Air Force Academy pioneer, general inspires awe

By Ernest Hooper, Metro Columnist
In print: Monday, April 7, 2008

Jerry Beavon cuts one of the boards that will make a cart that will be shipped overseas to help people who have lost their legs from a mine or an accident.

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I've had lunch with mayors, shook hands with governors, questioned famous music stars and even seen Warren Sapp naked.

Yet Air Force Brig. Gen. Michelle D. Johnson, the deputy director of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, may be the first person to truly leave me in awe.

Johnson is an Air Force Academy pioneer, Rhodes Scholar, former presidential aide and key player in the ongoing war on global terrorism. And did we mention wife and mother?

Tonight, I'll share the stage with Johnson — and I do mean share — when I moderate Leadership Tampa Alumni's Conversations With Influence at the Tampa Convention Center at 5:30 p.m.

The NCAA Women's Basketball Final Four is the perfect backdrop for Johnson because she also holds the Air Force Academy's career scoring record.

Wow, what can't she do?

Alex Sink chaired a Junior Achievement fundraising effort in 2004 that netted $1-million from former Tampa Mayor Bill Poe. Today, the state is suing Poe and his family, alleging they diverted funds from their beleaguered insurance companies before filing bankruptcy.

And Sink, now the state's chief financial officer, vows to recoup any money that rightfully belongs to consumers. Funny how things change after four years and four hurricanes.

Seen on a bumper sticker: Well-Behaved Women Rarely Make History.

The Dali Museum is sponsoring a Dali look-alike contest, but they're not just looking for someone with a physical resemblance. They want someone who "best epitomizes the spirit of Dalí." Go to www.salvadordalimuseum.org.

That's all I'm saying.