Congratulations to our 2025 Scholars!

Dean Black is the Executive Director of the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) Association of Canada. Prior to the RCAF Association of Canada, he served in the Canadian Armed Forces as a tactical helicopter pilot and senior defence analyst. Mr. Black’s most recent flying responsibilities were as Commanding Officer of 403 Helicopter Operational Training Squadron in Oromocto, New Brunswick. After 30 years of dedicated service, in 2007 Mr. Black retired from service.

Dean Black holds a B.Sc. and M.A. from the Royal Military College and Canada, as well as an M.A from York St. John University, and graduated from the Canadian Land Forces Command and Staff College, the Canadian Forces School of Aerospace Studies, and the Advanced Air Ground Operations School.

Kristin Long is a 737 pilot at WestJet Airlines. She founded Northern Spirit, a Chapter of Women in Aviation International in 2002 and is the Chair of Girls in Aviation Day – Winnipeg.

Kristin is actively involved on various boards and committees in the community, and was appointed Honorary Colonel to the Canadian Forces School of Survival and Aeromedical Training at 17 Wing in 2020. She is Board Director of the RCAF Foundation.

John Wright CAIP, FRCGS is Executive Vice President of Maru Public Opinion and has carried out surveys in over 40 countries over the last 30 years. He currently serves as the Honorary Colonel for the Chief of the Defence Staff Office and is a member of the RCAF Commanders Advisory Council. He is also the Chair of the Board of Directors of the RCAF Foundation.

He has previously served as HCol for RCAF W/C William G. Barker VC Aerospace College, HCol for RCAF 400 Tactical Helicopter SQN, and as HLCol for the Ontario Regiment (RCAC). John has been awarded four Commanders Commendations, the Queens Diamond Jubilee Medal for Military History and Education, the Ontario Lieutenant Governor’s Award for Community Volunteerism, an Arbor Award from the University of Toronto, and a Fellowship with the Royal Canadian Geographic Society. He has also served as a Director for numerous charitable organizations including Canada Company, Wounded Warriors Canada, and the Canadian Forces College (CFC) Foundation.

Tonya Yearwood is a IT Program Manager at Air Canada and founder of the Black Aviation Professionals Network (BAPN), the first and only group in Canada with a goal to nurture Black talent within the aviation and aerospace industry. A registered charity, BAPN offers a youth outreach program, mentorship program, and financial support for flight training, as well as a nationwide network that allows established professionals to share knowledge and build a sense of community. Through her extraordinary leadership, Tonya has inspired a movement that holds the potential to advance diversity within the aviation industry for generations to come.