Annual Celebration

John “Slick” Baum  

John “Slick” Baum is a retired USAF Lieutenant Colonel, entrepreneur, philanthropist, and leading business strategist. John enlisted in the USAF at 17 serving as an avionics maintenance technician. He then attended Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University graduating with a BS in Aeronautical Science in 1999 and a Masters of Aeronautical Science in 2008.

Col. Baum attended Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training and graduated F-16 training as the Distinguished Graduate. He then attended USAF Fighter Weapons School (Top Gun) and returned as an Instructor. John was then requested by the Commander of Air Combat Command to fly as a Demonstration Pilot for the 2009-2010 Thunderbird team. Following the Thunderbirds, he was selected as a Secretary of the Air Force Strategic Communications Fellow earning a Masters in Strategic Communication from George Mason University.

John was also co-founder of Draken International providing contract air support to the US and NATO military forces with the world’s largest fleet of privately owned fighter aircraft.

Slick provided high G flight training for the Crew of Inspiration4, the first all civilian space program in partnership with SpaceX, and then served as the Philanthropy Director for the Polaris Program endeavoring to further understand the requirements for long duration human space flight. For his successful fundraising and awareness efforts, he was honored as the 2025 Extraordinary Performance Award recipient from St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.