Photo By Matthew C Clouse | U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. Jason Bartolomei, Air Force Research Laboratory commander...... read more read more
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WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio (AFRL) – AFWERX welcomed its new director and chief commercialization officer for the Department of the Air Force, Col. Nathan Stuckey, during a change of leadership ceremony at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, June 17, 2025.
Brig. Gen. Jason Bartolomei, Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) commander and the Department of the Air Force’s technology executive officer, presided over the event. He welcomed Stuckey, citing his technical expertise and operational leadership as key to AFWERX’s continued growth.
“You are the right leader at the right time to bring the future faster,” Bartolomei said. “We're already in a serious science and technology competition with some pretty competitive people on the world market. Our job is to win that fight — and we can’t do it without working together with the innovation ecosystem and without AFWERX doing what it does best.”
The organization manages the Department’s Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs, which help transition commercial technologies into operational use. Each year, AFWERX awards approximately 1,400 SBIR/STTR contracts worth more than $1.4 billion through America’s Seed Fund, a federal initiative that supports startups and small businesses developing technologies with commercial and defense applications. The program is administered in partnership with the Small Business Administration, which oversees implementation and reports progress to Congress.
As director, Stuckey will lead AFWERX’s efforts to drive agile development and deliver timely solutions for national defense.
“Our strength is our defense industrial base and American companies,” Stuckey said. “Together we are going to leverage the resources we have to usher in the next era of technologies to compete with our adversaries.”
Stuckey previously served as military deputy director for the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center’s Rapid Sustainment Office, where he led efforts to quickly field sustainment capabilities using advanced technologies to boost readiness and reduce lifecycle costs.
A Purdue University Reserve Officers' Training Corps graduate, Stuckey holds a master’s degree in electrical engineering from the Air Force Institute of Technology. His past assignments include leadership and acquisition roles at AFRL’s Directed Energy Directorate, the White House Communications Agency, the Space and Missile Systems Center and various bomber and airlift program offices.
Stuckey succeeds Col. Elliott Leigh, who served as AFWERX director and chief commercialization officer for the DAF since December 2022. During his tenure, Leigh led a team of 350 personnel that executed more than 3,300 contracts worth over $3.1 billion, connecting small businesses with Department of the Air Force needs and aligning the SBIR program with critical air and space technology gaps. He also led efforts to protect U.S. technology from foreign threats, strengthening both innovation and national security. Leigh is retiring after 23 years of service.
“I’m very optimistic about the future,” Leigh said. “When I look at the faces here in the room, you are the team that is going to lead the future and continue to deliver that innovation to the warfighter, so I thank you for that.”
About AFRL
The Air Force Research Laboratory, or AFRL, is the primary scientific research and development center for the Department of the Air Force. AFRL plays an integral role in leading the discovery, development and integration of affordable warfighting technologies for our air, space and cyberspace forces. With a workforce spanning across nine technology areas and 40 other operations around the globe, AFRL provides a diverse portfolio of science and technology ranging from fundamental to advanced research and technology development. For more information, visit afresearchlab.com.
About AFWERX
As the innovation arm of the DAF and a directorate within the Air Force Research Laboratory, AFWERX brings cutting-edge American ingenuity from small businesses and start-ups to address the most pressing challenges of the DAF. AFWERX employs approximately 370 military, civilian and contractor personnel at four hubs and sites executing an annual $1.4 billion budget. Since 2019, AFWERX has awarded over 10,400 contracts worth more than $7.24 billion to strengthen the U.S. defense industrial base and drive faster technology transition to operational capability. For more information, visit: afwerx.com.
| Date Taken: | 06.17.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 06.17.2025 16:55 |
| Story ID: | 500891 |
| Location: | WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, OHIO, US |
| Web Views: | 52 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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