Wing Commander
Col Dennis Bissell assumed the position of Commander, North Carolina Wing of Civil Air Patrol on 7 January 2023.
Dennis R Bissell, of Greensboro, North Carolina has been an active member of Civil Air Patrol for 17 years with a long history of leadership at all levels of the organization in North Carolina Wing and the Mid-Atlantic Region. His experience also includes national assignments as a member of the NHQ investment committee, Mid-Atlantic Region Liaison Officer to FEMA Region 4, and director of the Mid-Atlantic Search and Rescue College.
“I am extremely honored to have been selected as the next North Carolina Wing Commander,” Bissell said. “I have been supported by a long line of members and fortunate to learn from all of them along my journey as a CAP member and I look forward to giving back in this new role.”
A native of Greensboro, North Carolina, Bissell joined CAP as a cadet in October 1992 and held various cadet leadership roles as part of the Triad First Flight Squadron including cadet commander.
As a senior member, Bissell has held multiple command and staff positions: Burlington Composite Squadron Commander, North Carolina Wing Legislative Squadron Commander, North Carolina Wing Inspector General, North Carolina Wing Chief of Staff twice, North Carolina Vice Commander, North Carolina Wing Liaison Officer to North Carolina Emergency Management, and most recently as the North Carolina Director of Emergency Services.
Bissell has been extremely active in the operational and emergency services missions supporting North Carolina Wing and Mid-Atlantic Region responses to multiple natural disasters, Search and Rescues, and other Homeland Security Missions. Bissell holds multiple mission qualifications including incident commander – Level 1, ground team leader, and mission pilot.
He is a graduate of the National Inland Search and Rescue Planning Course and the Basic Inland Search and Rescue Course. Additionally, he is a graduate of the 2020 National Inspector General Course and the National Staff College in 2015.
Bissell holds CAP Master ratings in Aerospace Education, Cadet Programs, Emergency Services, Operations, Logistics, and Inspector General.
He has been recognized with numerous awards and commendations during his CAP career, receiving 3 Wing Commander’s Commendations, one region commander’s commendation, and one national commander’s commendation, three meritorious service awards, and four exceptional service awards. In addition, Bissell has been previously recognized as the North Carolina Wing IG of the Year, Aerospace Education Officer of the Year, Incident Command Team Member of the Year and Mid-Atlantic region Incident Command Team Member of the Year.
Outside CAP, Bissell has 23 years of Financial Services experience. He returned to North Carolina in 2004 to pursue career opportunities with Jefferson-Pilot Financial (now Lincoln Financial Group). He is currently a Senior Account Manager in the Relationship Management division of Lincoln Financial Distributors responsible for managing the relationship with Lincoln’s largest Brokerage General Agency clients. He currently holds a FINRA Series 7, 63, a North Carolina Life and Health License. Bissell holds multiple professional designations that include Certified Financial Planner, Chartered Life Underwriter, Chartered Financial Consultant, and Life Underwriters Training Council Fellow.
He earned a B.A in Managerial Economics from Hampden-Sydney College and an MBA from East Carolina University.