Kris Saling

Colonel Kris Saling, U.S. Army Retired, brings more than 25 years of military leadership and nationally recognized expertise in workforce transformation, talent management, data analytics, operations research, and artificial intelligence to the Red Star Foundation Board of Advisors.

She currently serves as Director of Workforce Transformation at Imagine Believe Realize, where she leads the Human Resources and Human Capital Center of Excellence and helps federal and commercial organizations integrate human and machine workforces.

Colonel Saling graduated from the United States Military Academy with a Bachelor of Science in Operations Research. She began her Army career as an engineer officer, serving as a platoon leader with the 864th Combat Engineer Battalion at Fort Lewis and later as a platoon leader and executive officer with the 14th Combat Engineer Battalion during its deployment to Iraq.

She later commanded engineer companies with the 29th and 65th Engineer Battalions at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, and deployed again to Iraq as the Division Engineer Plans Officer for the 25th Infantry Division.

After 12 years as an engineer officer, Colonel Saling transferred into Operations Research and Systems Analysis. Her subsequent assignments included serving as a strategic analyst for U.S. Army Pacific Command, leading officer strength analysis and forecasting for Headquarters, Department of the Army G-1, serving as Chief Analytics Officer for the Army Talent Management Task Force, and serving as Chief Technology Officer for Army Manpower and Reserve Affairs.
Colonel Saling holds a Master of Science in Engineering Management from Missouri University of Science and Technology and a Master of Science in Systems Engineering from the University of Virginia. At the University of Virginia, she specialized in data mining and complexity science. Her thesis on high-reliability systems was subsequently published in two respected operations research academic journals.

She is the author of Data-Driven Talent Management and a doctoral candidate at the University of Miami, where her research focuses on workforce transformation and the adoption of artificial intelligence. She is also a nationally recognized speaker on people analytics, organizational transformation, and AI adoption.

Colonel Saling’s military awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Joint Service Achievement Medal, Parachutist Badge, and Air Assault Badge.

She is also a recipient of the Military Operations Research Society’s Hughes Award, which recognizes outstanding achievement by a Department of Defense analyst under the age of 40.Through her service on the Red Star Foundation Board of Advisors, Colonel Saling provides strategic guidance in organizational growth, technology, analytics, workforce development, and the use of data to strengthen programs supporting current military, veterans, first responders, and Red Star Families.