DEVIN L. CATE

Devin L. Cate, member of the Senior Executive Service, is the Executive Director, Air National Guard, National Guard Bureau, the Pentagon, Arlington, Virginia. He assists the Director, Air National Guard in formulating, developing and coordinating all policies, plans and programs affecting 108,400 Air National Guard Airmen and civilians across 90 wings and 180 installations in 159 communities throughout the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam and the Virgin Islands.

Mr. Cate was commissioned in 1983 as a distinguished graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy. He attended the University of Washington on a Boeing Fellowship and graduated with a Master of Science in Aeronautics and Astronautics in 1984. After a laboratory tour, he attended the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School as a flight test engineer. Following two flight test tours, he served on the Air Force Secretariat Staff as the Deputy Director of the Air Force Red Team and on the Office of the Secretary of Defense Staff in the Special Programs directorate. He later served as a Program Director at the Aeronautical Systems Center, directing several classified programs and serving as the developmental system manager for the C-5 Galaxy modernization program. He has commanded twice at the aeronautical systems group level. Mr. Cate retired from the Air Force as a colonel in 2009 after 26 years of active duty. He was appointed to the Senior Executive Service in 2010.

Prior to his current assignment, Mr. Cate was Director of Air Force Test and Evaluation.

EDUCATION

1983 Bachelor of Science, Physics, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo.
1984 Master of Science, Aeronautics and Astronautics, University of Washington, Seattle
1986 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
1987 U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School, Edwards AFB, Calif.
1996 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
1997 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
1999 Advanced Program Managers Course, Defense Systems Management College, Fort Belvoir, Va.
2003 Air War College, with highest distinction, Maxwell AFB, Ala.

CAREER CHRONOLOGY
1. June 1983–December 1984, Student, Boeing Fellowship, University of Washington, Seattle
2. January 1985–December 1986, Laser Systems Control Engineer, Air Force Weapons Laboratory, Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M.
3. January 1987–December 1987, Student, U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School, Edwards AFB, Calif.
4. January 1988–May 1992, Test Program Manager, Sacramento Air Logistics Center, McClellan AFB, Calif.
5. June 1992–June 1996, Test Program Manager, Air Force Flight Test Center, Edwards AFB, Calif.
6. July 1996–June 1997, Student, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
7. July 1997–March 2000, Deputy Director, Special Studies Division, Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Washington, D.C.
8. April 2000–June 2002, Program Director, National Low Observable and Counter Low Observable Programs, Directorate of Special Programs, Office of the Under Secretary of Defense (Acquisition, Technology and Logistics), Washington, D.C.
9. July 2002–June 2003, Student, Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
10. July 2003–June 2005, Director, Advanced Programs, Agile Combat Support Systems Wing, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
11. July 2005–June 2006, Program Director, Technology Integration, Agile Combat Support Systems Wing, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
12. July 2006–November 2006, Commander, 716th Aeronautical Systems Group, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
13. December 2006–September 2007, Director of Special Programs, 77th Aeronautical Systems Wing, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
14. October 2007–September 2009, Commander, 777th Aeronautical Systems Group, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
15. January 2010–July 2012, Deputy Director, Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office, Office of the Administrative Assistant to the Secretary of the Air Force, Washington, D.C.
16. July 2012–April 2014, Deputy Director of Test and Evaluation, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
17. April 2014–November 2021, Director of Test and Evaluation, HAF, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
18. November 2021–present, Executive Director, Air National Guard, National Guard Bureau, Arlington, Va.

MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Legion of Merit
Defense Meritorious Service Medal with oak leaf cluster
Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Air Force Organizational Excellence Award

OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS
1987 R.L. Jones Award Recipient, Top Engineer Graduate, U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School
2016 Presidential Rank Award, Meritorious Executive

PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATIONS
Digital Engineering: Department of Defense Consumer Credential
Test and Evaluation, Level III, Acquisition Professional Development Program
Program Management, Level III, APDP
System Planning, Research, Development and Engineering, Level II, APDP

(Current as of January 2023)