Todd Tiahrt was born in South Dakota where he grew up on a family farm learning the value of hard work, integrity and opportunity. As the son of a WW II US Army Air Force veteran, Todd has had a lifelong interest in aviation. He attended South Dakota School of Mines and Technology and later transferred to Evangel University where he earned a degree in Business. While working for Zenith Electronics Corporation as a Project Engineer he earned an MBA at Missouri State University.
After completing his Masters degree, Todd worked at The Boeing Company for 14 years in Cost Engineering, Systems Engineering and Proposal Management. He worked on B-52, KC-135, B-1, B-2 and Air Force One projects, including highly classified programs.
In 1992, while at Boeing, Todd was elected to the Kansas State Senate where he served for two years. In 1994 he ran against an eighteen-year incumbent and was elected to Congress, where he served for sixteen years.
As a Member of Congress, Todd was very active in the aviation and aerospace industries, transportation, defense, energy, healthcare and public safety. He founded and chaired the Economic Competitive Caucus in response to a stagnating economy and the loss of jobs. He was active in House leadership as a member of the Whip organization, Republican Policy Committee and Republican Study Committee. Todd served on the powerful Appropriations Committee 1997 through 2010.
As a member of the Appropriations Committee, Todd had the responsibility of funding and oversight of all discretionary spending within the federal government. His subcommittee assignments included the Defense, Interior, Labor, Health and Human Services, and Transportation subcommittees. For a period of four years, 2005 to 2009, Todd served on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI) with subcommittees on Technology, Manufacturing and Policy. He served as the liaison between House Appropriations Committee, Defense and HPSCI.
Todd’s passion for aviation and aerospace issues led him to start consulting businesses in Wichita, KS, Todd Tiahrt, LLC and Tiahrt Enterprises, LLC. Currently he serves on the Senior Advisory Group for Boeing Defense, Space and Security and consults with various companies on aviation, aerospace and energy issues. Todd and his wife Vicki maintain homes in Goddard, KS, a suburb of Wichita, KS and in Alexandria, VA, just outside Washington, DC. They have been blessed with three children.
