By Kerry Cole, Editor of Materials Performance (MP) magazine
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Trust. Precision. Personal responsibility.

Whether you’re a naval aviator or a materials protection professional, small decisions can have big consequences. That’s the message former Blue Angels pilot John “Gucci” Foley plans to share as the keynote speaker at AMPP’s 2026 Annual Conference + Expo.

“In the Blue Angels, we flew 18 inches apart at 400 miles per hour,” Foley says. “There’s no room for ego or drift.”

Foley will deliver his “Ignite a Culture of Excellence” speech at 3:00 p.m. local time on Monday, March 16. He will link his background to the work AMPP members do every day.

“Infrastructure, energy systems, public safety...  it all depends on disciplined execution and aligned teams,” he says. “Right now, with aging assets and new technologies coming online, alignment and accountability matter more than ever.”

He and his fellow Blue Angels trained for precision because lives depended on it, and that required clear standards, disciplined habits, and constant debriefing.

“The same applies in corrosion control and asset integrity,” Foley says. “You don’t rise to the occasion — you default to your training. Excellence isn’t an event. It’s a system of behaviors repeated every day.”

One of the keys to his keynote is a mindset he promotes: Be glad to be here.

“That mindset isn’t about ignoring pressure, it’s about stepping into it with purpose,” he says. “When you decide you’re proud to do the work, proud to protect what matters, and proud to serve your team, your energy shifts. Performance follows attitude.”

Foley is a former lead solo pilot for the United States Navy Blue Angels, recognized among the top tier of U.S. military aviators and a nine-time Top Ten Carrier Pilot who also flew jets for the film “Top Gun.”

After completing his Navy career, Foley earned degrees from the Stanford Graduate School of Business and the U.S. Naval War College, translating lessons from high-risk aviation into leadership and performance strategies. Today, he advises global business leaders and speaks worldwide, sharing his “Glad To BeHere®” mindset and supporting charitable causes through the foundation he established in 2011.

This year’s keynote is sponsored by RETEGO, a Utah-based environmental services company that develops field methods for testing and analyzing water quality.

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