NBAA has lined up U.S. Air Force combat veteran and former Thunderbird lead solo Michelle “Mace” Curran as the keynote speaker at the 2023 Schedulers & Dispatchers Conference (SDC2023) scheduled for January 24 to 26 at Music City Center in Nashville, Tennessee.

“We are honored to have Michelle join us at SDC2023 as keynote speaker. She is an inspiration to all of us and epitomizes the courage, skill, and values of our industry’s most illustrious aviators,” said NBAA president and CEO Ed Bolen. “I know attendees to SDC2023 will appreciate hearing Michelle’s perspectives and insights.”

An F-16 combat fighter pilot who flew missions in Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, Curran served as the only female pilot for the Thunderbirds demonstration squadron from 2019 to 2012. During her USAF career, she also was an F-16 instructor pilot ad flight commander at the Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base in Fort Worth, Texas.

Following her retirement from the military, Curran founded Upside Down Dreams to inspire and empower people of all ages to overcome obstacles and fear of failure. She further volunteers at the Veterans’ Outdoor Advocacy Group.