As Chairman of the council, I know first hand the effects of flooding and sea level rise on Norfolk and to all of the Hampton Roads area. To ensure that the growth of this great city continues at the pace it is on now requires all to understand and act upon the challenges presented by recurring flooding and sea level rise. Economic development and our collective ability to address these very real concerns are linked hand and glove. Action is required to educate and inform the citizens of this region and to come up with solutions that will ensure continued economic growth and prosperity.
David Architzel currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Norfolk Military Economic Development Advisory Committee.
Previously, Architzel served as program executive officer for Aircraft Carriers; commander of Operational Test and Evaluation Force, Norfolk; Navy Region Mid-Atlantic commander; Naval Safety Center commander, Norfolk; Iceland Defense Force commander; and commander of Fleet Air Keflavik.
At sea, Architzel served as the executive officer, USS Dwight D. Eisenhower and Pre-Commissioning Unit John C. Stennis. He also served as the commanding officer, USS Guam, flagship for commander Amphibious Squadron 2, and as the sixth commanding officer of USS Theodore Roosevelt. A career naval aviator, Architzel has accumulated more than 5,000 flight hours.
Architzel has received two Navy Distinguished Service Medals, the Defense Superior Service Medal, four Legions of Merit, three Meritorious Service Medals, the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, and various service related awards and campaign ribbons. He was awarded the Spanish Naval Cross of Merit from His Majesty, King Juan Carlos of Spain, the 2012 General Counsel of the Navy Eugene P. Angrist Award, the 1998 Navy League’s John Paul Jones Leadership Award, the Commander’s Cross with Star of the Icelandic Order of the Falcon, presented by the president of Iceland, and the 2012 Department of the Navy Diversity Leadership Award.
Architzel received his B.A. in Mathematics from the U.S. Naval Academy and holds a M.S. in Aeronautical Systems from the University of West Florida.
