Colonel ELLIOTT J. LEIGH

Col. Elliott J. Leigh is the Director of AFWERX and the Chief Commercialization Officer for the Department of the Air Force. He leads the strategy and execution of approximately $1.4 billion per year across the Air Force and Space Force through AFVentures, Spark, Prime, SpaceWERX, the Small Business Innovation Research and the Small Business Technology Transfer programs.

Col. Leigh entered the Air Force in 2002 as a distinguished graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy. He has served in numerous test and evaluation and program management roles, including Chief of the B-21 Raider developmental test program, and most recently as a Materiel Leader for the Special Programs Directorate in the U.S. Space Force, where he led the execution of a critical $2 billion space control program. Col. Leigh is a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School and the Army Command and General Staff College. 

EDUCATION
2002  Bachelor of Science, Aeronautical Engineering, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colorado
2004  Master of Science, Aeronautical Engineering, Air Force Institute of Technology, Wright Patterson AFB, Ohio
2008  Master of Science, Flight Test Engineering, U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School, Edwards AFB, California
2009  Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Alabama
2011  Air Command and Staff College (Correspondence)
2016  U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, Ft Leavenworth, Kansas

ASSIGNMENTS
  1. August 2002 - August 2003, Target Systems Engineer, 81st Test Support Squadron, Tyndall AFB, Florida
  2. August 2003 - August 2004, Asst. Flight Commander, Operations Plans, 81st Test Support Squadron, Tyndall AFB, Florida
  3. August 2004 - May 2006, Student, Air Force Institute of Technology, Wright Patterson AFB, Ohio
  4. May 2006 - June 2007, F-16 Armament Engineer, 775th Test Squadron, Edwards AFB, California
  5. June 2007 - July 2008, Student, U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School, Edwards AFB, California
  6. July 2008 - June 2009, Flight Test Engineer, 46th Test Squadron, Eglin AFB, Florida
  7. June 2009 - June 2011, Flight Commander, Sensors and Defensive Systems, 46th Test Squadron, Eglin AFB, Florida
  8. June 2011 - March 2012, Assistant Director of Operations, 46th Test Squadron, Eglin AFB, Florida
  9. March 2012 - June 2013, Senior Engineer, Advanced Programs, Special Programs Division, Wright Patterson AFB, Ohio
  10. October 2013 - April 2014, Fixed and Rotary Wing Commodity Manager, Foreign Military Sales Branch, Security Assistance Office - Afghanistan, Combined Security Transition Command – Afghanistan
  11. June 2013 - June 2015, Program Manager, Technology Integration, Special Programs Division, Wright Patterson AFB, Ohio
  12. June 2015 - June 2016, Student, U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, Ft Leavenworth, Kansas
  13. June 2016 - May 2018, Chief Developmental Tester, B-21 Raider, AF Rapid Capabilities Office, Washington, D.C.
  14. May 2018 - August 2022, Materiel Leader, Advanced Programs, Special Programs Directorate, Los Angeles AFB, California
  15. August 2022 - December 2022, Military Deputy, AFWERX, Air Force Research Laboratory, Wright Patterson AFB, Ohio
  16. December 2022 - present, Director of AFWERX, Air Force Research Laboratory, and the Department of the Air Force Chief Commercialization Officer, Wright Patterson AFB, Ohio
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Bronze Star Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Aerial Achievement Medal with oak leaf cluster
Air and Space Commendation Medal
Afghanistan Campaign Medal
Air and Space Expeditionary Service Medal

EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant May 29, 2002
First Lieutenant May 29, 2004
Captain May 29, 2006
Major Mar 1, 2012
Lieutenant Colonel Dec 1, 2016
Colonel Apr 1, 2022

(Current as of DECEMBER 2022)