Get to know Ronnie Hawkins
Lt. Gen. Ronnie Hawkins' impressive educational journey includes degrees from Air Command and Staff College, Abilene Christian University, and Angelo State University. A 1977 distinguished graduate, Hawkins attended ASU on a track and field scholarship and a Carr Academic Scholarship. He earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in computer science and was a member of the Rams track and field teams that won Lone Star Conference Championships in 1974-75 and 1977. He became the highest-ranking graduate of Angelo State's ROTC Detachment 847 and was named a Distinguished ROTC Alumnus in 2001. His commitment to education continued with an M.S from the Industrial College of the Armed Forces at National Defense Univerisity in 1997, completion of the Program for Senior Managers in Government from Harvard University in 2009, and an M.D. in Church Ministries from Liberty Theological Seminary in 2013.
Hawkins currently serves as the President of Angelo State University, a role he stepped into in 2020. By accepting this position, Hawkins became the institution's first Black president in their 96-year history. In addition to his educational endeavors, he led Hawkins Group LLC, a certified Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business, providing cybersecurity consulting with an annual revenue of $2.5MM.
His numerous accolades include the 2018 San Angelo Citizens of the Year award, the 2017 21st Distinguished Citizen Award from the Texas Southwest Council and Boy Scouts of America, and the 2015 Federal Computer Weekly Fed100 Leadership Award. During an outstanding Air Force career that spanned nearly four decades, Hawkins completed assignments with the Strategic Air Command, U.S. Air Force Academy, Air Combat Command, Headquarters Pacific Air Force, Headquarters Air Force and Joint Chiefs of Staff. His final assignment was as director of the Defense Information Systems Agency in Fort Meade, Md., where he led a $10.2 billion global organization of 14,000 military and civilian personnel. He also earned distinguished decorations such as the Defense Distinguished Service Medal, Bronze Star Medal, and the Legion of Merit.
In addition to his well-decorated military and professional life, Hawkins has been happily married for 50 years to his wife Maria. They have two sons, Col. Ronnie Hawkins III and Lt. Col. Joshua Hawkins, and a daughter, Christine Honesty. His life reflects a remarkable blend of academic achievement, military service, professional success, and a strong commitment to family.