior year, my IOC was a maintainer who, again, like, just gave me a lot of that, like broader leadership around how to inspire others. So, I thought all that leadership from the AOCs was great. And then my instructors were amazing. I still talked to my adviser, and my thesis adviser to the Academy. Now, I probably sent him an update email every six months. So, those people who invest in me, I'm always very thankful. And I know I wouldn't be here without a lot of their help and, just, nurturing for sure.   Doug Lindsay  12:15 Was Cadet Wing Commander ever kind of something you've thought about? Or is it just something that kind of just happened as a byproduct  of your ability to kind of lean in and take advantage of those opportunities?   Maj. Nate Dial  12:24 Also a crazy story. So, I actually was pretty determined to leave the academy after my sophomore year. So, I just, I think everybody that sophomore year is just like the doldrums where everybody kind of just does not like that place. And I was definitely one of those people. And, you know, who's grinding, nobody cares, right? You're a 3 degree, you're not the cool freshman everybody picks on. And you've got so many more days left junior senior year that you're like, “I'm just out on this place.” So, I applied to a couple of universities to transfer and there was two other friends of mine who were doing the same thing and we were helping each other out. The other two people ended up leaving — one went to [the University of Pennsylvania]. And one went to UCLA. But I ended up staying. And so, I just kind of prayed about it and said, “Hey, you know, should I leave? Or should I stay.” And I made a pact with God that if I got into a couple of different programs, I would stay because it meant that I was doing really well. So, I was soaring IP, a Navy exchange, and then it was the summer immersion to Peru. If I got all three of those. I was like, “I have to stay, like, I'm just doing so well here. And it's such an amazing opportunity. You got to kind of have to stay.” And so, I stayed. I went to the Naval Academy. And while I always wanted to go there. And back on the East Coast, I'm seeing a ton of my friends on the weekend who I grew up with, being a Virginia kid, I was absolutely miserable at the Naval Academy. I don't want to get too much into I but it was bad. It was bad in terms of the kids I had a room with weren't the greatest. There's tons of rules. They're how they trained freshmen is so different than how we do. The culture is very different. And so, it actually made me appreciate the Academy that much more. And I got back to the Academy my second semester, junior year after the exchange, and I was like, “We got to make this place fun. Like you guys. We don't know how great we have it here compared to the other academies.” And so I was on this campaign of like, we got to make being a cadet fun again, like that's what we got to do. And maybe people appreciate this place. And so, I remember talking to my IOC at the time, and having this kind of epiphany that no, this place is awesome. I'm so happy to be here. This is great. So, it's so much awesome opportunity here. You know, “What job should I apply for as a senior?” and he was like, “Nate, like, you should apply for wing commander. That's like “Nah, I'm not that guy. I'm not that person.” And then he kind of broke down whatever the cadet equivalent to a surf was. And then just that kind of inspiration that I had the time to try to help him make it a better place for cadets and he was like to take that energy and try to pour into the cadet wing I think it'd be great for him and so his again his fuel to the fire for be maybe think about it and then we're pretty determined person so once I kind of get myself locked onto a vector then I give it my best effort.   Doug Lindsay  15:01 Did it end up working out? You kind of had that epiphany — that kind of figuring it out of I own this, right, this is me and what I can do, and I'm gonna make the most out of it, You came to the Academy, did you know that flying was the way to go? Maj. Nate Dial  15:12 One-hundred percent. I mean, I set up for the Academy to fly, pretty standard person. And that way, I got to appreciate it more though, because I had this really interesting peanut allergy. And there was a time where I didn't think I was able to fly because of this peanut allergy. And so, I didn't go through all these DOM or physicals which I'll describe what it was, I had to eat peanut butter over the course of eight hours, and every 20 minutes, they doubled the dose started with an eighth of a teaspoon all the way up to a half a cup. And they had all the like the gonads on me that monitor everything. And so, that was like the ultimate last test — I had to do the past to make sure I'd you know, wouldn't die if I ate peanut butter, I guess in the plane or have like some type of shock or incapacitation. So, I passed that. But that, like, 3-month process of all the physical tests I had to do around this peanut allergy had me really thinking about what else what I would do. And I just felt really fortunate to be able to get through that and so be able to live my dream. And so, I really do empathize with people who have some type of medical issue who got to the Academy, thought they were gonna be able to fly, then found out later that they couldn't, and then, you know, what do they do next? And so having had that journey, I can definitely empathize with cadets who have that I've talked to decent people who've had that.   