Cathy Clothier
BY MOLLY MCMILLIN
The Wichita Eagle
Cathy Clothier keeps an unusual memento in her new office at Boeing's Integrated Defense Systems in Wichita: red-glittered combat boots.
Clothier is the former commander of McConnell Air Force Base's 22nd Air Refueling Wing. She received the boots as a parting gift when she left McConnell for a yearlong position at the Pentagon.
"Just click your ruby red combat boots three times," and you can come home, Clothier was told.
And she has.
Clothier, 47, retired from the Air Force in August. Last month, she began work at Boeing Wichita as program manager for B-52 sustainment and modification.
In her position, she works with engineers dedicated to sustaining, modifying and upgrading the 50-year-old bombers. She directly oversees about 90 people.
It's a role that has a similar mission from her days flying a KC-135 refueling aircraft.
"I'm excited that I still play a role in supporting the warfighter," Clothier said.
Clothier grew up in Orange, Texas, before earning an engineering degree at the Air Force Academy.
In her career, Clothier has been assigned to McConnell three times, including her term as base commander.
Since the Sept. 11 attacks, she has been deployed three times, spending time away from family on missions related to Afghanistan and Iraq.
In 2006, she left Wichita for an assignment as the Air Force General Management Office in the Pentagon to serve as the human resources person for the general officer corp.
In her role there, Clothier stressed she was not involved with the Air Force's plan to replace its tanker fleet, nor does her job at Boeing involve KC-767 tankers.
Clothier knows what it's like to leave her three children while deployed. And rather than uproot them, they stayed in Wichita during the year she spent at the Pentagon.
Clothier flew home every two or three weeks to see them. She turned down an offer to stay another year in Washington.
"That isn't what I wanted," she said. "A lot of people can follow after me in the Air Force, but I'm their only mom."
You mentioned that the transition from the Air Force to civilian life hasn't been that difficult because the Air Force and Boeing have similar focuses.
"In the Air Force we were focused on mission accomplishment and in doing the job the nation asked us to do.
"At Boeing, we're focused on delivering a high-quality product on time at competitive prices so the warfighter... can do what the nation asked them to do. I'm still in the same chain, so to speak. I'm just wearing a different suit."
Boeing has several programs to modify the B-52s with new software and other upgrades.
" (That's) so it can use the new weapons that we have now, and it can use the weapons we develop in the future and transform it from what it is now to a multimission platform, especially as we go to a network- centric warfare."
You said you think Boeing will be involved with B-52 work for some time. Why?
"There's not a lot of surplus funds to bring on a new bomber, so we're going to be flying these B-52s for quite some time. So here at Boeing Wichita, we're going to be busy."
What do you think the biggest challenge will be in your job?
"I think our biggest challenge will be taking the wonderful creative ideas that our folks have here and showing... the government the capabilities we can provide the B-52. The challenge will be our Air Force having the amount of funds to say, 'Absolutely, yes, we need that capability."'
What is your management style?
"I'm very interactive. I prefer to talk to people than e-mail them or give them a phone call. I much prefer to sit down face to face."
On the board in your office, you've written the words, "hands, head and heart." What does that mean?
"In hands... people (must have) the technical expertise and the resources to do their job; that's the foundation.
" (With) head, I tell them to be creative.... I also want to grow them as leaders and managers. If they're creative, they'll come up with new capabilities.
"Last is heart. I tell them we're going to produce quality work... (and) I want them to have fun when they come to work."
Over the years, what has been the best piece of management advice you've ever received?
"My best piece of advice was listen and watch before you ever open your mouth."
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