Legend in Leadership Award Showcase
Trailblazers, inspirational champions, and trusted guides. The recipients of the prestigious “Legend in Leadership” award serve as examples of exceptional leadership, and they are recognized each year at the Women in Leadership Institute. The leaders who make up the Legends in Leadership legacy inspire and lead with a keen sense of purpose, and they have dedicated their careers—and arguably their life journeys—to activating a deeper purpose in those around them. During this year’s Institute, we will gain insights from the 2024 award recipient.
We’re thrilled to announce this year’s Legend in Leadership: JoAnne Bass, Chief Master Sergeant, Air Force #19; Founder, The Bass Group.
JoAnne “JO” Bass
Jo Bass served in the U.S. Air Force for over 31 years. In August 2020, she was selected as the 19th Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force and the first woman to become the highest senior enlisted leader in any military service, making her a unique trailblazer and role model to hundreds of thousands of men and women. She retired from that position in March 2024 and continues to champion national security and policies that impact veterans and their families using her influence and platform.
Jo has vast whole-of-society leadership experience from cutting-edge technology to our nation's most sensitive relationships. She has written and spoken extensively on leadership, national security, innovation, risk management, international affairs, workforce strategy, and the understanding of generational diversity.
Jo is the founder and president of The Bass Group LLC, developing the leaders our nation needs and fostering a leadership style that breaks barriers, challenges convention, and ignites innovation. She is also an Honorary Board Co-Chair for the Women in Military Service for America Foundation, Member of the Board of Directors for the Robert Irvine Foundation, Adjunct Senior Fellow to Center for a New American Security (CNAS), and Strategic Advisor to the President of Columbia Southern University.
Jo was raised as an Army dependent, living in several overseas and stateside locations, and calls Hawaii home. She graduated with honors from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, and now splits her time between Texas and Washington, DC.
