Class of 1971 Officers

Following graduation and a tour aboard the USS Wainwright (DLG-28), Perry entered naval aviation receiving his Wings of Gold in 1973. During his aviation career he subsequently amassed over 7500 hours in the P-3 Orion. He served for twenty-seven years in several leadership positions, as Commanding Officer of a Navy P-3 Squadron in Keflavik, Iceland, Communications Officer aboard the USS Dwight D Eisenhower (CVN-69) during Desert One, Flag Lt/Aide to Commander Patrol Wings Pacific, special assistant to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff during the Gulf War in 1991, and the Director of Leadership, Organization and Management for the Chief of Naval Operations from 1992-1994. In his last tour of duty from 1994 – 1998 he served at the U.S. Naval Academy as the Deputy Director of Athletics and concurrently served in a pivotal role in the development of the Leadership and Ethics curriculum as an Adjunct Professor. He retired from active duty in September 1998.

Perry was re-elected as Class President in 1991. In 1994 behind the leadership of the class officers and class wide recommendation/approval, a new Class of 1971 Mission Statement was published along with a new set of By-Laws. As a direct result of these initiatives, Perry led the formation of a Class Executive Board comprised of 20 members (Board of Trustees), a Class Webmaster and the 4 Class Officers. The Class Executive Board has been a moving force in the class resulting in successful fund raising campaigns, chairing class reunions, and recently leading and development the class plan for the Link-in-the-Chain with the Class of 2021.

He has authored and published numerous journal articles and books, co-authoring a book on the Class of 1971, Inspiring Leadership: Character and Ethics Matter. As an adjunct professor at Regent University, Villanova University and The George Washington University, he teaches leadership, ethics, research, doctoral dissertation writing, and organizational leadership. As the Director of Executive Leadership Programs at Academy Leadership, a leadership development consulting firm, Perry has been a sought after speaker on leadership and ethics as well as character development and has led numerous workshops and seminars throughout the country with leaders from both private and public business and industry, education, and government. He is an Elder at Mariners Church of Annapolis.

Perry has earned three Masters Degrees in Business, Education, and International Affairs. He also holds a Doctoral Degree from The George Washington University. Perry resides in Annapolis, Maryland with his wife Jean. They have four children and three grandchildren.

In 1972 he reported aboard the USS Turner Joy (DD 951) which was homeported in Long Beach, California. In late 1972, the Turner Joy re-deployed to the Far East and Western Pacific to participate on the gun line in what was to become the final two months of the Vietnam War. Mike returned to the U.S. Naval Academy in 1974 and became the head football coach for the Sprint Team (aka the 150’s) leading them to two winning seasons. He served concurrently as a Physical Education Instructor coaching and teaching in various roles. Mike resigned from the United States Navy in 1977.

Mike worked for thirty years at Air Products and Chemicals headquartered out of his home state in Allentown, Pennsylvania. During his tenure at Air Products, Mike served in various sales and general manager positions and was assigned to Hong Kong for a couple of years in the late 1990s. Mike retired from Air Products in 2007 and in 2008 moved back to Annapolis, Maryland.

Since 2011, Mike has been actively engaged with working with midshipmen in the character development program and capstone – leading seminars and on occasion a guest lecturer in the NL301, Leadership and Ethics Course.

In 2011, Mike was elected Vice–President and is currently serving as the Co-Chairman of A Link in the Chain program (ALITC).  During the years 2017-2021, the Class of 1971 will be linked with the Class of 2021. Mike and his wife of over 40 years, Pam currently live in Annapolis. They have four grown children and four grandchildren.

Mike and Pam have four grown children and four grandchildren.

He entered the submarine service qualifying as a nuclear submarine officer serving on USS Shark (SSN591), resigning his commission in 1976. He spent the remainder of the 1970s and the 1980s providing services to the Department of Defense as a Director for a 1500 employee professional service firm that was purchased by Computer Science Corporation.  The teams that he led were responsible for such projects as the command and control system for the latest Ballistic Missile and Fast Attack Submarines, logistics for the Blackhawk Helicopter, and Army desert tactics.

In 1988, Dave began a second phase of his career working in the field of Information Technology management.  He has directed teams that developed new software being used by Fortune 500 companies and managed teams that have implemented enterprise software world-wide.  He founded two companies and worked in a variety of leadership positions in other companies.

He is an information technology leader who offers both strategic and tactical management experience and an extensive record of direct management of programs and projects. For more than 20 years, he has led programs, projects, personnel and budgets for both government and commercial clients. He has directed teams of as many as 50 people and as few as three or four.

From 2012 to 2014, David managed software development and project management for RAND Corporation.  RAND is a think tank that helps improve policy and decision making through research and analysis based in Santa Monica, California.  Today, he operates as an independent consultant, managing project and program teams throughout the United States out of his office in Charlotte, NC

David was elected Treasurer of our Class in 1991, and remains in this position today.  As co-fundraising chairman for the class, he has helped raise over four million dollars and endow a distinguished military professor chair in Leadership and Ethics.  He is on the board of two veterans’ charities.  He led the integration of the Patriot Military Family Foundation (PMFF) from the merger of the Military Family LifeStyle Charitable Foundation (MFLCF) and the Patriot Charities and is the Treasurer of PMFF.  He is also on the Board of Directors of the Carolinas Freedom Foundation.

David has a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics from the United States Naval Academy and a Master of Mechanical Engineering degree from The Catholic University of America. He and his wife, Joyce, reside in Charlotte, North Carolina.  They have three grown children and 9 grandchildren.

Duke started his service to the class as a Board of Trustee member in 1994.  He assumed the duties as Secretary in April 2002.  He was subsequently elected as Secretary in the fall of 2002 and was re-elected as Secretary September 2011.  Duke is active with the Class of ’71 Ethical Character in Leadership award coordinating with the USS Theodore Roosevelt to recognize a deserving junior officer.

Duke has been an Associate with Booz Allen Hamilton since 2002.  He is currently working at U.S. Fleet Forces Command in Norfolk where he is assigned to the Training Policy Branch.  His work has been instrumental in changing Navy fleet training practices to focus on tactical training for all warfare specialties.

Duke has an Aeronautical Systems Master of Science degree from the University of West Florida.  He graduated from the U. S. Naval War College with Distinction receiving a Masters of Arts degree in National Defense & Strategic Studies.  Duke resides in Virginia Beach with his wife Lisa.  They have two grown children and are looking forward to many grandchildren.