Leading and Succeeding: Lessons to Lift up the Current and Next Generations

Edward (Ed) L. Bolton, Jr., is the 2023 recipient of the Thomas B. Hagen Dignitas Award. Bolton is a retired United States Air Force Major General. Since November of 2023, he has served as the Chief of Staff at the Federal Aviation Administration where he is the 45,000-person organization’s senior career civil servant. From Oct 2013 to Mar 2016, he was the FAA’s Assistant Administrator responsible for leading the modernization of the world’s largest and most complex aviation system. He also worked at the Aerospace Corporation from Mar 2019 to Oct 2023 in several capacities to include serving as Senior Vice President of the Defense Systems Group.

Angelia G. Neal is an HR executive leveraging over two decades of experience in human resources and  business administration to make a positive impact  on people and organizations.  Angelia’s career in public service began as a U.S.  Presidential Management Fellow, a prestigious  program that prepares high-caliber professionals  for leadership roles in the federal government. Angelia currently serves as chief human resources officer for the federal government where she provides executive leadership and HR strategy for a workforce of over 45,000 employees worldwide. She also collaborates with stakeholders across the enterprise to promote a diverse and inclusive workforce and culture. 

Dr. Karen J. Bolton is a retired tenured professor (emeritus), an elected School Board Director, and a passionate advocate for promoting equity, inclusivity, and belonging in education. Her philosophy emphasizes perseverance, determination, and rejecting societal barriers to achieve one's dreams, inspired by her family legacy and Maya Angelou's words: "My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style."

Via Van Liew is the principal director and chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion officer at the Aerospace Corporation, which is based in El Segundo, California. In this roll, her efforts are focused on recruiting, employing, and retaining a diverse workforce with rich backgrounds and perspectives that generate the best solutions. To this end, Van Liew has led a comprehensive effort to develop and implement diversity, equity, and inclusive initiatives that create distinct and measurable impact and are scalable throughout the national company. She leads the company’s numerous campaigns to expand and implement this commitment.