John “Glad” Castellaw is co-founder and chief executive officer (CEO) of Farmspace Systems LLC., a provider of aerial data collection, management, and equipment.
During a 36-year career, he led Marines around the world ashore and afloat, flew over two dozen different aircraft, served on the UN staff during the Siege of Sarajevo, planned and executed humanitarian operations in Asia, Africa, and Europe, commanded the American forces instability and security operations in East Timor, and was the chief of staff for the U.S. Central Command during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. His final assignments were in the Pentagon where he oversaw Marine Aviation and the Marine Corps budget. A recognized national security expert, he has testified before a Senate committee on food security and is affiliated with several Washington-based think tanks providing expertise on the impacts of climate, food, and energy insecurity. He frequently travels overseas recently visiting Cuba, Israel, Qatar, the Central African Republic, Rwanda, and Australia. He lives on and operates his family farm in Crockett County, Tennessee.