The Board of Ambassadors Announce 2025 Tribute to Courage Honoree for Spirit of Hope Celebration

John “Slick” Baum is a retired USAF Lieutenant Colonel, entrepreneur, philanthropist, and leading business strategist. John enlisted in the USAF at 17 serving as an avionics maintenance technician. He then attended Embry- Riddle Aeronautical University graduating with a BS in Aeronautical Science in 1999 and a Masters of Aeronautical Science in 2008.

Col. Baum attended Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training and graduated F-16 training as the Distinguished Graduate. He then attended USAF Fighter Weapons School (Top Gun) and returned as an instructor. John was then requested by the Commander of Air Combat Command to fly as a Demonstration Pilot for the 2009-2010 Thunderbird team. Following the Thunderbirds, he was selected as a Secretary of the Air Force Strategic Communications Fellow earning a Masters in Strategic Communication from George Mason University.

John was also co-founder of Draken International providing contract air support to the US and NATO military forces with the world’s largest fleet of privately owned fighter aircraft.

Slick provided high G flight training for the Crew of Inspiration4, the first all civilian space program in partnership with SpaceX, and then served as the Philanthropy Director for the Polaris Program endeavoring to further understand the requirements for long duration human space flight.

For his successful fundraising and awareness efforts, he was honored as the 2025 Extraordinary Performance Award recipient from St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

The Board of Ambassadors is a group of individuals and business leaders in northeast Pennsylvania who have come together to raise funds & awareness to fight cancer in the local community through their support and promotion of a gala event.

The Spirit of Hope Celebration benefits the Northeast Regional Cancer Institute’s Community-Based Cancer Screening Navigation Program. This program helps individuals in northeast Pennsylvania get their recommended colorectal, breast, cervical, and lung cancer screenings.

For more information about the upcoming Spirit of Hope Celebration, please call the Cancer Institute at (570) 904-8808 or visit www.spiritofhopecelebration.org.

About The Northeast Regional Cancer Institute
The Northeast Regional Cancer Institute is a nonprofit community-based agency serving seven counties in northeast Pennsylvania with offices located in Scranton and Wilkes-Barre for more than 30 years.  Focusing on surveillance, community and patient services, and hospital and practice support services, the Cancer Institute invests 100% of its resources locally. Www.cancernepa.org

Chairman Leo P. Vergnetti, Clarence Baltrusaitis, Brigitte Baum, Matt Beynon, Jim & Susan Brady, Dino Campitelli, Trish & Nicholas Colangelo, Ph.D., Richard P. Conaboy, Jr., Ed Cosgrove, William Davis, Tom DePietro, Maria Donahue, Sonya Eddings, Mary Erwine, Joseph G. Ferguson, Esq., Traci Fosnot, Greg & Meghan Gagorik, Nevin Gerber, Marta Gomes, James T. Gorman, Jo Ann Romano Hallesky, John & Jennifer Heil, Kristie Hynoski, Charles C. Jefferson, Angela Rempe Jones, Robin Long, John Mack, Linda Marino-Brooks, Joe Mattioli, Brian McQuestion, Philip Medico, Mark Mesko, Dan Meuser, Dana Morris, Hon. Tom Munley, Christopher A. Peters, M.D., Vito Pizzo, Casey Quinn, Billy Rinaldi, John P. Rodgers, Esq., Tammy Saunders, Vince Scarpetta, P. Richard Scheller, Frank Sepko, Patrick Sicilio, Steven J. Szydlowski, Ph.D., Joe Van Wie, Vanessa Vergnetti, Patty and Tony Vergnetti, and Chuck Volpe.