Red Star Foundation Welcomes Colonel Kris Saling to Its Board of Advisors

Red Star Foundation is proud to announce that Colonel Kris Saling, U.S. Army Retired, has joined our Board of Advisors.

Colonel Saling brings more than 25 years of distinguished military service, transformational leadership, and nationally recognized expertise in workforce strategy, talent management, data analytics, and artificial intelligence.

A graduate of the United States Military Academy, Colonel Saling earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Operations Research and began her Army career as an engineer officer. She served 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 went on to command 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. She subsequently served as a strategic analyst for U.S. Army Pacific Command, led officer strength analysis and forecasting for Headquarters, Department of the Army G-1, served as Chief Analytics Officer for the Army Talent Management Task Force, and later served as Chief Technology Officer for Army Manpower and Reserve Affairs.

Colonel Saling currently serves as Director of Workforce Transformation at Imagine Believe Realize, where she leads the Human Resources and Human Capital Center of Excellence. In this role, she helps federal and commercial organizations prepare for the future of work and successfully integrate human and machine workforces.

She 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, where she specialized in data mining and complexity science. Her graduate research on high-reliability systems was later published in two respected operations research academic journals.

Colonel Saling 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.

Her 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 the Department of Defense’s top analyst under the age of 40.

Colonel Saling’s experience leading complex organizations, using data to improve decision-making, and transforming how institutions support their people will be invaluable as Red Star Foundation continues expanding its national mission to prevent suicide and support the families of current military, veterans, and first responders who have died by suicide.

Please join us in welcoming Colonel Kris Saling to the Red Star Foundation family.

Hope. Recognition. Connection.