Terence “TJ” Spann, Lt. Col. USAF (Ret)

T.J. Spann is an AF Civil Servant who has unselfishly volunteered his leadership services in on and off-duty capacities for nearly 40 years.  He served in the USAF for 21+ years and as the Tidewater Chapter Tuskegee Airmen Inc. (TC-TAI) President for 6-consecutive years.  Currently, he serves as TC-TAI’s Immediate Past President, a National TAI Board Representative and 1st Vice President Eastern Region TAI.  In CY 2019, he received TAI’s coveted Major Lemuel Custis award and in CY 2020, he was the recipient of TAI’s highest award—the Brigadier General Noel F. Parrish award.

Prior to his USAF military retirement in June 2003, Col Spann served as a Logistician/Supply Officer.  He was a Squadron Commander twice; first as Air Combat Command’s AF Contingency/Centralized Supply Squadron (AFCSS) and its first Commander responsible for successfully testing the first 5-ACC bases of the AF’s Supply accounts (now regionally comprised at Langley AFB, VA and Scott AFB, MO and at USAFE and PACAF bases).  Immediately afterwards, he was handpicked to serve as the 1st Fighter Wing’s 1st Supply Squadron Commander (now known as the 733rd Logistics Readiness Squadron).  His final active duty USAF assignment was with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), Headquarters’ Supreme Allied Command Transformation (ACT) organization in Norfolk, VA.  After his military retirement, Mr. Spann worked for Northrop Grumman’s Mission Defense sector for 10.5 years.  Now he’s back at Joint Base Langley-Eustis as a Civilian Program Manager and Branch Chief of 16-Acquisition Programs valued at a $650M.  He, his wife (Alice) and Hampton University graduate daughters (Camille & Dominique) have resided in the Hampton Roads area since 1994.

As TC-TAI President, Mr. Spann helped (a) perpetuate the activities and achievements of those pioneering Americans who shared in the aspirations/frustrations of the Tuskegee Experiment in the United States Army Air Corps (most notably where 5-Documented Original Tuskegee Airmen received Honorary Doctorate Degrees from Old Dominion University), (b) motivate youths to attend college ($300K+ awarded to Hampton Roads’ students) and (c) facilitate a 40-foot Tuskegee Airmen mural being placed in the Langley Base Exchange’s Restaurant area.  As 1st Vice President for Eastern Region TAI, Mr. Spann has double duty as a National TAI Board Member and he’s responsible for keeping 5 of 21 TAI Region Chapters, with 700+ Members, informed of National and Regional TAI activities, fundraisers, etc. that are planned and/or afoot. 

Mr. Spann earned his Bachelor of Science degree (Business Management) and 2nd Lieutenant commissioning at Historically Black College/University, Tennessee State University, Nashville, TN (where DOTAs COL Howard Baugh, Sr. and Lt Col Hannibal Cox served as the University’s first Detachment 790 AFROTC Officers).  He also earned a Master’s degree in Public Administration at Central Michigan University, Mt. Pleasant, MI.  To learn more about the non-profit programs Mr. Spann has impacted at the Tidewater Chapter – TAI and the Nightingale/Fisher House organizations over the decades (he helped Co-Found the Nightingale House in 1988 prior to the 1st Fisher House being built).