Lee Ellis

A native of Commerce, Georgia, Col. Lee Ellis graduated from the University of Georgia in 1965, and began a career in the U. S. Air Force. During the Vietnam War his aircraft was shot down over enemy territory and he became a prisoner of war. He was held in various prisons in the Hanoi area for over five years. This led him to author his book Leading with Honor: Leadership Lessons from the Hanoi Hilton . After repatriation, his assignments included duty as a pilot, flight instructor, staff officer, chief of flight standardization and evaluation, flying squadron commander, and supervisor in higher education. He is the recipient of two Silver Stars, the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star with Valor, the Purple Heart, and POW Medal. In addition, he was awarded four Air Force Commendation Medals and four Meritorious Service Medals for performance excellence. He retired after 24 years of service with the rank of Colonel. Colonel Ellis holds a BA in History from the University of Georgia and a Master degree in Counseling and Human Development from Troy State University in Alabama. He is a graduate of the Armed Forces Staff College and the Air War College. He served as the Vice Commandant of the Squadron Officer School, the Air Force's leadership school for captains. He completed his Air Force career as Professor of Aerospace Studies and Commander of Air Force ROTC at the University of Georgia. Colonel Ellis, currently is President and founder of Leadership Freedom, a leadership and team development consulting and coaching company. For more than fifteen years he has served as an executive coach and a corporate consultant in the areas of hiring, team-building, leadership development, and succession planning. His clients include Fortune 500 senior executives and C-Level leaders in technology, healthcare, insurance, energy, IT, automotive, military, and not-for-profit sectors. Colonel Ellis and his wife, Mary, reside in Atlanta and have four children and six grandchildren.