James McKoane

California Air National Guard Colonel James McKoane has served simultaneously as a military and business leader since the 1980s. He began his military service in 1983 while studying for his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration at California State University, Fresno. After graduating with honors in 1985, Colonel McKoane earned a commission as a Second Lieutenant in the Guard in 1986, supplementing that experience when he joined James McKoane Enterprises, Inc., two years later.

Owned by Colonel James McKoane's family, this company sells motor vehicles, ranging from jet skis and all-terrain vehicles to consumer cars and trucks, through a variety of dealerships in California. Kawasaki, Yamaha, and Honda are among the many brands it represents. Over nearly 25 years, Colonel McKoane has benefited the company in various capacities, including Sales Manager, General Sales Manager, General Manager, President, and Chief Executive Officer, and presided over a fourfold increase in sales, the largest expansion in the firm's history.

Colonel James McKoane has been equally successful in the California Air National Guard. In the course of achieving his present rank, he has garnered numerous decorations, including a Meritorious Service Medal with one oak leaf cluster, an Air Force Commendation Medal with three oak leaf clusters, a Combat Readiness Medal with eight oak leaf clusters, and a National Defense Service Medal with one bronze star. Colonel James McKoane has also completed multiple military training courses, including from the Squadron Officer School, Air Command and Staff College, and Air War College. Colonel McKoane has been deployed to South America and the Middle East with the California Air National Guard and flown more than 3,000 hours in a variety of aircraft, including F-16s, F-4s, T-37s, and T-38s.