Board of Governors

Col. Ross E. Veta

Civil Air Patrol Board of Governors Member

Col. Ross E. Veta, a Civil Air Patrol legal officer with aerospace engineering, program management, and global strategic procurement experience, as well as expertise in complex organizational management and growth through innovation, serves as a CAP selectee on the Board of Governors.

As CAP’s top governing body, the 11-member board consists of four U.S. Air Force appointees, three members appointed jointly by the secretary of the Air Force and CAP’s national commander/CEO, and four CAP selectees chosen by the CAP Senior Advisory Group. The board moves the organization forward through collective decision-making to develop strategic policies, plans, and programs that guide it today and tomorrow. It is assisted by CAP’s national commander/CEO and the organization’s chief operating officer, and the CAP-U.S. Air Force (CAP-USAF) commander, who act as advisers.

Veta joined the board in August 2025 and has a history of service in Civil Air Patrol’s California and Ohio wings. A seasoned CAP volunteer with 23 years as a cadet and adult member, he has been active throughout the organization’s far-reaching programs, ranging from Cadet Programs and Emergency Services to Aerospace Education and Legal. He served as the California Wing commander from 2019 to 2023. Under his command, the wing was recognized with CAP’s National Commander’s Unit Citation — the highest honor a wing can receive — for “exceptionally outstanding performance and achievement” from March 1, 2020, to July 31, 2021, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and massive wildfires in the state.

While a wing commander, Veta also served as a member of CAP’s National Strategic Planning Team, which created the Corporate Strategic Plan and Vision Statement now in effect. During that time, he also directed the establishment of the wing’s Resilience Program, adopted nationally, and the Disaster Preparedness, Prevention, and Relief Program in advance of a National Headquarters directive. Previous commands include San Diego Group 8 from 2016-2019 and San Diego Cadet Squadron 144 from 2013-2016. In addition, he served as legal officer for the Washington Wing from 2018-2019, assistant legal officer for the California Wing from 2010-2016 and 2019-2025, and for the Pacific Region from 2019-2025.

As a cadet in the Ohio Wing from 1970-1976, Veta achieved the grade of cadet lieutenant colonel as a recipient of the Gen. Ira C. Eaker Award. He served as cadet commander for both the wing and the Great Lakes Region.

Outside of CAP, Veta has been the senior partner at Veta & Veta Attorneys at Law in San Diego since 2000 and has been involved in the management of global strategic procurement and contract operations for Hewlett-Packard Co. and Maxwell Technologies. Before that, he was an engineer and project manager for Rohr Inc., an aerospace manufacturing company