Lou Nieves, Jr. is a 21-year veteran of the U.S. Air Force and the Pennsylvania Air National Guard. During his service in the PA Air National Guard, he was assigned to the 111th Fighter Wing in Willow Grove Joint Reserve Base, PA, followed by the 112th Air Control Squadron in State College, PA. Lou finished his career as the Recruiting Office Supervisor for the 193rd Special Operations Wing in Middletown, PA and retired in 2006 in the rank of Master Sergeant.

As a Recruiting Supervisor, Lou developed a recruitment and retention personnel operations plan including goals and objectives, recruitment and retention activities, advertising, and budget for the entire Wing. He successfully implemented procedures which provided supervisors and trainers with training tools and assistance needed to ensure necessary skills were developed and peers received formal training. Lou developed and maintained long-term contacts with representatives of local news media, civic organizations, high schools and colleges, reserve and active duty recruiters and units of the Armed Forces, and the general public as appropriate to increase awareness of the Pennsylvania Air National Guard. He established and maintained effective relations with unit members, and the local community.

Lou holds a Master’s Degree in Organizational Management from the University of Phoenix and a Bachelors Degree in Workforce Education & Training from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. In addition, he holds Associates Degrees from the Community College of the Air Force, Montgomery, AL and Community College of Baltimore County at Catonsville, MD.

Currently, Lou works with the U.S. Department of Labor – Wage and Hour Division. Lou is also a Certificated Flight Instructor (CFI-I), In his spare time he teaches others how to fly airplanes, while also enjoying flying for pleasure. Some of his highlight flights include mountain flying in the Colorado Rockies, landing at Telluride Regional Airport, CO, the highest elevation commercial airport in the U.S., flying over the Grand Canyon, flying over the Niagara Falls and landing his airplane on an ice runway in Alton Bay, NH.