Charles Ledbetter, PhD

Lieutenant Colonel, U.S. Army (Retired)
Commissioner Charles Ledbetter

Born, raised and educated through his high school years in Muskogee, Oklahoma, Lieutenant Colonel Charles T. Ledbetter has been blessed with three careers. After graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree in sociology with a minor in music from Lincoln University in Jefferson City, Missouri, he served as an officer in the United States Army for slightly over 20 years, Colonel Ledbetter’s assign- ments were in the following career fields: Missiles (Air Defense Artillery), Infantry (Army Special Forces –Green Berets), Foreign Area Specialist (Middle East Specialist/Advisor), Personnel/ Management/Administration (Adjutant General Corps), and Education (ROTC).

Colonel Ledbetter is a combat veteran of the Vietnam War, and was stationed at a
number of Army installations across the United States and overseas. During his 20-year career, Colonel Ledbetter received the Bronze Star with oak leaf cluster, Meritorious Service Medal with two Oak Leaf clusters, Air Medal, Joint Services Commendation Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, Army Commendation Medal with

Oak Leaf Cluster, National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, Army Service Medal, Overseas Service Medal, Vietnam Campaign Medal, Presidential Unit Citation, Meritorious Unit Citation, and the Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm. Colonel Ledbetter also earned a variety of badges over the course of his career , to include the Combat Infantryman’s Badge, U.S. Parachutist Badge, the Special Forces Tab, Vietnamese Parachutist badge, the Expert Missile man ‘s Badge, and the Expert Rifleman’s Badge.

Throughout his life, Colonel Ledbetter has had an insatiable thirst for knowledge which has led to his earning a Master’s degree in Public Administration with a minor in business from Golden Gate University in San Francisco; securing a Missouri Life-Time Teaching Certification in Social Studies by completing 30 hours of Master’s level work in education at the University of Missouri-Columbia; and receiving a Ph.D. in Education with a minor in counseling from Kent State University. Additionally, Colonel Ledbetter completed the Executive Leadership and Management Institute at Stanford University in Stanford, California.