Rich Kretzschmar

Rich Kretzschmar is the President of i3. Prior to joining i3, Rich served as the acting Deputy Program Executive Officer for Aviation. He possesses twenty-seven years of aerospace engineering and program acquisition experience encompassing a variety of missile, rotary and fixed wing aircraft and unmanned aircraft systems. He is acknowledged throughout the world for both his technical and management expertise related to major weapon system development and acquisition. An aerodynamicist by training, Rich joined the Army Aviation and Missile Research, Development and Engineering Center (AMRDEC) in 1992 and served in a variety of technical leadership positions. He transitioned to PEO Aviation in 2011 and served in leadership roles for several of PEO Aviation highest priority programs including Deputy Project Manager, Unmanned Aircraft Systems, Project Manager for the Improved Turbine Engine and Future Vertical Lift (ITE/FVL) Programs.

Mr. Kretzschmar holds both BS and MS degrees in Aerospace Engineering from Auburn University and an MA degree in Business Administration from Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He is level III certified in Program Management and Advanced System Engineering, Research, Development and Engineering career fields. Rich has won numerous awards including The Department of the Army Meritorious Civilian Service Award (2017), The Department of the Army Superior Civilian Service Award (2015), the Army Aviation Association of America 2014 Department of the Army Civilian of the Year Award, the 2014 Association of the United States Army (Redstone Chapter) Civilian of the Year, the Department of the Army Commander's Award for Civilian Service (2012) and the 2004 Outstanding Young Auburn Engineer Award.

Rich lives in Huntsville with his wife Vicki and their son, William, who is attending Auburn University.