Charles E. Tucker, Jr.

Charles Edward Tucker Jr. is a retired major general in the United States Air Force. He currently serves as the Co-Founder and Executive Director of two International Non-Governmental Organizations (INGOs): the World Engagement Institute, Chicago, IL, USA; and the Sustainable Capacity International Institute, Arezzo, Italy. In these capacities, he develops and promotes the fundamental rights of peoples around the world through education, research, documentation, capacity building and advocacy. He also engages in post-conflict justice capacity building programs and large-scale human rights documentation projects throughout the world. Tucker has also served, since October, 2019, as Interim General Manager of Lyric Opera of Chicago.

In addition to his other positions, Tucker currently serves as the international projects director for the National Strategy Forum, a non-partisan training institute and think-tank located in Chicago. He likewise serves on the board of directors of the International Code of Conduct for Private Security Service Providers' Association (ICoCA), Geneva, Switzerland, where, as the U.S. Government representative to the 12-member Board, he is charged with promoting, governing and overseeing the implementation of the International Code of Conduct for Private Security Service Providers to promote the responsible provision of private security services and respect for human rights and national and international law by exercising independent governance and oversight of the ICoC.

In his civilian capacity, Tucker has served as director of programs management for the International Development Law Organization (IDLO), an intergovernmental rule of law development organization based in Rome, Italy, and as Executive Director of the International Human Rights Law Institute (IHRLI) of DePaul University College of Law. He has also served as a Senior Field Attorney for the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB).

Raised in Naperville, Illinois, General Tucker graduated with a bachelor's degree from the University of Notre Dame in 1979 Bradley University, Vernon College, and Wayland Baptist College. He has also lectured extensively as a Visiting Professor, including at the Vietnam National University (Đại học Quốc gia Hà Nội); the Universität Heidelberg (Germany); the Max Planck Institute for Comparative Public Law and International Law (Germany); the University of Zagreb (Sveučilištu u Zagrebu, Croatia), the University of Sarajevo (Univerziteta u Sarajevu, Bosnia and Herzegovina); the Middle East Technical University (Orta Doğu Teknik Üniversitesi, Turkey), Ankara University (Turkey), the University of Sulaimani (جامعة السليمانية, Sulaymaniyah, Iraq), and University of Duhok (جامعة دهوك, Duhok, Iraq). He currently serves as the Co-Course Director of the United Nations' Annual International Humanitarian Law Symposium and Co-Course Director for the Annual International Course on "Crime Prevention Through Criminal Law & Security Studies, Dubrovnik, Croatia.

Military career Charles Tucker joined the United States Air Force in 1979 and served in the Judge Advocate General's Corps. His duties have included assignments in Germany and Turkey and faculty positions at the United States Air Force Academy. Tucker transferred to the United States Air Force Reserve in 1992 and to the Wisconsin Air National Guard in 1993. Later assignments included serving seconded duty as the Legal and Economic Advisor for the High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Military Legal Advisor for the United States Ambassador to Iraq, Senior Legal Advisor for the General Counsel of the Department of Defense, Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD), and Senior Legal Advisor for United Nations Training Assistance Teams (UNTAT) in Central Asia. In 2001, he was named the Air National Guard's Outstanding Judge Advocate (Lawyer) of the year. His retirement was effective as of January 30, 2009.