In 2014, Rep. Kenneth Rizer was elected to the Iowa House of Representatives. Twenty-five years of service in the Air Force prepared him for this opportunity to now serve his state. During his military career, Rep. Kenneth Rizer received the following three degrees: Bachelor’s from the US Air Force Academy, Master’s from Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government and Master’s from the Air War College.

In 1998, after finishing his assignment as F-16 Flight Commander as Misawa Air Base, Japan, he and his family started their Olmsted experience in Stockholm, Swedan. While there, he enrolled in the International Security Master’s program at the University of Stockholm.

Trained as a RF-4C “Phantom II” and a F-16 “Fighting Falcon” pilot, he served his country as a flight lead, instructor pilot, and flight commander. Part of his 15 assignments would include leading men and women on combat tours in Iraq.

Before retiring from the Air Force, he served as Commander of the 11th Wing at Andrews Air Force Base—the home of Air Force 1. On the base, he was responsible for 60,000 military personnel and their families around the world, balanced a $252 million budget, opened the Department of Defense’s first combined charter school, ensured security for all senior US and foreign officials, and procured a $30 million helicopter operations facility. His efforts resulted in Andrews being named the #1 Air Force-led Joint Base in the Department of Defense.

After retiring as a Colonel from the Air Force in 2012, he became the Senior Vice President for Operations for Goodwill of the Heartland, where he employed homeless veterans and people with disabilities. In 2014, he ran for the Iowa House of Representatives where he represents District 68 and serves as Vice Chairman of the Appropriations Committee.