John Ley

John is the oldest of six children, and his family has lived in the Pacific Northwest for more than 40 years. He earned an Air Force ROTC scholarship in college with a pilot slot, but when the Vietnam War ended, the Air Force cut 75% of pilot positions. John competed for and earned a commission as a Public Affairs Officer, then persistently reapplied for flight school—finally securing a pilot slot on his fifth attempt. After training, he flew KC-135 tankers, refueling aircraft in flight. After more than 11 years of service, John left the Air Force and became a pilot for Delta Air Lines, where he worked for over 31 years. Following retirement, he spent 20 months as a reporter for Clark County Today. During his time at Delta, John volunteered with the Rose Festival Parade and served as a stockholder activist, pushing for reforms to align executive compensation with performance. He also served five years on the Board of Directors for the Airline Pilots Association, representing 60,000 pilots nationwide, and helped successfully challenge flawed federal drug testing regulations—leading to policy changes and reinstated jobs. After 9/11, Delta entered bankruptcy, and John lost his…