Retired Colonel Curtis D. Potts. CONTRIBUTED

Veteran of the Week

MADISON – Retired Colonel Curtis D. Potts was commissioned as U. S. Army Second Lieutenant as a distinguished military graduate of Loyola University ROTC Program in 1980.

Retiring as colonel in April 2009, he completed combat tours for Desert Shield, Desert Storm, Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) with attacks from Kuwait to Baghdad, Operation Enduring Freedom and to Baghdad, Iraq for OIF 5-7.

“I was an Army Commissioned Officer and Helicopter Pilot my entire career serving in conventional units and 10 years in Special Operations,” Potts said.

At Fort Polk, La., he was Aeroscout Section and Platoon Leader and Operations Officer. In Europe, he served in 4th squadron as Squadron Operations Officer. In Nuremberg and Stuttgart, Germany, he was Troop Commander.

From 1988 to 1991, he was Joint Tactics Officer at MacDill Air Force Base, Fla. Potts was Battalion Commander at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii and Deputy Commanding Officer at Fort Campbell, Ky. At retirement from Fort Hood, Texas, Potts and his family moved here for “job opportunities, many friends and the great reputation of the Madison-Huntsville community.”

Among his many awards are Distinguished Flying Cross, Legion of Merit (2), Bronze Star, Meritorious Service and Joint Service Commendation. He earned several badges in aviation, parachuting and combat.

His wife Susan is Director of Ballet for The Dance Company. Their daughter Jessica Prescott and husband Brock live in Madison. Daughter Courtney Potts of Madison is pursuing a doctorate’s degree in psychology and works with Alzheimer’s patients.

Potts is Vice President, Director of Business and Strategic Development, for Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC). He created SAIC’s strategic development process for that unit and interfaces with Army leaders.

He founded and leads Madison Reserve Police Force and serves on Madison Planning Commission. A former Rotary Club of Madison member, Potts serves as board member and program chairman for Leadership Huntsville/Madison County.

Potts enjoys exercising at Hogan Family YMCA, long hikes with Susan and their two Golden Retrievers, golfing, tactical shooting and “acting as my spouse’s backstage manager during The Dance Company’s annual ‘The Nutcracker’ performance.”