Anthony J. Rane Center for Leadership Director

Director, John R. Raczkowski
Lt Col, United States Air Force (Retired)

Lt Col John R. Raczkowski recently retired from the Air Force in July 2017 after serving 31 years on active duty. He enlisted in the Air Force in 1986 as an aircraft maintainer and later became a weather forecaster. While in the enlisted ranks, John was selected to the initial cadre of Combat Weather Instructors at Hurlburt Field, Florida, teaching tactical weather operations to first term Airmen in a combat environment. He was commissioned in 2001 after completing Officer Training School at Maxwell AFB, Alabama. Once he pinned on Second Lieutenant, John served as a Weather Officer, supporting Air Force and Army units including deployments supporting combat operations in Bosnia and the initial effort during OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM. He was also on the planning staff during the Libyan crisis. In his last assignment on active duty, John served as an instructor, advisor and mentor at the Air Force’s Air Command and Staff College where he developed and delivered in-class graduate-level curriculum to mid-level officers from the U.S. and foreign services and Department of Defense civilians in interdisciplinary courses that integrated leadership, history, political science, international relations, and world cultures.  Although he has held operational and leadership positions from the flight level to Numbered Air Force, John considers his years spent on faculty at Air Command and Staff College is his most rewarding.

John earned his Bachelor’s degree from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and holds Master’s degrees in History from American Military University and Military Arts and Science from the Air Command and Staff College. He is currently a resident of Prattville, Alabama and is married to the former Deborah J. McMillan of Los Angeles, California. They have been married for 28 years and have three daughters and one grandchild.