A lifetime of USAFA connections
When Ginny (Caine) Tonneson graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy with the first class of women in 1980, she had already spent many years at the Academy, attending the base's elementary school and nearby Lewis-Palmer High School. Her father was the acting head of the USAFA Department of History and became the first USAFA permanent professor under the commandant of cadets.
"When I was allowed to seek an appointment, I knew it would stretch me, being part of something bigger than myself," Tonneson recalls. She earned top academic and military accolades, and her swimming relay team became the Academy's first female All-Americans.
"Being part of the team was so rewarding, not just for the results, but for the camaraderie, teamwork, and as a place where we could just be ourselves," she says.
Her Air Force career, which centered on intelligence assignments, began after she and her CS-25 squadron mate Larry Tonneson married. She also had what she considers the "best job in the Air Force," as the Air Officer Commanding (AOC) of Cadet Squadron 8.
"Being an AOC and having the opportunity to teach a few courses at the Academy encouraged me to go into my current career in education," Tonneson states. "Working at an institution that inspires us all to be better than we thought we could be, and the lessons I learned about leadership, accountability, and compassion inspired me to bring these important ideals into the professional development of K-12 administrators and teachers."
Upon her USAF retirement after 20 years, her passion for education led to a doctorate and an adjunct faculty position at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia. She now operates an educational consulting practice, working on teacher and leader effectiveness projects with school districts, state education departments, and international schools in more than 30 countries.
Even while residing in Virginia, Tonneson has always remained connected to the Academy. She has worked at the AOG, been an admissions liaison officer, served as president of the Eastern Virginia USAFA Parents' Club and her class squadron representative, and was twice elected to the AOG board of directors. Her second term on the AOG board runs through 2025.
"We are especially proud that our son, Matthew, Class of 2004, was the first cadet with both parents as graduates. And our daughter continued the Air Force legacy by serving as a USAF surgeon," Tonneson beams.
"I am thankful for the opportunity to be on the AOG board, which has shown me the importance of providing programs and services to meet our graduates' needs throughout their lifetimes, but also the importance of providing the cadets with an extra margin of excellence through programs and services while at the Academy," she says. "Two easy ways of supporting the Academy are by making Sabre Society level gifts and qualifying for the Polaris Society." Tonneson has committed to making a future legacy gift through estate planning, earning her recognition as a Polaris Society member.