Doug Lindsay  16:30 With the success that you had at the Academy, what were some of the, maybe the leadership principles that you pulled out of your time at the Academy.   Maj. Nate Dial  16:38 The first thing I would say is, relationships really matter. I think some of my successes would not be available without classmates or upperclassmen who poured into me or offered opportunities or offered help along the way. I think we all can talk about as grads, people who are still in our lives, right, they're the best men in our wedding, the groomsmen in our wedding or bridesmaids in our weddings, right? That's kind of how it works out. So that kind of family atmosphere there, it's very important, and the relationships matter too because you're going to fast forward from graduation, you know, eight, nine, 10 years, you're going to weapon school with these people, you're in combat with those people, you're in on the radio. So, having that relationship builds trust and builds Trumps means accomplishing whatever the goal is, or the mission, especially in hard times. So, I would say relationships matter. Therefore, how you treat people is very important. When in doubt, take the high road. When in doubt, err on the side of grace. Those are the kind of messages that would tell somebody. So, that's a very interpersonal skill I would talk about for the leadership part of it. And then the second thing I would talk about is being approachable and accountable. I think all the best leaders I saw, whether it was cadets, or staff, or faculty, or AOCs, were all approachable and accountable. So, I thought those were the two things I would hang my hat on going forward. And they just understand that you'll get better with reps. So, putting yourself out there, trying new things out, not being afraid to fail. When in doubt, ask questions to people who've already been there before. I think those are probably the biggest things I've definitely learned as a cadet.   Doug Lindsay  18:11 You graduated in 2010. You kind of went off doing the flying thing. Very intentionally you have stayed connected to the Academy.   Maj. Nate Dial  18:20 It's hard to give you a “why” but I can kind of give you a feeling I think of the why. So, the feeling I can talk about in this is around kind of like your first relationship with a significant other, where you have all the highs or the lows, you care about that person a lot. Even if you go your separate ways to something else, you always kind of keep tabs and you want to make sure that person is in a better place than when you whenever you kind of broke up or did something different. It's kind of the same way I feel about USAFA. It's the first decision that I made on my own was choosing to go to that school, obviously, I talked about choosing to stay to and stay committed to it and that process. And I knew I wouldn't be here without those four years. And so, I think that kind of feeling of connection and that relationship being such an integral part of my life — I could never really just separate away from it completely. And so, I think that's part of the reason why of always staying connected and then always figuring out ways of how can I support in a way that is meaningful?   Doug Lindsay  19:27 Can you talk a little bit about some of those ways that you support in terms of what you do to kind of help give back with your time and what you do?   Maj. Nate Dial  19:34 I think like many graduates find cadets or cadets find you. So, I think it's a very basic one that I've done from Day One is given the profile. A lot of people hear about my story are interested in some of the similar things I already did. So, cadets will reach out and I could probably talk you through a litany of cadets since I've graduated who I help out with that and stay connected with this. The second thing too is obviously now with the endowment that we started. So, put money in at a small amount was $20.10, a little bit of class pride there a month into a fund that went with the EO G. And then, over time, our goal was to come back to the 10-year reunion, and then figure out what we want to do with the sum of money. So, through that program, we were able to raise $330,000, of which we put to her and 10,000 of those dollars into an endowment, that at the time 2021, you all remember COVID. Seeing some of the stories online around the cadet experience was really heartbreaking. And so, we wanted as a class to try to help with their morale. And so, we have this endowment that gives $5,000 to the No. 1 cadet squadron for their morale fun. So, it's as no strings attached you can kind of get given DoD and government. But it's if they want to redo their SAR they can do if they want to go to Chipotle and have a big Chipotle dinner, they want to go to Top Golf or rent it out with like whatever they want to do to increase their morale as a squadron. We fund that with $5,000 every semester. And so that's a way of giving back if you're trying to find we have these funds, we have a need of the cadets. And so that's how our class decided to do that. And I just know, I'm a connector, I'm a conduit for that. So, I'm able to help with that. And then obviously, recently, this past May, when some people on the board call it so it wouldn't be an appointment or on the cog board jumped at the opportunity to try to lend my services and ideas for sure.   