The First SGM John A. Nicolai Leadership Lecture

• Author: Michael J. Nardotti
• Position: Currently in private practice with a large international law firm in Washington, DC and represents clients on a broad range of defense, national security and other significant issues at all levels across the Department of Defense and other federal agencies and on matters of special interest to members of Congress. He also serves as Managing ...
• Pages: 233-245

2013] NICOLAI LECTURE IN LEADERSHIP 233

THE FIRST SGM JOHN A. NICOLAI LEADERSHIP LECTURE*

MAJOR GENERAL (RETIRED) MICHAEL J. NARDOTTI, JR1

* This is an edited transcript of a lecture delivered by Major General (Retired) Mike

Nardotti to members of the staff and faculty, and their distinguished guests, on June 26,

2012.

The Sergeant Major (SGM) John A. Nicolai Leadership Lecture is named in honor

of Sergeant Major John A. Nicolai, who served as the Sixth Sergeant Major of the JAG

Corps, U.S. Army, from April 1, 1992 to August 16, 1994, during the time Major General

(Retired) Nardotti was The Judge Advocate General.

Sergeant Major Nicolai entered the U.S. Army in June 1964 and completed basic

training at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. He completed advanced individual training at

Fort Sam Houston, Texas, as a Medical Corpsman. After serving as a Medic at Fort

Hood, Texas; Minneapolis, Minnesota; and Fort George G. Meade, Maryland, he

separated from the Army in August 1968. He re-entered the Army in November 1970,

and again served as a medic at the Armed Forces Examining and Entrance Station in

Fargo, North Dakota and the U.S. Army Medical Department Activity–Korea. His

request for reclassification as legal specialist was approved in 1974 and he was assigned

in that capacity as the Noncommissioned Officer In Charge (NCOIC), Criminal Law

Division, U.S. Army Air Defense Center and Fort Bliss, Texas; Clerk of Court, 3d

Judicial Circuit, Fort Bliss, Texas, NCOIC Administrative Law Division, 8th Infantry

Division, Germany; Chief Legal NCO, 7th Medical Command, Germany; Chief Legal

NCO, U.S. Army Garrison, Fort Huachuca, Arizona; Chief Legal NCO, 8th Infantry

Division, Germany; and most recently as Chief Legal NCO, I Corps and Fort Lewis, Fort

Lewis, Washington.

He was a graduate of the Sergeants Major Academy, Class 32, and completed the

Legal Advanced NCO Course and the U.S. Air Force Advanced Legal Course. He

earned an Associate of Arts Degree from the University of Maryland and a Bachelor’s

Degree in Business Administration from the University of Phoenix.

His awards include four Meritorious Service Medals, the Joint Service

Commendation Medal, two Army Commendation Medals, and the Army Achievement

Medal.

A native of North Dakota, he was married to Kathleen Schaffer of Minnesota, and

had three daughters, Christine, Monika, and Catherine.

On April 1, 1992, Sergeant Major Nicolai assumed the position as Sergeant Major,

the Judge Advocate General’s Corps, and was the sixth sergeant major to hold this

position.

1 Major General Mike Nardotti (U.S. Army, Retired) is currently in private practice with

a large international law firm in Washington, DC and represents clients on a broad range

of defense, national security and other significant issues at all levels across the

Department of Defense and other federal agencies and on matters of special interest to

members of Congress. He also serves as Managing Partner of the firm’s Washington DC

Office. He previously served as Co-Chair of the firm’s Litigation Department, as Chair

of the Training and Professional Development Committee, as a member of the Practice

Management and Compensation Committees.

Major General Nardotti has extensive experience in sensitive internal investigations

for corporate clients and in planning and executing corrective action and ethics and

business conduct compliance strategies. He has represented senior government officials

and corporate clients in executive branch and congressional investigations and hearings.