Luke general featured in business CEO series Published July 29, 2011 By Airman 1st Class David Owsianka 56th Fighter Wing Public Affairs LUKE AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. -- When is a chief executive officer not called a chief executive officer? Maybe when he is a wing commander. Brig. Gen. J.D. Harris Jr., 56th Fighter Wing commander, participated in a CEO series for the Arizona Business Magazine July 20. Just as large companies impact the economics of their surrounding communities, Luke Air Force Base has a large footprint when it comes to the fiscal well-being of its neighboring cities. "Most people would equate being a commander to being a CEO because of the number of people working for them," Harris said. "Like a CEO, a commander has people to respond to, people working to complete the mission and we have customers who are our F-16 pilots and crew chiefs that train here to become combat-ready Airmen." Luke AFB participates in local media opportunities to help tell the Air Force story. "Having a strong relationship with media partners like the Arizona Business Magazine gives us a fantastic opportunity to show what the Air Force mission is about, how we support the public and how we are good stewards of tax payer dollars," Harris said. Luke is not just a neighbor for the surrounding communities; the base is a big part of the community. The money brought in to the local community as Luke completes its mission is about $2 billion a year, Harris said. The West Valley and Luke have built a partnership to ensure Luke is still able to complete its mission as the surrounding area continues to grow. Since the base commander changes often, about 10 years ago the Community Initiatives Team began to provide continuity to the new commanders by providing historical content of what previous commanders performed. "This allows the new commander to ensure a successful relationship between Luke and the surrounding area as we complete our mission," Harris said. Whether you are a CEO or a CC (commander), the backbone of the organization always starts at the bottom and works its way up. "The people who help make the mission successful are on the supply line; they are our Air Education and Training Command teammates that provide us with newly trained pilots who are coming to us for F-16 training and newly enlisted Airmen who are being taught the crew chief trade," Harris said. The CEO series will be published in the September issue of Arizona Business Magazine.