Doug Lindsay  21:31 There were highs and there were lows. To have those highs and really have those successes, we've got to understand those kind of low points too, and who we are. And it sounds like the highs may not have been possible if you didn't kind of sort through those lows as well, right?   Maj. Nate Dial  21:45 For sure. I think it's Conor McGregor's Trainer that has a book that either we're winning or we're learning, we're accomplishing the goals, and you're gonna get some things out of it. I think all of my greatest growth moments come through some type of failure or hardship. And so, I think I'll give an example as a cadet right is, I had never done poorly, right, academically, but I remember failing a GR in a super high level Spanish class as a freshman that I, like, I validated into. And so, it was the first time where I had to humble myself and ask for help. I was the only non-native Spanish speaker in this class. And so, asking people for help of like, “Hey, I don't get this,” or, “Hey, I need to study with somebody or something else.” I was a first time I had to humble myself in academic setting to do that. And so that was an opportunity to learn of that you can't just blast off on your own. If you want to get to this place, which was get an A in this course, you're going to need to lean on some classmates and ask for help. And it'd be like, “Hey, I don't get this.” And that is a strength. And I think a lot of us, when we get to the Academy, we're also Type A personalities who are highly successful, who have a lot of positive affirmation coming into that place, it's the first time you get smacked in the face with any kind of not high performance, slash average performance, slash below average performance. And so, I think how do you recover from that is huge in the growth. And so there's tons of opportunities, like, that I can talk through at the Academy where, at the time, it was a low, but it really was something to kind of harden me for the next situation, whether that was to give empathy for another person, or it's prepared me and harden me for the next challenge that's coming second, when it comes again, then I'm successful, and he would overcome this situation.   Doug Lindsay  23:25 It sounds like, you know, from early on, you know, again, your example, your grandfather example, your father, your mother and all that, that idea of service. And that really idea of kind of giving it your all — how does that influence your leadership today?   Maj. Nate Dial  23:38 So, the first thing I tried to do is just offer two things that one, I'm available. So, this isn't a onetime relationship is what I always tried to lead with is that if I'm taking time out of my day to talk with you, whether that's in an official capacity because you're in my chain of command, or an unofficial capacity, that this isn't a onetime conversation, that I understand that not everybody is prepared or has questions or answers or challenges right now, that might come in the future. So, hey, I'm available when future things happen, if I'm the person that you want to come to with these things you think I can help. So, that's the first thing of establishing that is, this is a lifetime relationship. If as long as you want to tap back in, you got me that I'm here. So, I think having that kind of long-distance trust is really huge to establish to you're saying it's a journey that people are going to it's cyclical that we're going to have certain periods or seasons in life. And then the second one is: I normally try to lead with how can I help you? Because I think a lot of times we want to give people advice and not try to answer people's questions. And so, I tried to lead with answering your questions of, “Hey, like, how can I help?” and sometimes it'll lead you to a lot of places, but I want to just be impactful. I want to leave everybody when I meet them better than when they before they met me. And same with every organization will leave every organization better than when I entered it. That's kind of the goal is every time.   Doug Lindsay  24:59 How do you find time to do that? Or how do you make time to make sure that you're setting the time to be available to folks when they need it?   