Benes Z. Aldana

After retiring from the United States Coast Guard, Aldana was unanimously selected by the National Judicial College Board of Trustees to serve as the organization's president and leader. Aldana officially assumed the duties of president on 1 May 2017. Aldana is the first former military judge and second person of color to lead the National Judicial College.

Aldana joined the United States Coast Guard in 1994 as a Direct Commission Lawyer. After the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center, Aldana was deployed to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to assist the Department of Defense Criminal Investigation Task Force conducting investigations of detainees captured in the War on Terrorism. Aldana also served in leadership roles as the Executive Officer of Coast Guard Base Seattle and the Commanding Officer of Personnel Services and Support Unit (PSSU) Seattle. Aldana served as a Military Trial Judge from 2005 through 2011 and as an Appellate Judge on the U.S. Coast Guard Court of Criminal Appeals from 2015 through 2016. On 15 June 2016, Aldana was appointed as the Chief Trial Judge of the U.S. Coast Guard. Aldana became the first Asian Pacific American to become a chief trial judge of a branch of the United States Armed Forces, as well as the first Filipino American to serve as chief trial judge in U.S. military history.

Aldana has also received numerous recognitions outside of his military service, including the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association Senator Daniel Inouye Trailblazer Award (2015), Asian Bar Association of Washington Judge of the Year (2016), American Bar Association Outstanding Young Military Lawyer Award (2003), National Asian Pacific American Bar Association "Best Lawyer Under 40,” (2003) the Emerging Filipino Leaders Award in the Field of Law (2009), and the American Bar Foundation Fellows Outstanding Chair Award (2011), Department of Homeland Security General Counsel's Award of Excellence (2016), Named Fellow by the American Bar Foundation (2006).

In addition to Aldana's support of the ABA, he also served as a fellow for the American Bar Foundation and was awarded as the Outstanding State Chair in 2011.

Aldana graduated cum laude from Seattle University in 1991 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science. While at Seattle University, Aldana served as Student Body President and as a Congressional Intern on Capitol Hill. He received a J.D. from University of Washington School of Law in 1994.

Benes Zapanta Aldana (born 16 December 1969) is a retired United States Coast Guard captain and military lawyer who served as the Chief Trial Judge of the Coast Guard from 15 June 2016 until his retirement from military service in 2017. Aldana served as the first Asian Pacific (Filipino) American chief trial judge in U.S. military history. Aldana currently serves as president of the National Judicial College.