Date: Thursday, February 19
Time: 12:15
Location: Roswell Area Park
Bill Johnson Community Activity Building
10495 Woodstock Road
Roswell, GA  30075

Roswell Rotary welcomes retired naval aviator Col. Dwight Schmidt as our speaker for the February 19 meeting. His leadership philosophy, shaped in classrooms, combat zones, and commercial aviation, offers a perspective on what it means to lead with integrity.

After college, Schmidt joined the Marine Corps, and in 1991 he was designated a naval aviator, fulfilling the dream he had carried since childhood. He went on to serve as an instructor pilot and pilot training officer, roles that placed him directly in charge of developing and mentoring fellow aviators. He was later promoted to Lieutenant Colonel, deploying to Norway, Germany, Sweden, and Denmark. Following the September 11 attacks, his squadron became the first Marine Reserve Fighter Squadron deployed since the Korean War. During the War on Terror, he was promoted to Colonel and deployed numerous times to Osan, Korea and Al Udied, Qatar.

Col Schmidt’s personal decorations include the Legion of Merit, Meritorious Service Medal, Nine Strike/Flight Awards, Two Navy Commendation Medals, Two Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals, Armed Forces Reserve Medal with “M”, Selected Marine Corps Reserve Medal (6th award), and the Humanitarian Service Medal.

Following his military career, Schmidt continued flying professionally as a pilot for Delta Air Lines as a Captain and by also serving as a military and aviation consultant to the film and television industry. His journey has also intersected with meaningful family moments. One of the highlights was the opportunity to throw the ceremonial first pitch at a New York Yankees game, a moment made even more special because his son was playing on the team at the time. He also piloted Yankee charter flights.

Reflecting on his career in an Appen Media article by Julia Grochowski, Schmidt has emphasized that not all leadership lessons come from positive examples. “I learned more from the bad leaders than I did the good ones, because I didn’t want to be that person,” he said. He stresses that leadership is revealed in how peers respond and how those under one’s charge grow. He has also encouraged leaders to rely on actions rather than words, citing Ralph Waldo Emerson’s reminder that “What you do speaks so loud, I can’t hear what you’re saying.” He notes that every decision carries a chain of consequences, both positive and negative, for the people who depend on their leaders.

Roswell Rotary looks forward to welcoming Col. Schmidt and learning from a lifetime of leadership shaped by service, aviation, and the people who influenced him along the way.