Maj. Nate Dial  25:07 It's gotten crazier over the years. And my wife is really good about this in terms of helping me schedule my own time. But I have a literally a standing 6-hour window every Sunday from after church to like 11 o'clock to 1700 to 5:00 p.m. every Sunday, that I just block out for people to be available. So, people hit me up and say, “Hey, Nate, I was like, well, x, y, or z.” And I just send them, “Hey, this is the time blocks, the next couple Sundays. Let me know when you want to fill in.” And so, I kind of compartmentalize that, because another part I think of leadership is being fully present. So, we're all super busy as you're talking about. But for that six hours, I am yours, for whatever block of time, 30 minutes, hour or 45 minutes, I am yours. And I'm fully committed. And if you ever read ahead for me, I've prepped for that for 1015 minutes really quickly to get myself smart on it. And then I'm here and I'm available. So, I think having a dedicated predictable time for people is heavy. And then I always tell people to, like — if you email me, give me, like, 72 hours, but I never know what's going on in the world. But pretty much now we're always connected to the internet. So, it sent me two hours, I'll see it now even I'm busy. I'll tell you, “Hey, I'm super busy. I'll get back to you in (insert timetable).” But I try to make it predictable, and then hold myself very accountable to those times.   Doug Lindsay  26:20 So, you put that block of time there, right, where you're really being fully present and investing. What is it that you've taken away from that intentionality on time to be with other people?   Maj. Nate Dial  26:29 Ninety-five percent of the time it's enriching. Because I am a classic extrovert, people energize me. So that's all start with that. And most times, people are really inspiring, whether it's some of these new cool things that they're doing, or they're trying to pursue that it's like, "Oh, man, that's awesome. I hope that person gets there.” Or I'm inspired by their tenacity to try to overcome something or get there. Or I'm just inspired by them to keep my game up. Because when you have a mentee who's climbing these ladders and doing it, it's not like we're always keeping score, but where we got to get better. It's like, "Hey, like, I need to keep pushing the envelope,” to like, ”What am I doing right now?” If these people are calling me and asking, I can't stagnate, I gotta keep pushing too. So, it's kind of a pseudo-inspiration to kind of keep my game up, too. So, I think all the above is always really helpful. More recently, in my 30s, I have noticed and tried to make myself more available for the tougher conversations, especially with friends, as people have recently had one of my best friend's son died, who's under 2 years old. So, making time for people like that to sometimes the inspiration is just being there as a friend to be that they're willing to share their vulnerabilities with you because, right, like, it's really easy to celebrate things with others; it's kind of tough to talk about when you're not in the best places. But I think as a friend, when people can find you in those areas, that's really powerful. The older I get that people were comfortable being vulnerable with you, and trust you enough to be vulnerable with you. And so, I think those times, while they're tough emotionally, make me feel good about myself that people feel that they can come to me with those items as well. And so, we're talking about a lot about my successes, which obviously, I'm very humbled by and pray to God that they continue to go, but some of it is about how do you help people get through those turbulent times? I think those are some of the things that I think through myself that are some of the most rewarding items, when people are kind of going through those doldrums, or going through those dark places, or those valleys, of helping them get on the other end of it to be a part of that process. That's really, really, really, really powerful for me.   Doug Lindsay  28:41 You'd also mentioned that it kind of challenges you to be better. So, I've noticed what you've chosen to do both educationally you get a master's, Ph.D. Not everybody does that. So, you were kind of doing that to kind of challenge yourself mentally and intellectually, but also your writing, and you're putting out pieces — thought pieces— and research as well. What's been the impetus for that? Is it just to contribute or to continue to push yourself?   