USAF Ret. Col. Lee Ellis is the founder and president of Leadership Freedom and FreedomStar Media. He is also an author, coach, and keynote speaker in the areas of leadership and team building. In early life, Lee was raised in a Christian home and received the gift of faith in Jesus Christ at an early age. This foundation proved to be very valuable in his early career while serving as an Air Force fighter pilot flying fifty-three combat missions over North Vietnam during the Vietnam War. In 1967, Lee was shot down and held as a Prisoner of War (POW) for more than five years in Hanoi and surrounding camps. On March 14, 1973, he was released during Operation Homecoming. For his wartime service, Lee was awarded two Silver Stars, the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star with Valor device, the Purple Heart, and a POW Medal. He later resumed his Air Force career, serving in various leadership roles, including command of a flying squadron and at leadership development organizations before retiring as a colonel. Lee has a B.A. in History and a M.S. in Counseling and Human Development. He has authored or co-authored several books, including Leading with Honor: Leadership Lessons from the Hanoi Hilton, and Captured by Love: Inspiring True Romance Stories from Vietnam POWs. Lee and his wife, Mary, reside in the Atlanta area and have four grown children and six grandchildren.
