RADCLIFF, Ky.—The Knox Regional Development Alliance (KRDA) announced the selection of retiring Brig. Gen. James Iacocca as the organization’s first President / Chief Executive Officer. Iacocca is the former Adjutant General of the Army, a position he held at U.S. Army Human Resources Command at Fort Knox.
Iacocca will officially start as CEO on Jan. 2, 2018. Until that time, retired Maj. Gen. Bill Barron will continue to serve as the interim President/CEO.
Iacocca’s Army career included multiple assignments at Fort Knox. In addition to his assignment at Human Resources Command, he is the former Deputy Commanding General of U.S. Army Recruiting Command and the former Brigade Commander for the Army’s 3rd Recruiting Brigade.
“Jim’s experience serving with multiple units on post and his familiarity with our premiere installation made him an especially appealing candidate,” said Jim Fugitte, KRDA board chairman.
In addition to his experience at Fort Knox, Iacocca served at multiple installations including Fort Bragg, N.C. with the 82nd Airborne Division and Army Special Operations Command deploying to both Afghanistan and Iraq. He also served at the Pentagon on the staff for the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
“His breadth of experience and understanding of the Army and Department of Defense will prove invaluable,” Fugitte said.
Originally from Pennsylvania, when Iacocca returned to Fort Knox in 2013, he and his wife, Sandy, decided this would be where they would stay when he retired. The couple then purchased a home in Fisherville, Ky, a suburb of Louisville.
“We love Kentucky and are vested in this community,” said Iacocca. “I am honored the board selected me to lead KRDA.”
Barron said Iacocca is a well-known and highly respected senior Army leader who will lend his expertise and leadership to take the KRDA economic development initiative to a new level.
KRDA’s economic development initiative centers on three priorities:
Priority 1: Advocating for new missions and retaining existing missions at Fort Knox
Priority 2: Attracting and retaining defense-related business
Priority 3: Developing more public-public and public-private partnerships
Barron said during the ten-month search period for a new executive, KRDA has been actively working on those three priorities.
“We have made several visits to U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command Headquarters, the Pentagon and Capitol Hill to make sure senior military leaders and congressional leaders understand the value of Fort Knox,” said Barron.
Barron added that he has represented KRDA at the Association of Defense Communities (ADC) conferences as well as the Association of the United States Army (AUSA) annual meeting.
“We have a great story to tell in Fort Knox and the community,” said Barron. “Now we also have an exceptional leader to carry KRDA’s mission forward. I look forward to working with Jim during the transition.”