Maj. Nate Dial  29:04 My dad used to always talk to me about as a kid, don't just bring me problems bring me a problem and a solution or a potential solution. And so, when I identify items that I think are suboptimal, I think I have a duty to whatever I'm criticizing, to add to the body of work to try to get to a solution. So, talk about some of the research right on the NBA. I'm a huge basketball nerd. And so, the research I did around the impact of college basketball and McDonald's All-Americans it was because I was truly curious about is the one and done rule that great or was two years of college be optimal? Or how about more? Right? So that's a question I had. And so, I was like, “Well, I have this skill set around quant research. I'm passionate about it. So, let's push it there.” Or more recently of the debate around the best 75 players in the NBA or 70 in the 75-year history of the NBA. That paper that I put out there was OK, like how could you evaluate that more quantitatively and objectively than writers talking about how they feel about people? So those kinds of items, there are obviously the piece that did back in 2020 around race in the military. Like those are kind of identify a problem or identify a situation and just try to help move the conversation forward through my either skill sets, or works or experience.   Doug Lindsay  30:21 Nate, one of the things that you had written before was a conversation that you shared a little bit about between your grandfather and your father to you about the talk. Do you mind talking a little bit about that and sharing a little bit about what that meant to you?   Maj. Nate Dial  30:34 Sure. So, The Talk, it's a tradition where minorities explain to their adolescent child really males who are coming of age, some of the stereotypes that they gotta overcome, and try to give us some techniques of how to overcome them that they've developed over their time as an adult, or in their same situation. Talking a lot of friends, obviously, since my article published, you got a lot of highlights back in 2020, around the George Floyd summer. It's a tradition of a lot of different minorities. So, you kind of takes different shapes, but it's very similar overall concept. And so, with the talk, there's a couple of things that are pretty important is that it's dependent on time, and it changes and evolves. So, I'll use my own family as the examples that kind of talked about in the article, which is, so my grandfather was in the conscription World War II segregated enlisted military. And so, he served there, finished his tour of duty, moved to Chicago, had a GI Bill tried to use the GI Bill to buy a house and a VA loan, but couldn't because right, redlining was very apparent in Chicago. And so, you can only buy a house in certain parts of Chicago, where you get a loan. And so, you know, what he learned in his time was that what's on the piece of paper, in terms of what happens may or may not apply to you as a Black person in America in his time. So, that's what he kind of taught my dad. So, my dad has had situation he goes on to college ROTC Commission's he's out in Germany on his first assignment, and my grandfather goes and visits and so he has my dad go through the gate multiple times, and my dad at the end of it. So, the second or third time through the gate is kind of like, "Hey, Pops, what's up?” and essentially, my grandfather, so my dad is like, “I never thought I would see a day where a white enlisted member would have to salute my son,” you know? Right, showing like, OK, like this, this progress is happening. And America and so he's seeing that in real time, too. And so that kind of similar moment, I think, happened with my father and I, where my dad's probably cried in front of me, like three times his entire life. And I can definitely remember the first time which was the parade for Parents Weekend, the fall, when I was cut Wing Commander, where you come down the parade field, you're the No. 1 person coming out, you lead everybody, the 4,500 cadets, and the wing. And so after the parade happens, you talk to your family, and everybody's around. And my dad was like, visibly emotional. Because I think for him, he never thought in his wildest dreams, his son would ever have that kind of an opportunity or potential, like he thought I could get to the academy, and graduate and probably get a pilot slot and do my thing, but I don't think he ever thought I could be the cadet Wing Commander. And so I think he was just really overtaken about again, like the progress that has been made, and in our country and whatnot. So that's kind of the talk. And so I'm quite looking forward to what that looks like with my kid, right? Like, I don't have kids yet. But hopefully, God blesses me with a split some kids. And so, they'll be able to share that kind of similar moment with them. I'm really looking forward to in terms of what I've learned, but then what they're going to teach me too, about how America is progressing.   Doug Lindsay  33:46 I think a lot of times when we look at leaders, and especially successful leaders, we just assume it's all good and it's there's all this good stuff, but we don't always understand that kind of behind the scenes that sometimes you have to do is downshifts, right? It's not all up. Sometimes we have those ups and downs we've got to deal with right?   