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= Dr. Tony Kern =

Dr. Tony Kern is an American author, veteran, and educator. Dr. Kern served in the U.S. Air Force as a command pilot and flight examiner in the B-1B bomber, in diverse senior staff and leadership roles, and as Chairman of the U.S. Air Force Human Factors Steering Group. Dr. Kern holds multiple degrees from Albion College, Northern Michigan University, US Army Command and General Staff College, and Texas Tech University. He is also a graduate of the Federal Executive Institute and the U.S. Federal Government Senior Executive Service Development Program. Dr. Kern eventually became a Director and Professor of Military History at the United States Air Force Academy and has authored nine books on human performance.

Upon retirement from the U.S Air Force in 2000, Dr. Kern served as the National Aviation Director for the U.S. Forest Service, where he directed the largest non-military government aviation program in the world in support of federal wildland fire suppression. Dr. Kern currently resides in Texas and spends much of his time as the CEO of Convergent Performance LLC., a human reliability company that focuses on minimizing the effects of human error in the workplace.

Education
Dr. Tony Kern currently holds multiple degrees from various American institutions.


 * Texas Tech University: Doctor of Education
 * US Army Command and General Staff College: Masters of Military Arts and Science
 * Northern Michigan University: M.A, Public Administration/Political Science
 * Albion College: B.A, Communications

U.S. Air Force Career
Dr. Tony Kern joined the U.S. Air Force in 1999 and attended Undergraduate Pilot Training at Vance Air Force Base in Enid Oklahoma. His assignments included combat readiness qualifications in the KC-135 A/E/R and B-1B Bomber. Tony served as a B-1B Instructor and Evaluator Pilot from 1990-1994 at Dyess Air Force Base in Abilene, Texas. From there, he served in several staff positions, including the Director of Crew Resource Management at the Air Education and Training Command and Chair of the U.S. Air Force Human Factors Steering Group before attending the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. He completed his career as an Associate Professor and Director of Military History at the United States Air Force Academy from 1995-2000 where he also was an instructor in the T-3A flight screening program. Lt Col Kern retired from the Air Force in June of 2000.

Philosophical Views on Human Error
Dr. Kern states that his quest for understanding human performance began when "two of his former students crashed a perfectly functioning B-1 Bomber into a ridgeline on a moonless night in 1992.”

For the next several years, he focused on studying the effects of human error in an effort to come to terms with why well trained, highly skilled, people sometimes fail. This initial dive into the nature of human error resulted in 10 years of tireless research and the publication of three books on human performance in aviation.

His quest for understanding human performance and developing human potential continues into his current career as the CEO of Convergent Performance LLC., a veteran-owned and operated company he founded in 2003 that strives improve human reliability in all environments. Dr. Kern has stated his core purpose is “to reawaken the human spirit when it comes to personal accountability and responsibility for our own performance and create organizational support systems that empower this vital spark."

Published works
Dr. Kern has authored nine books on human performance, and is a featured columnist and contributing editor for Skies and Valor Magazines.

Over the past decade, he has broadened his approach beyond aviation. In his latest book, The Ghost of Nathan Hale (North Slope Publications, 2016) he details how declining public trust in government is an existential threat to America and the world itself, and provides strong motivation and a step-by-step path for restoring the integrity of government.

Honors, decorations, awards and distinctions
Dr. Kern has received multiple awards for his research, program management, speaking, writing, and leadership, including the following:


 * University Aviation Association’s John K. Lauber Safety Award (2015)
 * Flight Safety Foundation-Airbus Human Factors in Aviation Safety Award (2015)
 * Aviation Week & Space Technology Laurels Award for Outstanding Achievement in Government and Military (2002)

In 2015, the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) established an award in Dr. Kern's name. The Dr. Tony Kern Professionalism in Aviation Award recognizes individual aviation professionals (pilots, maintenance technicians, flight attendants, dispatchers or other aviation professionals) who have demonstrated their outstanding professionalism and leadership in support of aviation safety in the business aviation industry.