Vance Renfroe

Vance RenfroeColonel Aubrey Vance Renfroe is the president of Renfroe Associates, a global business development and government relations firm he founded in 1990.  His company has ongoing projects in the Middle East and North Africa, and business interests around the world.  His clients have included Lockheed Martin, ATT, Armor Holdings, Aircraft Parts Re-Engineering Industries, the National Guard Bureau, and the US Departments of Defense, Homeland Security, and Treasury.  He has been the president of the Minuteman Institute for National Defense Studies in Washington DC for 14 years.  Renfroe founded his first company, Youth Enrichment Services, in 1977, while he was a B-52G pilot and Special Assistant to the 97th Bomb Wing Commander.  He has worked with many state, federal, and international governments and organizations. Col. Renfroe retired after 27 years active service in the United States Air Force and the Air National Guard.  His military career included combat service as a pilot in Vietnam and years of Pentagon duty.  Renfroe was Director of Operations and Director of Programs for the Air National Guard of the United States.  He was the senior Air National Guard Advisor to the Directors of Operations and Plans, Headquarters USAF.  He was the first Senior Reserve Forces Advisor to the Commander of US European Command and the Supreme Allied Commander, Europe. Renfroe established the first Air National Guard Office of International Affairs and was and Director of International Affairs for the National Guard of the United States.  He was co-creator of the National Guard State Partnership Program that now has partnerships with 67 nations.

Renfroe earned the Education Specialist Degree (EdS) from the George Washington University.  He holds the Masters of International Affairs from Salve Regina University, the Masters of Arts in National Security and Strategic Studies from the College of Naval Warfare, and the Masters of General Studies (Political Science) from Arkansas State University.  His Bachelor of Arts is in Religion from Louisiana College.  Renfroe did Masters studies in Comparative Religion at Florida State University and worked on the Master of Divinity degree at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.  He is a student of Islam and works well in several languages.  Col. Renfroe was the first Air National Guard officer to attend the Naval War College in residence and is a resident graduate of Air Command and Staff College. As Senior Associate in the Program on Transitions to Democracy in the Eliot School of International Affairs at The George Washington University, Renfroe wrote, edited, developed policy and programs on current issues with White House involvement. Col. Renfroe is published in articles and books, notably in Vital Speeches, and is a speaker and occasional TV guest commentator in the US and abroad.  He is on the Editorial Board of Common Defense Quarterly.  Renfroe has been married since 1969 to Dr. Anita L. Renfroe, a concert pianist and Director of Keyboard Studies at Millersville University of Pennsylvania.  They have two children and three granddaughters.