Maj. Nate Dial  34:00 One-hundred percent. And sometimes yourself taking a knee, right? Like, I'm not all here either. And being again, approachable and accountable of saying, “I'm not all here, so I need to work on me.” And in practice what you preach. I always think it's quite funny when I see squadron commanders talk about family time and balance, and then I see them in their squadron at 7:30 p.m. at night, right? If you're doing that, everybody then feels obligated to a TOS if you want balance right it's how are you practicing what you're preaching there, right? Are you leaving at 5 even though we know we have a lot of work to do, but we'll get to it tomorrow? Or hey, um, when I was a flight commander, I used to always show up at 8:15, so, like, 45 minutes afterwards, because I always worked out in the mornings based on like, I prioritize my fitness. I know the duty days or 7:30 but I'm gonna show up at 8:15 because I prioritize my health and like working out. I hope you do too. And that I would always on Fridays if I could, I'd let everybody go around like to And then just stay for the rest of the day. The treadle people have balanced around, like, hey, like, everybody else can leave, I'll handle myself on a Friday and start your weekend off now. So, try to, like — that's part of the accountability, responsibility. I think that we all, as leaders, or people, and the hardest part is practicing what you preach, especially when things get hard, is how do you sustain the idea or the principle, when sometimes the short-term benefit will feel good in the moment, but overall, for the principle or the objective, you might not be achieving that?   Doug Lindsay  35:36 What do you do for your own development, to kind of keep you sharp, you keep showing up ready for the next rep?   Maj. Nate Dial  35:42 I have a lot of mentors and friends outside of the military. And so sometimes I normally try to reach out to them of challenges that they're facing and dealing with, and asking questions around that, to try to get a feel for how different industries are dealing with certain items or friends of mine. So, that's an enriching part of it. And then I could also offer, like, some of my military experiences to those same people. So, that's kind of a nice back-and-forth of kind of intellectual jabbing, and support for one another.  A big thing for me is I start pretty much every day off 30 minutes every day with a devotional, some, again, religious so I started with the Bible, then, like, kind of meditation. So, that kind of keeps me centered, balanced every day, kind of a consistent foundation every day if I'm going to start my day. And then for the enriching part of I'm a huge biography person. So, I read biography, I think real life is always better than fiction. So, I try to read up on that, and then I'm a big self-health person, I'll go that's podcast. So, those are that but then again, to the balance part of it. I'm a huge sports guy. So, your Rich Eisens, Dan Patricks. Bomani Jones's, Stephen A Smith, like I listen to those people to try to let myself come down and be a normal person and be relatable to others who are who I lead. So, I try to nurture both sides of it, like my personal like, let's just be entertained and decompress. But also, hey, I see what else is out there.   Doug Lindsay  37:09 Sounds like there's a lot of different ways that you invest into there to make sure that you show up and be present the way you want to right? Maj. Nate Dial 100% 100%. N   Doug Lindsay  37:09 Nate, one of the things that sometimes people will have debates on is that leaders are born versus leaders are made or somewhere in between. Do you mind sharing your thoughts about kind of how you think about that based on your the work that you've done and your own practical experience or leaders born and they made? Or what does that? What does that look like?   Maj. Nate Dial  37:34 I definitely have a nurture-over-nature person. I just think too much of life has shown me that, especially around high-leverage moments, right? So there, my dad taught me something very similar. But the quotes, in easier way to articulate the idea that people don't rise to the occasion they revert to their training, so in necessitates the obvious question is, “How good is your training?” And so I think, while people could have some, like natural skill sets around leadership, I think, to hit your full potential, you've got to be nurturing that over time. And you only really get that through reps; you only get that through leadership challenge. That's why the Academy is so awesome with the leadership laboratory that we have there. And why in a lot of ways, I prefer the Air Force Academy model over West Point where West Point, a lot of their top cadets stay the same over the whole year, versus our Academy changes essentially three times the summer, the fall and the spring, because it gives more people more opportunities to have some of those leadership challenges to try to grow and develop. So, I'm a big believer in that — that you need reps to be able to get there. Could you get lucky once or twice, but I think to really hone your skills, your potential, I think you have to have some type of environment that nurtures that out of you.   