Officers & Directors

President and Treasurer: Francis L. Lennon

Mr. Lennon is a West Point graduate, a decorated Vietnam veteran and former Green Beret with corporate experience in commercial aviation.  He holds an M.A. in International Relations from Boston University. For 20 years he ran his own marketing, promotion and publishing business. He has also been an analyst on MSNBC for terrorism and special operations issues. His introduction to museums came in 1996, when he took over the Geneseo, NY-based Wings of Eagles Air Show and the National Warplane Museum. Since 1998 he has led the effort to create a family attraction, educational center, museum and memorial in Rhode Island, featuring an aircraft carrier as the centerpiece. He also successfully negotiated the relocation of the Russian submarine Juliett 484 to Providence, organized and ran Rhode Island’s salute to the centennial of aviation, and launched the Rhode Island Aviation Hall of Fame.

Secretary: William E. Sheridan

Mr. Sheridan is a practicing attorney with extensive experience consulting on municipal planning issues. He served for more than 30 years in various capacities in State government, retiring as Assistant Chief of the Statewide Planning Office in the RI Department of Administration, where he was responsible for Comprehensive Land Use and Transportation Planning. He is also a private pilot and a Founder of the Quonset Air Museum. He received his JD from Suffolk University, and also earned a Masters Degree in public administration from the University of Rhode Island. Mr. Sheridan is also former chief of the Fruit Hill Volunteer Fire Department, an organization he served for 25 years.

Vice President: BG James J. D’Agostino, USAF (Ret)

General D’Agostino is the former Deputy Commanding General and Assistant Adjutant General for Air of the RI National Guard. He started his military service by enlisting in the Army, and earned the Combat Infantry Badge in Vietnam. He spent 21 years with the Air Force, to include service as the Base Civil Engineer responsible for the Coventry and North Smithfield Guard Stations; six years with the National Guard Bureau; and United States Property and Fiscal Officer for Rhode Island. His civilian experience includes 11 years with the City of Providence, culminating as Deputy City Traffic Engineer. He is Past President of the Reserve Officers Association (Rhode Island). Past Commander of the Military Order of Foreign Wars (RI) and is active in multiple other civic and Veterans groups.

Director: Jo Ann Engelhardt

Ms. Engelhardt is retired from her role as Managing Director of Bessemer Trust in Palm Beach, Florida. Previously she served as President and CEO of Merrill Lynch Trust Company’s Florida operation. She also served on the board of the USS Saratoga Museum Foundation for a number of years. A Brooklyn native, she holds a JD and an LLM from NYU. Her banking experience (which also includes US Trust and Citicorp Trust) combined with her legal background contribute to her ability to guide the board in financial and planning matters, and make her the ideal person to establish and develop the Foundation’s endowment program.

Director: John V. Gibbons, Jr.

Mr. Gibbons is responsible for all restoration and maintenance projects. He holds a private pilot license as well as an Airframe and Powerplant mechanic license.  At one point in his career he was also crew chief for fan jet Falcons assigned  to  General Electric ‘s Flight Propulsion Division. He is the former Director of Maintenance  for Executive  Airlines. Later, he owned and operated a major automotive repair facility and a Midas Muffler franchise in East Greenwich, RI. He has been involved with the USS Saratoga and USS JFK projects for more than 18 years. During that period he supervised and execute the disassembly, transport and reassembly of two F4 Phantoms, an F9F Panther and an AV8-C Harrier. He has been active in local politics, including service on the North Kingstown Zoning Board, Asset Management Commission, High School Building Committee and one term on the Town Council.

Director: COL Christopher A. Hegarty

Colonel Hegarty is a veteran with 37 years of service in the US Air Force, US Naval Reserve and RI Air National Guard. He holds a BS in Computer Engineering from UMass, Dartmouth as well as an advanced degree from the Air War College.  In his civilian capacity, he has served in many senior engineering, sales and marketing roles at companies including IBM, Cray Research, Oracle, EMC and Sun Microsystems. He was the Deputy Commander of the 281st Combat Communications Group and served as the J6 (Information Technology Officer) for the RI. Joint Force HQ. In addition, he served as Communications Squadron Commander for the 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing at Ahmed Al Jaba Air Base, Kuwait during the build up to Operation Iraqi Freedom.  During his service in the US Naval Reserve, he was an air crewman and sonar operator on the P3-Orion aircraft and flew hundreds of hours of Cold War patrol over the Atlantic.

Director: LTCOL Dennis E. Morgan, USA (Ret)

Lieutenant Colonel Morgan served for 28 years with the Rhode Island National Guard and the Army Reserve. As a civilian, he distinguished himself in a number of public administration positions, to include managing the 2000 Census in RI for the US Department of Commerce. Previously, he served for 27 years as the Deputy Director of Rhode Island Judicial Systems, planning and managing programs to improve the administration of justice in Rhode Island. From 2006 to 2013 he was a regional Member Services Director for the Reserve Officers Association. Over the years, he has earned a reputation as a strong fundraiser and membership generator for non-profit organizations, and he is active in several to this day. He earned his Master of Public Administration from URI, after graduating from Providence College with a BA in History.

