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Rich retired from the United States Air Force in 1995 after 25 ½ years of service as an Air Force Band Squadron Commander and Conductor. He retired at the rank of Lieutenant Colonel and, at the time, was the senior ranking officer in the Air Force Band Program.
Following his retirement from the Air Force, Colonel Shelton put his strong business management, marketing and public relations skills to work in an executive director position building, strengthening, marketing and managing a regional professional symphony orchestra in Phoenix. He carries those finely tuned skills, along with a deep sense of professionalism, integrity, honesty and dedication, to his passion for working with people to achieve their goals and dreams for successful home ownership.
Colonel Shelton earned a bachelor’s degree in Music Education from the University of Arizona in 1971, and a Master of Music Education degree from Auburn University in 1978. He is also a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Air Command and Staff College and Air War College. During his Air Force career, he commanded six Air Force Bands in the Philippines, Alabama, New Jersey, Virginia, Georgia and Ohio. He directed ceremonial support for the 1983 World Economic Summit in Williamsburg, Virginia, and the US Bicentennial Celebration at Yorktown; led US Embassy hosted tours throughout Thailand, Taiwan, the Philippines and Portugal; has entertained and performed for Presidents Reagan and George W. Bush, French President Francois Mitterand, Pope John Paul II, Imelda Marcos, former first lady of the Philippines, a host of US Ambassadors, Secretaries of Defense, US Air Force and foreign military Chiefs of Staff; and, just prior to his retirement, he had the honor of entertaining the U.S. Secretary of State and Presidential delegations during the State Department-hosted Bosnian Proximity Peace Talks in Dayton, Ohio.
Colonel Shelton is one of the most highly decorated band commanders in the history of the Air Force Band Program. His military awards and decorations include the Legion of Merit Medal (one of the highest honors in the Air Force), five Meritorious Service Medals, the Air Force Commendation Medal, two Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards, and the National Defense Service Medal with bronze star. Under his progressive leadership and vision, his bands have earned four Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards, The Air Force Organizational Excellence Award, the 1991 Presidential Award for Quality and Productivity Improvement, the Air Force Materiel Command’s Small Unit Quality Award for 1994, and the internationally acclaimed John Philip Sousa Foundation’s Colonel George S. Howard Citation of Musical Excellence for Military Concert Bands and Conductors. He was also selected by the US Jaycees as one of the “Outstanding Young Men in America” for 1983.
Rich Shelton brings 41 years of detail-oriented military and non-profit business leadership, management, marketing, public service and communications experience to the critical home buying and selling business. As his client, you can expect a unique level of honesty, integrity, dedicated service, communication and commitment.
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