U.S. Air Force retired Colonel, DeDe Halfhill is a proven leader who draws from 25 years of command experience and as a senior advisor to the military’s highest-ranking officials to provide a real-world perspective on the power of embracing humanness and vulnerability in leadership.

Twice deployed to Iraq, DeDe’s sought-after leadership insights are grounded in personal experiences commanding and advising organizations through challenging environments — often when lives were at risk and there were no easy answers. As a senior advisor to the U.S. Secretary of Defense and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, DeDe was a trusted influence in developing solutions to the military’s most-pressing issues. She also served as the military’s lead spokesperson responsible for implementing plans supporting the Department of Defense’s global communications strategy.

For her candid approach to leadership, DeDe’s story and insights have been featured in widely acclaimed outlets, including in Brené Brown’s New York Times bestseller, Dare to Lead and on 60 Minutes. She continues to live by the leadership lessons she preaches, becoming a certified “Dare to Lead” facilitator in 2019 as well as a Senior Executive Coach certified through Georgetown University’s Executive Leadership Coaching Program.

DeDe's military service began when she graduated in 1996 from the University of Iowa's Reserve Officer Training Corps. In addition to her Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication from the University of Iowa, she has earned a Master of Arts degree in Management from the American Military University and certifications from the Air War College, Air Command and Staff College, Squadron Officer School, and Defense Information School.