California Forever welcomes Joe Dingman, former Executive Director and Director of Staff at Travis Air Force Base, as Head of Military Affairs
With his deep ties to Travis Air Force Base, and a lifetime of connection to Solano County, Colonel Joe Dingman will lead California Forever’s engagement with military leaders, veterans, defense industry partners, and government stakeholders, strengthening collaboration between the project, Travis Air Force Base, the defense industrial base, and the broader Solano County community.
Dingman joins California Forever after a distinguished career spanning military service, federal and local government, economic development, and emerging technology. From 2020 to 2025, he served as Executive Director and Director of Staff at Travis Air Force Base, one of the nation’s most strategically important military installations, and currently serves as Chairman of the Travis Community Consortium, representing Solano County, its seven cities, the Solano Economic Development Corporation, and the Travis Regional Armed Forces Committee, in support of Travis Air Force Base and the military community.
A graduate of the United States Air Force Academy, Colonel Dingman held leadership positions at the squadron, group, wing, Air Staff, and Department of Defense levels. He served as a C-17 Squadron Commander at Travis AFB, as a member of the Secretary of Defense’s personal staff, Secretary of the Air Force Executive Action Group at the Pentagon, and as Deputy Chief of the Corporate Liaison Branch, where he oversaw a program budget exceeding $119 billion. His military service was recognized on the floor of Congress. Most recently, he served as Vice President of Air & Space Force Programs at Ethos Systems, leading advanced training and human readiness initiatives for the Department of Defense.
“Joe has spent his life in service to this country and to this community,” said Jan Sramek, Founder and CEO of California Forever. “He knows how to make things happen across institutions that don’t always speak the same language…military leaders, elected officials, community organizations, entrepreneurs, and industry. He understands both the strategic importance of Travis Air Force Base and the opportunity we have to build something that improves the quality of life for our Airmen, strengthens our defense industrial base, and drives economic prosperity. We’re honored to welcome him to the team.”
Dingman’s appointment comes as momentum around the project continues to accelerate, in a week when a broad coalition of 13 Labor, business, and housing organizations sent a letter to California’s top elected officials urging them to introduce and pass legislation to support the Suisun Expansion Plan and Solano Shipyard to bring home construction, shipbuilding and manufacturing jobs to Solano County.
“Having served in multiple senior leadership positions at Travis AFB, as Chairman of the Travis Community Consortium and a longtime community member in Solano County, I understand the importance of balancing growth with stewardship, innovation with trust, and vision with accountability,” said Dingman. “I am joining California Forever because I believe in its mission, and because I believe Solano County has a unique opportunity to become a model for responsible growth that strengthens both our communities and our national security.
As strategic competition intensifies in the Pacific, America faces a choice. If we want to remain the world’s leading economic and military power, we must be willing to build again. We must be willing to take responsible risks, invest in our industrial capacity, create opportunities for future generations, and forge partnerships that bring together government, industry, and communities around a common purpose. Standing still is not a strategy. The greatest risk may be failing to build the future at all.
California Forever represents a chance to do exactly that…to protect Travis Air Force Base, support military families, reinvigorate American aerospace, shipbuilding, and manufacturing, and create the conditions for long-term prosperity in Solano County. As this project moves from vision into execution, I’m proud to be part of this mission.”
Dingman’s ties to Solano County run deep, from his years flying KC-10s and C-17s over the land proposed for the Suisun Expansion and Solano Shipyard, to his time serving the City of Suisun, to his decade of leadership at and around Travis Air Force Base. For California Forever, his appointment reflects our commitment to the military community, and building something that strengthens both Solano County and America’s national security for generations to come.
