Col. Nicole Malachowski, USAF (Ret.)

Col. Nicole Malachowski, USAF (Ret.) defies stereotypes. Yes, she was a jet fighter pilot, but if you think you know her based on that, you’d be wrong. A leader, combat veteran, the first woman pilot on the Thunderbirds Air Demonstration Squadron, White House Fellow, and inductee into both the National Women’s Hall of Fame and Women in Aviation International Pioneer Hall of Fame, she even has a Star Trek Federation starship named after her, the USS Malachowski (NCC-1619). Nicole’s distinguished 21-year Air Force career exceeded her wildest dreams. But that dream came to an end when a devastating tick-borne illness left her struggling to speak or walk for almost nine months. With an indomitable spirit, Nicole fought back against overwhelming odds. Drawing on stories from her career and personal life, she inspires audiences to rethink the challenges they face and go beyond resilience to become resurgent. Her message empowers people with three key beliefs: failure and risk are the price of entry for achieving something great; sometimes you need to yield to overcome; and her personal mantra, “Nobody wants to lead a scripted life.” Nicole brings to the stage the easygoing authenticity of someone who has achieved at the highest levels while also facing profound adversity. As a member and leader of elite-performing teams, she shares compelling insights into the human behaviors and cultures that drive exceptional performance and results. Nicole was sixteen when she took her first solo flight. She later earned her commission from the United States Air Force Academy in 1996 and was competitively selected to fly combat aircraft, becoming one of the first women to fly modern fighter jets. She served as an F-15E Flight Commander, Evaluator, Instructor Pilot, and Flight Lead and achieved the rating of Command Pilot with more than 2,300 flight hours in six Air Force aircraft. Selected to fly as Thunderbird #3, Nicole became the first woman to fly on any Department of Defense military jet demonstration squadron. She served as a mission-ready fighter pilot in three operational F-15E fighter squadrons and flew more than 188 combat hours. Among her proudest moments was leading the first fighter formation providing security for Iraq’s historic democratic elections in 2005. She later commanded the 333rd Fighter Squadron, leading an elite cadre of F-15E instructors training the next generation of combat aviators. In that role, she was responsible for more than $1.1 billion in resources and the execution of a $119 million annual flying-hour program. Nicole was a White House Fellow, class of 2008–2009, and served on the Presidential Transition Support Team. She later served as Executive Director of the White House’s Joining Forces initiative, directly advising First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden on issues affecting service members, veterans, and military families. Her career also included high-level staff assignments at the Pentagon in the Office of the Secretary of Defense and Secretary of the Air Force Office of International Affairs. Nicole holds two master’s degrees: one in National Security Policy from American Military University and another, with highest distinction, in National Security and Strategic Studies from the U.S. Naval War College. There, she received the Admiral Stephen B. Luce Award as class honor graduate, becoming the first Air Force officer in the history of the Naval War College to earn the distinction. Her many honors include the White House Fellows Foundation and Association’s IMPACT Award and the 2023 Award of Inspiration from The Ninety-Nines, Inc.® As Nicole continues to recover from her neurological tick-borne illness, she uses her experience to advocate for others and raise awareness. She serves on the Board of Directors of the LivLyme Foundation and has contributed to the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine and the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program. She is also a Patient Advocate with the Center for Lyme Action and an Ambassador & Mentor with the Air Force Wounded Warrior Program. In 2020, We Are The Mighty named her one of its “Mighty 25” for her advocacy on behalf of veterans’ health. Nicole and her husband Paul, a retired Air Force Lieutenant Colonel and former F-15E Evaluator Weapons Systems Officer, have twins, Garrick and Norah.