Major General (Ret.) Dustin "Dusty" A. Shultz
Former Director of Intelligence at US Southern Command
Dusty Shultz is a highly accomplished senior military leader, renowned for her expertise in Army Cyber, Intelligence, and Space operations both in the US and Latin America. Throughout her distinguished career, she has been hand-picked for key leadership roles supporting the Department of Defense. In these roles, Dusty has developed strategic solutions to complex challenges, drawing on her extensive experience in international collaboration to achieve equitable outcomes.
Her deep understanding of US representation in Latin America, working with foreign dignitaries, and cultivating trust-based relationships has been a cornerstone of her success. This expertise earned her a permanent membership on the prestigious Council on Foreign Relations. Dusty’s ability to think at scale allows her to develop multinational strategies, with clear vision and executable milestones.
A natural leader, Dusty excels in interpersonal and communication skills in both English and Spanish. Guided by a strong sense of values and ethics, she possesses an internal compass that drives her decision-making. She is exceptional at building cohesive, high-performing teams and understands the critical importance of mentoring future leaders. Dusty is a change agent, skilled at resolving complex strategic alignment issues with innovative solutions.
After years of dedicated government service, Dusty retired from her final role as Director of Intelligence at US Southern Command. There, she oversaw global operations focused on countering malign state actor activities in Latin America. She played a pivotal role in integrating AI and machine learning, enhancing multinational collaboration and creating a unified intelligence platform that bridged public and private sector data, streamlining decision-making for governments, the private sector, and NGOs. Dusty also significantly shaped Army Cyberspace Operations, Electronic Warfare, and Information Operations as the Army Director of Strategic Operations, advising the Chief of Staff of the Army. Her strategic vision led to the decoupling of the U.S. Army Reserve Command and the Office of the Chief of the Army Reserve, improving efficiencies, streamlining processes, and reducing redundancies.
As a crisis response leader and disaster management expert, Dusty led response efforts during Hurricanes Irma and Maria as Commanding General of the 1st Mission Support Command in Puerto Rico. Her command was critical in orchestrating initial operations across multiple strategic areas, where her fluency in Spanish and outstanding collaboration with various services, local government, and the community proved invaluable. Dusty holds multiple degrees in strategy and is committed to lifelong learning.
