John Rakolta Jr.

Ambassador Rakolta previously served on the Board from August 2011 until his confirmation as United States Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates in September 2019. Prior to such confirmation, Mr. Rakolta served as the chairman and chief executive officer of Walbridge, a privately-held construction company. Mr. Rakolta serves on the board and is co-chairman of the Metropolitan Affairs Corporation and the Coalition for the Future of Detroit School Children. He is a director and member of the Executive Committee of the Detroit Regional Chamber and serves on the Board of Directors of New Detroit, Inc., the College for Creative Studies, and Business Leaders for Michigan. Mr. Rakolta was appointed Romania’s Honorary Consul General to the United States in 1998. He received a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from Marquette University in 1970.