Candidate: Rick LoCastro

RETIRED U.S. AIR FORCE COLONEL (Served 24 years)

GRADUATE OF U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY (1988)

EXPERIENCED NAPLES & MARCO ISLAND BUSINESS LEADER

INVOLVED COMMUNITY ADVOCATE & VOLUNTEER

Lived & Worked in 80+ Countries

Former Military Base Commander & Served Two U.S. Presidents

Passionate, Self-Starter, Depth of Experience

Business, Community, Healthcare, & Chamber of Commerce Leader

COMPREHENSIVE EXPERTISE

* Healthcare / Senior Living / Hospice

* Government & Community Relations

* Construction / Security / Engineering

* Human Resourcing

* Finance / Budgeting / Contracting

* Safety / Emergeny Response

* Environmental Protection

After serving 24 years in the U.S. Air Force and retiring as a full Colonel in 2012, Rick was recruited to Naples, and into Hospital Administration serving as Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Physicians Regional Medical Center.  For 4 years he was responsible for all day-to-day operations of the hospital and directly supervised 13 Departments.  He also led the design, construction, and oversaw the hospital's opening of a Walk-In Clinic, Rehab Center, and Primary Care offices on Marco Island… as well as a second Walk-in Clinic and Primary Care Center in East Naples.

In January 2017, Rick joined Avow Hospice as Senior Director of Development.  He was a key leader securing major gifts, oversaw donor management, and implemented strategic healthcare plans to improve and expand hospice care, child support services, and bereavement programs.  He also served as the Senior Military Advisor for the Avow “We Honor Veterans” program ensuring benefits and satisfaction for military veterans and their families.

Rick is currently President, RJL Consulting Team based in Naples.  His firm specializes in Healthcare, Retail Businesses, Physician Practices, Construction, Security, Energy & Environmental, Government & Military Issues, Non-Profits, and accelerating employee & team performance by providing strategic and operational expertise to maximize revenue, volume, and staff efficiency.  His clients include Fortune 500 companies, multiple prominent political figures, many non-profits, and a multitude of local and private businesses.

Previous to running his consulting company, his hospice position, and hospital COO role, Rick was a senior Air Force officer commanding in leadership positions worldwide.  He held military positions in Germany, Hawaii, the Pentagon, and NATO, and lived and worked in 80+ countries.  He served as a senior Commander on Andrews Air Force Base supporting the President of the United States and all Air Force One missions.  He then led a multi-national NATO unit at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, where he was responsible for all security, engineering/maintenance, transportation, administration, human resources, supply, logistics, food service, safety, and linguistic translation, supporting the 26-nation command. 

Following his Europe assignment, Rick next served as Base Commander of Eglin Air Force Base in Ft. Walton Beach, Florida.  There he ensured support to the 725 square mile base (Department of Defense's largest installation) and directed all base operations for over 35,000 personnel with $16 Billion in infrastructure.  He led strategic planning and oversaw all housing, healthcare, food service, facilities, security, construction, safety, fire/rescue, human resources, IT, environmental, logistics, 3,000+ houses, and 1,000+ dormitories.  He also supervised the Air Force’s 4th largest Medical Center encompassing 1,500 medical staff supporting 85,000 beneficiaries and 300,000 annual patient visits.

Rick next served as Base Commander of the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado, (where he is also a 1988 graduate) responsible for 4,500 personnel and all support to the 25-square mile installation including the Service Academy.  He commanded all Air Force Academy base support, housing, food service, and a Medical Center supporting 4,000+ cadets, a military community of 35,000+, and 500,000+ visitors annually to the military Service Academy.  Finally, he was Director of Manpower & Personnel for U.S. Strategic Command, overseeing all human resources (HR) programs for the United States' classified nuclear and space forces.  In 2001, he commanded his unit to selections as U.S. Air Force Mission Support Squadron of the Year and was also personally selected as the 2001 U.S. Air Force Senior Personnel Officer of the Year.  Rick has worked for two U.S. Presidents, for General Norman Schwarzkopf, and was also the Aide to an Air Force 4-star General for three years.  In 2012 he retired from the U.S. Air Force as a full Colonel. 

He has extensive operations, business, finance, human resources, political, and healthcare experience as well as non-profit leadership expertise working with the USO, Wounded Warrior Program, Air Force Academy Foundation, American Red Cross, Fisher House, and many Chambers of Commerce nationwide.  He earned a Bachelor of Science Degree from the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs and has three Master of Science degrees--to include one in Public Administration & Policy from Central Michigan University. 

Living on Marco Island and working in East Naples, he is also very active in the local community having served on the Board of Directors, Marco Island Chamber of Commerce; Board of Trustees, Admiral Farragut Academy (St. Petersburg, FL); is a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives, and a graduate of the 2013 Greater Naples Chamber of Commerce Leadership Collier class.  He is also a student mentor at high schools and universities and spends many volunteer hours assisting a multitude of organizations especially those supporting military veterans and first responders.