Doug Lindsay  38:51 Exactly right. You know, we may all have different starting points on how we show up. But how we engage in what we do and how we do those reps and how often we do those reps are fully up to us and how we're going to how we're going to manage that right? I can't necessarily control where I start, but I can control how I finish and how I engage with the process. Right? Different for sure. A-firm. 100% agree with that. You we're successful at the Academy, you're successful in the Air Force, you're a little over midway through your career, what advice do you have for young leaders?   Maj. Nate Dial  39:20 The biggest thing is control the controllables. And so, by that, I mean you control your energy, you control your attitude, you control your effort. And most importantly, you control how you respond to adversity. People are always taking notice of that. So, if you control the controllables and you worry about you show up every day with high energy or positive energy, you give everything great effort, people are going to want to help you. People are going to see that and follow you with that. And then you control your attitude. So how do you treat people? How do you approach people? How do you operate in your day-to-day life? People respond to that. And so, I think always having that in mind of control the controllables, especially around those four items, I bet people would tell people to focus on that. And through those reps, as you get older, you'll get more tools in the toolkit. But I would start with that.   Doug Lindsay  40:12 Do you mind maybe sharing one of those adversities you faced and how you kind of move through that in terms of maybe a challenge that you faced, and you had to sit there and go, “How am I going to respond to this?” and maybe how that shaped you, or maybe a pivotal one that you wouldn't mind sharing?   Maj. Nate Dial  40:27 I'll go with, yeah, I'll start with pilot training, I think. So even though we talked about a little bit at some of these like valleys before, I never had really been in a dark place before. But pilot training was pretty dark for me, because it was the first time where I was, you know, an average or below average performer. This thing I always wanted my whole life, as we've talked about already, of being a pilot in the Air Force, I've done all the right things, and hit all the highs. You can hit educational at the Academy that to get so close to your dream and not be a great performer was rough. And so, I think part of that was a great journey of just how do you deal with that kind of adversity and not performing as you thought you would, or how you could? I was, you know, went to an 89 ride and T-6s. So, for people who aren't familiar with a pilot training that's like your, if you fail this, right, like you're out of the program, pretty much. And so, it takes some hooks to get there. And so, I was flying and got through that. So, that was kind of, you know, seeing the precipice of the cliff, and then getting yourself off of it. But what was nice about that was like the light bulb went off later, and T-38. And I had the tie for the top check ride for the initial check ride to gates at Shepherd. So, the light bulb eventually went off. And so, some of that with me, too, was being at Shepherd, it's designed to be a single seat fighter pilot place. And so, you know, just trying to deal with that whole situation there at inject was very interesting for me. Obviously, I wrote about in one of my pieces. But what that experience taught me about seeing the precipice and then coming back being somebody was trying so hard but not performing. What it helped me do? Honestly, it's empathize with people who are struggling. So, I know a lot of people who are at the Academy talk about, like, you know, “Chemistry was my crucible,” or “Water survival was my crucible,” and like, I gotta always go at it. And while I had not great performances, everything was really high, right? So, you don't get to become the cadet wing commander and not perform at a pretty high rate in the fall. So, while I had challenges, it was nothing that I didn't overcome or weren't essentially speed bumps, that was the first like, no kidding, like, I might not make it through this program moment. And so, with that, that just gave me a lot of empathy for people and allowed me to ask better questions, when especially people who are high performers who are in this weird doldrum, I can ask a lot more questions. And I kind of get some of those feelings that I felt back then. So, that's one of those challenges that I think that I would talk through around just making me a better leader were in the in when I was living in it, it felt horrible and terrible. But being on the other end of it, 2, 3, 4 years from then, and I'll give you an example. So, I had an airman who worked for me, you can fast forward see, it's probably 2016-ish, who was top linguist coming out, was a distinguished graduate of his cryptological program came to me and he was going through doing some crazy stuff, right? How to get like an article 15 from the commander or whatnot. And so, when that was happening, I just sat him down and we have a really good conversation around