John Rakolta

John Rakolta Jr. (Romanian: Racolța; born June 15, 1947 in Oakland County, Michigan) is the current United States Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates. He was the former CEO of Walbridge[2][3] (formerly known as Walbridge Aldinger). He was also one of the National Finance Chairs for Mitt Romney's 2008 Presidential Campaign. Rakolta's wife Terry Rakolta is the sister of Mitt's former sister-in-law, Ronna Romney. John Rakolta is also the uncle to Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna Romney McDaniel.

John Rakolta
John Rakolta Jr.
United States Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates
Assumed office
October 27, 2019
PresidentDonald Trump
Preceded byBarbara A. Leaf
Personal details
Born
John Rakolta, Jr.[1]

(1947-06-15) June 15, 1947[1]
Oakland County, Michigan, US
Political partyRepublican
Spouse(s)Terry Rakolta (1976-present)
Children4: 3 daughters (Paige, Eileen and Lauren) and a son (John Rakolta, III).
Alma materMarquette University
Harvard University BA
(civil engineering, 1969)
OccupationBusiness executive

Education and personal life

Rakolta received his bachelor's degree in civil engineering from Marquette University in 1970 and then studied smaller company management at the Harvard Business School.[4]

All four of Rakolta's grandparents were immigrants from Romania.[5][6] He was - until he assumed office of US Ambbassador to UAE - the Honorary-Consul General[7] for Romania in Detroit.

Rakolta's father, John Rakolta Sr. (1923–2003), was the head of Walbridge Aldinger before Rakolta.[8] Rakolta Jr. began his career at Walbridge in 1970,[9] became COO in 1978 and CEO in 1993.[8] Rakolta is also on the board of the Munder Funds since 1993.[10] In 1993 the Rakoltas bought a property near Palm Beach, Florida, where they tore down a 1950s house and built a much larger one. The gardens they had there, designed by Jorge Sanchez, were given an award in 2013.[11]

Rakolta is married to Terry Lynn Rakolta (née Stern), an American homemaker and former anti-obscenity activist, best known for leading a boycott against the Fox Broadcasting Company sitcom Married... with Children in 1989.[12]

Career

Aside from his work for the Romney campaign in 2008, Rakolta was a major fundraiser for the Bush campaign in 2004.[13] Most recently he was State Finance Chair for Gov. Rick Snyder of Michigan. Rakolta served as the chairman of New Detroit from 2003 to 2010.[10]

Rakolta's daughter Lauren Rakolta was also a major figure in Mitt Romney's campaign and previously had worked for Mitt Romney when he was governor of Massachusetts. She was the finance director for Republican Rick Snyder's campaign for governor of Michigan in 2010.[14]

Rakolta was the finance chair for Mitt Romney's 2012 campaign.[15]

In 2015 Rakolta was co-chair of the Coalition for the Future of Detroit School Children, which recommended reform for the school system of Detroit, including limiting the number of charter schools in the city.[16][17]

In 2015, Rakolta supported the Marco Rubio presidential campaign, 2016.[18] In July 2016 Rakolta had a private meeting with Donald J. Trump after which he supported Trump's campaign. He was a financial advisor for Trump in Michigan and helped fund Trump's transition team after the election.[19]

In May 2018, Rakolta was nominated by President Donald Trump to be the next United States Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates.[20][21] The U.S. Senate confirmed him on September 17, 2019, by a vote of 63–30.[22]

References
  1. "Birth results for John Rakolta, Jr". familysearch.org. Retrieved January 5, 2018.
  2. "Finely:Rakolta of to U.A.E for a tough new job". Detroit News. October 24, 2019.
  3. "Building Design and Construction Consultants". Walbridg.come. Retrieved May 5, 2017.
  4. Constructorul Archived February 2, 2017, at the Wayback Machine, May 22, 2005, Ana-Maria Luca, Jurnalul Național
  5. John Rakolta Biography Archived March 19, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
  6. Constructorul Archived February 2, 2017, at the Wayback Machine, 22 mai 2005, Ana-Maria Luca, Jurnalul Național, accesat la 23 aprilie 2017
  7. Honorary Consulates of Romania in the US Archived June 25, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
  8. "U.S. Senate confirms Walbridge CEO John Rakolta for ambassador to UAE". Crain's Detroit Business. September 17, 2019. Retrieved October 28, 2019.
  9. "John Rakolta joins Agree Realty board, is company's 16th-largest investor". Crain's Detroit Business. September 19, 2011. Retrieved October 28, 2019.
  10. Bewig, Matt (May 6, 2018). "United States Ambassador to United Arab Emirates: Who Is John Rakolta, Jr.?". AllGov.com. Retrieved May 21, 2018.
  11. article on Rakolta gardens getting an award
  12. A Mother Is Heard as Sponsors Abandon a TV Hit (March 2, 1989) New York Times
  13. "The John McCain-Mitt Romney bond warms on the trail". Latimesblogs.latimes.com. July 19, 2008. Retrieved May 5, 2017.
  15. Destroit News article on Rakolta
  16. article on Coalition for the Future of Detroit School children
  17. Michigan Radio article on coalition cocharied by Rakolta
  18. Troy, Tevi. "Rubio 2016: Romney ally endorsement". Politico.com. Retrieved May 5, 2017.
  19. article mentioning Rakolta as one of funders of Trump's transition team
  20. Gray, Kathleen (March 28, 2018). "Detroit executive, GOP benefactor John Rakolta Jr. nominated by Trump as Ambassador to UAE". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved April 3, 2018.
  21. "PN2021 – John Rakolta Jr. – Department of State". U.S. Congress. May 21, 2018. Retrieved May 22, 2018.
  22. "On the Nomination (Confirmation: John Rakolta, Jr., of Michigan, to be Ambassador of the United States of America to the United Arab Emirates )". United States Senate. Retrieved September 17, 2019.
Diplomatic posts
Preceded by
Barbara A. Leaf		 United States Ambassador to United Arab Emirates
2019–present		 Incumbent
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