Ken Rizer

Rizer was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He graduated from Southwest High School in Minneapolis. Rizer attended the United States Air Force Academy, where he received a B.S. in Foreign Affairs and Political Science and was accepted into the Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship program. As a junior officer in the United States military, Rizer was admitted to The Olmsted Scholar Program, where he studied Swedish at the U.S. Department of State’s Foreign Service Institute before spending two years at Stockholm University in Sweden studying International Security.[2]

He received his master's degree in Strategic Studies at Air University’s Air War College, an MPA from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, and an MBA from the University of Iowa.[3]

Rizer served 25 years as an Air Force fighter pilot and commander, completing 15 assignments and leading men and women in combat during tours in Iraq.[4] He led Joint Base Andrews, the home of Air Force One, as Base Commander.[5]

After retiring from the military in 2012, Rizer became the Senior Vice President of Operations for Goodwill Industries Goodwill of the Heartland.[6] He currently holds a position as an assistant professor of aviation at the University of Dubuque in Dubuque, IA. As of June 2020, the University of Dubuque faculty directory does not list Rizer as a faculty member[7]