like, “Hey, man, like, this is weird, like, whatever this is, right now, it's not it.” And so, I got to share a little bit about my story about pilot training or whatnot. And so, we got to talk and I said, “Hey, man, so I'm gonna do usually take a week leave, go home, get away from this place, like, reset, come back and then let's, let's talk again.” So, he was able to do that. And then we put them right into the ALS program. So, that's like the airman leadership school. So, when they go from being an airman to sergeant's and our Air Force, everybody it's a it's a big kind of bridge moment for them to have educational development for their personal military education. And I challenged him. I said, “Hey, man, let's get back on this DG train. Let's, let's have this be a top performer. Again, this is your opportunity to recover, right? We, we hit this high, we got this whole group of teens, and now we're coming back. And so let's, let's make it happen.” And he finished No. 1 this class, and he was back on the train. So, I could use that example of where, you know, my personal crucible was able to hopefully help me as a leader relate to somebody and then hopefully, now granted, the kid did all the work. He's amazing; he's doing great things now. But to have a little bit of an impact on that, I think, was only because I went through my own hardship. So that's kind of that empathy that I talked about as a leader of having this moment knowing that it's going to prepare me to lead somebody in the future.   Doug Lindsay  44:44 It wasn't just that you had gone through a hardship but then you were open, honest, transparent about that as well that you were able, willing to share that aspect with him so that you can go through that process, right? So, it's just to be human about it. Anything else that you'd like to leave our listeners with respect to, you know, leadership or any other topics that we talked about today?   Maj. Nate Dial  45:08 I think the biggest thing is, just be authentic. I think we all have strengths, weaknesses. And so, being authentic to yourself of how are you building a team that highlights your strengths that covers your weaknesses, and being self-reflecting self-critical and knowing what those are? So, I think that's probably the first thing I think for any leader, I think all the best ones I've been around have all been very, very self-aware. And so, I think that will be the challenge, I think, for everybody try to how are you self-aware around strengths and weaknesses? And then, the second one is, you know, don't be afraid to be vulnerable. Now, you can't be oversharing. But you're gonna kind of know those spots where you can be vulnerable. And don't be afraid of that. Some of the — I can think about a wing commander who talked about his divorce in a public forum, and how he had to take a knee and go to mental health and everything else. I was like, that's really inspiring for where the wing commander didn't talk about that openly at an all call, I was like, “Man, that's powerful to me.” And so, I think, you know, you're gonna kind of pick and choose those moments. And I was gonna be a wing commander, but you'll know those moments. And so, I would try to tell people as I try to think about that.   Doug Lindsay  46:21 Thank you for your transparency. Thank you for your journey, and the example that you're setting for all the grads out there and everything that you do. And thank you for your time today and being on the Long Blue Leadership podcast. Nate, in case some of our listeners want to reach out to you and connect with you, do you have some social media handles or some ways that they can get a hold of you?   Maj. Nate Dial  46:38 Yeah, sure. If the first one so all the publications and whatnot are on my personal website. So that's www.drnathandial.com. So, drnathandial.com, is my personal website. You can see all the publications, my Twitter handle, where I publish a lot of things there is therealnatedial  is the handle. LinkedIn, Nathan Dial, you can find me sure if you're part of the long blue line probably have a common connection or two. So, feel free to add me there. And that's my socials and look forward to connecting with you all.   Doug Lindsay  47:12 Sounds great. Thank you so much.   Maj. Nate Dial  47:15 Thank you so much for having me and look forward to talking to you sometime in the future.   KEYWORDS people, cadet, talk, Academy, leadership, place, years, dad, Air Force Academy, put, nurture, kid, leaders, pretty, person, reps, wing commander, challenge, huge, thought   The Long Blue Line Podcast Network is presented by the U.S. Air Force Academy Association and Foundation   

Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin won't roll out his next budget proposal until December 20th; Delegate Les Adams of Martinsville resigned from the Virginia house of delegates Tuesday. Adams is a Republican who ran unopposed in the November election; Chesterfield County resident Darlene Dragavon came across a granite marker in a community field with the words “In Memory of Joan C. Hall.”