Jen Block is the Executive Director of Athletics at the U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colorado, where she is the senior government official in Academy athletics. She began her duties in August 2019.
Block returned to Academy athletics after serving as the Director of Athletics from April 2018 to February 2019, becoming the first female athletics director at a Division I service academy. She later served as the interim Executive Director of Athletics from January 2019 until her retirement from active duty in April 2019.
Prior to joining the Academy athletics team, Block was the Reserve advisor to the Superintendent at the U.S. Air Force Academy. She also served as the Career Field Manager for contracting reserves and served as the senior Individual Mobilization Augmentee (IMA) to the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Contracting, Headquarters Air Force, Pentagon, Washington, D.C., which leads the development and implementation of complex and agile acquisition strategies and contracting policy.
A native of San Antonio, Texas, Block entered the U.S. Air Force after graduating from the Academy in May 1992 with a bachelor’s degree in management. While at the Academy, she was a four-year letterwinner in volleyball and was named the team’s most valuable player in 1991. Block was also a team captain, three-time all-conference selectee and earned all-region honors. She ranked fourth in career solo blocks (205), second in career assisted blocks (495), fourth in career total blocks (700), seventh in games played (594) and ninth in career kills (1,305) upon her graduation.
As a U.S. Air Force contracting officer, she worked at every level of federal acquisitions and has served staff tours at both major command and air staff levels. She provided leadership and management for all contracting activities in U.S. Air Forces in Europe, developed contracting policies and procedures for the entire command and was responsible for operational plans and allocation of resources. She also led the most complex contracting flight in the U.S. Air Force, administering over 850 contracts valued at $1.5B. Immediately after Sept. 11, 2001, she deployed as a contingency contracting officer and built a bare base in Karshi-Khanabad, Uzbekistan, supporting the U.S. Special Operations Command. She was awarded a Bronze Star for her support during Operation ENDURING FREEDOM and was recognized as the U.S. Air Force’s Outstanding Contingency Contracting Support in 2002. Block is a decorated former U.S. Air Force officer, director, squadron commander, staff officer, executive officer, combat veteran and fully qualified level III contracting officer.