Noel Zamot

Colonel Noel Zamot (born December 21, 1965) is a retired United States Air Force officer who was the first Hispanic Commandant of the Air Force's elite Test Pilot School. Zamot is a former combat and test aviator with over 1900 hours in B-52, B-1B, B-2A, F-16D and over 20 other aircraft. He created the first system for testing complex military systems in contested cyberspace for the United States. Zamot is also the founder of Corvus Analytics, a consulting firm which helps its clients to design and develop cyber resiliency for complex systems.

Early years Zamot (birth name: Noel Zamot Cordero ) was born and raised in Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico. He was accepted in the Massachusetts Institute of Technology after he completed his primary education and graduated from high school. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Engineering Degree from MIT in 1986. In 1987, he earn a Master of Science in Aerospace Engineering Degree from the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Military career

He joined the United States Air Force in 1987, after graduating from the University of Michigan and became a commissioned officer with the rank of second lieutenant. In 1999, he completed a course called "Programa Avanzado de Administracion de Empresas" (Advanced Business Management Program), of the "Escuela de Administracion de Negocios para Graduados" (Graduate School of Business Administration) in Lima, Peru. That same year he graduated from the Air Command and Staff College. 2011—First Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) test pilot 2012—Flight test course for enlisted personnel 2012—Cyber Systems Test Course introduced Zamot retired from the United States Air Force in 2012, after 25 years of military service.

Corvus Analytics After his retirement from the Air Force, he established and served as Senior Manager of Mission Systems Sector. The Mission Systems Sector provided program management and other services to the US Air Force, US Navy, US Coast Guard and Federal government. He also worked in the Acquisition Management Division of Wyle Aerospace Group, a multi-state Business Unit providing cyber-security to customers in the Department of Defense & Federal Government. The maintenance of the electrical system's infrastructure by the power authority, had been abandoned over the past decades. The impact of Hurricane Maria basically completed the destruction of the islands power grid leaving thousands of Puerto Rican households without electricity. Whitefish Energy, a two-person operation, was given a $300 million, no-bid contract to restore the power grid in Puerto Rico. The Montana company's lack of experience with projects that big and its alleged ties to President Trump's administration were questioned and the contract was canceled.

In 2017, Zamot was appointed and approved by Puerto Rico's Governor Ricardo Rosselló to serve as the Revitalization Coordinator for the Oversight Board, replacing Aaron Bielenberg. The oversight board was created under the 2016 Puerto Rico rescue law known as "PROMESA". Zamot made the following statement upon his appointment:

The Oversight Board nominated Zamot for the position of emergency manager. However, the governor of Puerto Rico, opposed the nomination before the U.S. Federal Court because he believed that the move was an overreach of the oversight board's authority. The U.S. District Judge Laura Taylor Swain ruled against the installment of Zamot in said position. In an online interview, Zamot stated he drew on professional experience for portions of the book, and indicated he is working on a sequel.

Personal life Noel Zamot resides in Florida and is married to Diane Irene Zamot. They have two children, Noel Sebastian Zamot, a 2nd lieutenant in the United States Air Force, who Studied Systems Engineering at the United States Air Force Academy and Cameron Gabriel Zamot. He is on the Board of Directors of the International Test and Evaluation Association (ITEA), a member of the Society of Flight Test Engineers and the Association of Old Crows.

Awards and decorations

US Air Force Command Pilot BadgeDefense Meritorious Service MedalMeritorious Service MedalAir MedalAerial Achievement MedalJoint Service Commendation MedalAir Force Commendation Medalw/ 1 bronze oak leaf clusterJoint Service Achievement MedalJoint Meritorious Unit AwardAir Force Outstanding Unit Awardw/ 2 bronze oak leaf clusterCombat Readiness Medalw/ 1 bronze oak leaf clustersNational Defense Service Medalw/ 1 bronze oak leaf clusterSouthwest Asia Service Medal W/ 2 service starsAir Force Overseas Short Tour Service Ribbon Air Force Longevity Service Awardw/ 2 bronze oak leaf clusterSmall Arms Expert Marksmanship RibbonAir Force Training RibbonKuwait Liberation Medal (Saudi Arabia)Kuwait Liberation Medal (Kuwait)