Director: COL Ernest R. Oliveira, USAF (Ret)

Colonel Oliveira is a Vietnam veteran who earned the Distinguished Flying Cross during his three combat tours in Southeast Asia as a B52 Electronic Warfare Officer. He also commanded the 281st Combat Communications Group, Rhode Island Air National Guard.  He holds a BS in Electrical Engineering from UMass, Dartmouth as well as advanced degrees from College of Naval Warfare and Salve Regina.  At the Naval Undersea Warfare Center in Newport he served as Branch Head and as the Chief Engineer for the SEAWOLF Class Submarine Combat System Program.  He is now a Special Projects Manager at McLaughlin Research Corporation, supporting the SEAWOLF Program, Advanced Unmanned Undersea Vehicles and a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) / Joint Congressional Plus-up initiative.

Director: CAPT Richard D. Suttie, USN (Ret)

Captain Suttie served 32 years in the Navy as an aviator, diplomat, and educator. He is currently a professor for undergraduate and graduate business programs and an active consultant for K-12 schools focusing on aviation STEM initiatives. Captain Suttie logged more than 3,500 hours in various naval aircraft, primarily the P-3 Orion. He embarked with Battle Group staffs on USS Midway and USS Missouri, and was subsequently assigned as Naval Attaché in London. He was Assistant Dean of Academics and a research professor at the US Naval War College, Newport, and was qualified as a Major Defense Acquisition Programs Manager. Additionally, Captain Suttie served six years on the Maritime Administration (MARAD) Advisory Group. Rich is a graduate of the University of Southern California, Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, the Maxwell School of Public Policy at Syracuse, the Naval War College, and the Naval Postgraduate School.

Director: Dr. Geoffrey Wilson, CDR, USN

Dr. Wilson received his Doctorate in Medicine from the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in 2004. Upon graduation from internship he reported to the USS John F. Kennedy(CV-67) as the General Medical Officer, caring for more than 3000 sailors from July 2005-July 2007.  He assisted in the ship’s decommissioning in 2007.  After successful completion of a Residency in  Anesthesiology at the Tufts Medical Center in  Boston, he served from 2010 to 2014 as VP and President of the Medical Staff at Naval Health Clinic New England in Newport, RI. In 2016 he deployed on USNS Mercy, participating in Pacific Partnership. His second deployment was a combat tour to Iraq/Syria in 2023. In addition to his deployments, he has served both a tour and multiple temporary assignments to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Dr. Wilson retired from the Navy in 2024, with 25 years of service.  He is currently practicing anesthesiology on the eastern shore of Maryland.

Director: Patricia Lee Young

East Greenwich resident Pat Young is the widow of 2022 inductee Peter Young, a Naval Aviator who also flew as a Captain for TWA for many years, capping off an unusual trifecta by finishing his flying career with the RI Army National Guard. A lifelong teacher, Pat retired as a guidance counselor at East Greenwich HS, where she served as a Board member for The College Board. During one of her husband’s overseas assignments, she taught for DOD Dependents Schools at RAF Alconbury HS in England. Pat also served on the East Greenwich Juvenile Hearing Board. After retirement, they lived in South Carolina where she was on the board of the Beaufort County Boys & Girls Club. Pat’s impressive background in education and volunteerism will have a positive impact in fundraising, volunteer management, and ideas about school and civic programs. Her status as an inductee family member also makes her the perfect choice to be ombudsman on behalf of all honorees and families.

Directors Emeriti

Bradley A. Senter

Mr. Senter of Texas City, Texas served for 21 years as President of the USS Saratoga Association, representing the the 65,000 sailors, marines and air crew who served aboard USS Saratoga (CVA/CV-60), and also those who served on the World War II carrier CV-3. He enlisted in the Navy and served in Saratoga from1961-64. After re-enlisting he served aboard Saratoga’s sister ship, Independence, and two WWII-era destroyers. Shore duty in Great Lakes followed; he was then transferred to Danang, Viet Nam with a Naval Intelligence assignment. His tour  included the Tet offensive. He worked for the Galveston County Sheriffs Department before joining Union Carbide as a process specialist. He retired in 2002.

RADM Donald E. Weiss, USN (Ret)

Admiral Weiss, a former Commanding Officer of the aircraft carrier USS Saratoga, has served as a board member of the USS Saratoga Museum Foundation, Inc. for several years. He graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy and was designated a Naval Aviator in February 1970. Before his retirement he also commanded the USS Carl Vinson Battle Group (Carrier Group Three) and also all U.S. Naval Forces in Japan. After his Navy retirement, he served as a senior executive with Lockheed-Martin.

Michael Spieth

Mr. Spieth has been employed for 20 years at Tech-Etch in Fall River, MA, in a manufacturing engineering capacity. He uses CAD/CAM software for design, and hardware/software for automation to improve production. He has been involved in the aviation community since 1999 when he obtained his private pilots license.  Since 2007 he has been a member of Rhode Island Chapter 1363 of the EAA (Experimental Aircraft Association). He became vice president in 2008  and is now president. He also served as vice president of  the Rhode Island Pilots Association and has been president since 2016. His volunteer role with the Rhode Island Aviation Hall of Fame and the JFK project began in 2012, with an emphasis on improving the workshop area to better enable the restoration of aircraft.

RIAHOF Advisory Board and Selection Committee

This group consists of representatives from major aviation-related groups in Rhode Island, selected
industry and military aviation experts, and all living former inductees.