Two U.S. Air Force Academy graduates have joined the Air Force Academy Foundation board of directors. The board is the governing body of the Air Force Academy Foundation, a nonprofit that supports the Academy through philanthropy.

The new directors are BJ Jones ’85 of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Gen. (Ret.) Terrence O’Shaughnessy ’86 of Boulder City, Nevada.

Board Chairman Alex Gilbert ’87 says the new directors will make an immediate impact on the board with their extensive leadership experiences.

“BJ Jones and Gen. O’Shaughnessy represent different ways Air Force Academy graduates serve and succeed,” he says. “They both offer great perspectives on how to support the Academy, and I look forward to working with them more in support of the Academy’s mission.”

Jones is the chief commercial officer at NewAmsterdam Pharma, a late-stage biopharmaceutical company working on lifesaving treatments for heart disease and other lipid-related conditions. Previously, Jones acted as CCO of Biohaven Pharmaceuticals. He has over 30 years of commercial experience in the health care industry and has held executive leadership roles of increasing responsibility at Takeda Pharmaceuticals, AstraZeneca, Bristol Myers Squibb, Boehringer Ingelheim and NitroMed. He has significant experience in mass market product launches.

“I credit my time at the Air Force Academy, and subsequent years of active service, with laying the foundation for a successful career in corporate America. It truly was a leadership laboratory for me to learn, practice and refine my leadership skills,” Jones says. “I hope to give back and invest time and energy in enhancing the Academy’s resources and capabilities as the institution continues to serve and develop future generations of combat officers and corporate leaders.”

In addition to his Air Force Academy Foundation board service, Jones serves on the boards of directors of Apogee Therapeutics and Annexon Biosciences. He also supports the LUNGevity Foundation and Life Science Cares through voluntary board membership. He holds a bachelor’s degree in human factors engineering from the U.S. Air Force Academy, a master’s degree in industrial engineering from Texas A&M University and an MBA from Stanford Graduate School of Business.

Gen. (Ret.) O’Shaughnessy  is a senior adviser to Elon Musk on matters regarding SpaceX, and he is the vice president of SpaceX’s Special Programs Group. The Special Programs Group focuses on leveraging SpaceX commercial technology for government applications, including Starshield satellites that use SpaceX’s Starlink technology to support national security efforts and the Rocket Cargo program using SpaceX’s Starship.

“The Academy set the foundation for my career, inspiring me and instilling the character, discipline and knowledge to be successful in the Air Force and beyond,” says Gen. O’Shaughnessy. “I want to leverage my Air Force experience and my experience in an innovative commercial space company to help ensure the Academy remains relevant by adapting to the changing environment while continuing to inspire and develop tomorrow’s leaders critical to the future of our nation.”

During his 34-year career in the U.S. Air Force, Gen. O’Shaughnessy commanded at the squadron, group, wing, numbered Air Force, major command and combatant command levels. His commands included the 57th Wing, Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada; the 35th Fighter Wing at Misawa Air Base, Japan; the 613th Air and Space Operations Center, Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii; Air Component Command, Republic of Korea/U.S. Combined Forces Command; Seventh Air Force, Osan Air Base, South Korea; and Pacific Air Forces. He culminated his distinguished Air Force career as commander of United States Northern Command and North American Aerospace Defense Command.

Gen. O’Shaughnessy served as a Weapons School instructor pilot, an aggressor pilot and a command pilot with over 3,000 hours in the F-16 Fighting Falcon, including 168 combat hours. He earned a bachelor’s degree in aeronautical engineering from the Air Force Academy.