Behind the Badge: Kevin Billings

Kevin Billings (Gamma Psi/Puget Sound 1977) has built a career defined by international collaboration and public service, and in recent years, that work earned him a rare honor for an American.

During the Bush administration, Billings served as the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Installations, Environment, and Logistics. In that role, he helped oversee the worldwide management and direction of the Air Force’s $38 billion installations, logistics, environment, and energy programs. His work also extended beyond U.S. borders, including leading a trilateral group involving the United States, the United Kingdom, and France to discuss and negotiate fuel pricing.

In 2021, Billings developed a plan to unite the Air Forces of 52 countries across six continents to share best practices and lessons learned on how to operate and fight within climate-constrained environments. That effort was recognized with his appointment as an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE), an order of chivalry that Billings notes is “very rare for Americans to receive.”

“I’m proud of this accolade, but the recognition is not as important as the impact,” Billings said. “It was an opportunity to serve, and I was happy to do my duty.”

He also credits Theta Chi with shaping the values that carried him through his career. “The friendships and the camaraderie and the importance of service are all things I learned at the Gamma Psi Chapter…and I’m fortunate I was able to carry those teachings into my professional life.”

Billings’ story is a reminder that the impact of Theta Chi doesn’t stop at graduation; it scales into adulthood and throughout your life. Whether he was managing global logistics, building coalitions across continents, or helping leaders prepare for the realities of a changing world, his career reflects the kind of steady, service-first leadership our Fraternity aims to cultivate: show up, do the work, and advance the culture wherever you go.