Coach, Mentor, Relator
- Drawing on my collaborative abilities, curiosity, and strong interpersonal skills, coached and mentored 65 people in 1-on-1 sessions for a total of 225 hours in the last 6 months at Teamworks. Also administered to and debriefed employees in the MyEverything DiSC Workplace Personality Assessment, Values in Action Character Assessment, and Clifton StrengthsFinder assessment. Participants reported greatly enhanced self-awareness and a better understanding of workplace dynamics; they were also more able to identify their leadership strengths and create strategies to leverage them, resulting in a greater capacity to thrive at work and achieve results on the job.
- Certified by the International Coach Federal as an Associate Accredited Coach (ACC) after graduating from an executive coach training program at George Mason University in 2018. Established and manage my own practice and subcontracted with The COMMIT Foundation to serve as a transition & executive coach for special operations military service members.
Entrepreneurial Spirit & Vision
- Designed and implemented a three-month pilot-corporate wellness program for Teamworks (Optimum) with six initial participants; increased employee participation to 58 participants (out of 100 employees) in 12 months; provided instruction to 25 people in nine individual well-being practices (meditation, movement, inquiry, presence, gratitude, compassion, engagement, relationship, contribution); received Optimum program endorsement from CEO as a program of record and secured $125K annual budget from board of directors.
- Envisioned, planned, resourced and directed 4 innovative team-building exercises for 23 employees in 12 months; 2 of the 4 exercises were urban scavenger hunts in downtown Charlotte where employees were paired into teams of 2 and asked to navigate from point to point, by walking/riding bike/and using local transportation and using creativity to finish ahead of the other teams participating; traveled 20 miles per route; 12 hour exercise; the 3rd and 4th team building exercise was a 3 day / 2 night hike on the Appalachian trail where we covered 32 miles; slept outside; and challenged comfort zones; all of this team building resulting in increased trust, deeper intimacy between co-workers, resilience, and confidence that returned to the workplace.
- Planned, coordinated, built, presented and was awarded the first-ever $130M Program of Management (POM) to the Assessment Directors at United States Special Operations Command to advocate and argue for the firm’s first 5-year budget allocation supporting a Top Secret and sensitive program; execution of this was identified as “flawless” by my direct supervisor; was “commended several times from the firm’s President and executive staff”; awarded the Defense Meritorious Service Medal.
Gets Results
- Implemented a new suite of recruiting products that were used throughout the Army to target over 100,000 soldiers to apply for service with the firm; Developed a communication strategy, original brief content and executed 75 Leadership Professional Development education briefs Army-wide; resulted in an 30% increase in qualified applicants for service with the firm in 2014 and identified as “the best recruiting commander I have ever worked with throughout my time in the unit;” received the Defense Meritorious Service Medal.
- Lead 12-man special forces team during 4 highly intense 3-month pre-mission training cycles prior to deployment into Afghanistan and Colombia South America; all men and equipment assessed at a high level of combat readiness and selected to deploy overseas to fight and win against the enemy; planned over 38 combat operations; fought in 16 direct fire fights; neutralization of 125 enemy fighters and 5 commanders; established 3 remote checkpoints that denied the enemy access into key terrain; seized sizable enemy cache containing weapons and equipment; employed the Tigershark Unmanned Aerial Vehicle to conduct reconnaissance operations; maintained 100% accountability of men and $2M of equipment; Selected as #1 of 10 peers by my direct supervisor on my 2007 annual performance review; “the most natural leader of all the officers I supervise;” awarded the US Army Bronze Star Medal.
- Selected as the best qualified rear detachment commander from 14 of my peers; tasked to remain stateside to lead 42 people; responsible for $100M worth of unit equipment; provided information support and assistance connecting 387 soldiers serving in Afghanistan to 400 families in the US; maintained high level of morale and connectivity through use of videos and social functions; wrote the first-ever Family Readiness Group Handbook for the firm that was subsequently adopted by the Division (2-star General-level command) for all future units to use when they deploy to combat operations overseas; rated as #1 of 8 officers in my 2003 annual performance review; awarded the US Army Commendation Medal.
Leadership & Influence
- Embraced additional duties as the Operations Officer for 4 months while the Operations Officer was working overseas; responsible for direction of 5 departments and 80 people at the firm’s stateside headquarters; Deployed overseas for 3 months; served as the Task Force Operations Officer in Baghdad, Iraq; Directed the combat operations or the Task Force in over 90 missions; resulted in significant degradation to violent extremists who were targeting American and coalition forces in Iraq; enabled the successful draw-down of forces in Iraq by protecting and pressuring the enemy to allow general purpose forces to depart the country as directed by President Obama; awarded the Defense Meritorious Service Medal.
- Second in command for Advanced Operational Base 7130 in Tarin Kowt, Afghanistan; Advised the President of the firm on all logistical planning and execution; advised President of the firm on all combat employment of 6 Special Forces Teams; directed the decentralized operation of 65 personnel in three separate provinces in Afghanistan; directed the logistical operations for 50 combat operations throughout 20,000 square miles in Afghanistan; Coordinated, deconflicted and liaised with US Special Operations Forces, Afghanistan National Security Forces, International Security and Assistance Forces, and other Coalition Forces; resulted in the continuous logistical sustainment of a 65-person firm spread out over 20,000 square miles while working continuously for 90 days and successfully neutralized of over 500 Anti-Afghan Forces.
- Selected to lead the advanced party into Afghanistan; supervised 10 people; executed the reception and onward movement of 55 people and associated equipment to 6 remote outstations to fight the enemy; resulted in full accountability of all people, sensitive communications gear and weapons, and equipment valued at $45M.
- Specially selected by the firm’s President to lead an under-performing team in which the team leader was just fired along with the 2nd in command; given less than 3 months to train; into combat in Afghanistan at a remote and heavily threatened outstation; to capture or kill the violent extremists, build rapport & train partner nation forces, and maintain safety and stability in the province for a 9-month period; conducted over 90 combat patrols and engaged in 23 direct fire-fights with the enemy neutralizing numerous anti-Afghanistan forces and safely returned my entire team home with honor; awarded the US Army Meritorious Service Medal for my leadership that was commented as “successfully rebuilt and refitted the team in preparation for combat operations, with successes during the deployment being attributed to my leadership, preparation, and planning;” rated as #1 of 18 peers in my firm by my direct supervisor.
- Selected as project lead of a 12-man team during high-level coalition training project named Emerald Warrior-07; synchronized close air support with an unconventional surrogate force; conducted joint Military Freefall Operations with Norwegian and German Special Forces; Selected as Top 8% within my peer group by the Firm President (#3 of 35) in my 2007 annual performance review from the President of the firm; for extreme dedication, candid communication, and performance as a consummate professional; expert in counterinsurgency operations; awarded the US Army Meritorious Service Medal for my leadership as assessed as having “talents well above the expectation of a officer at my grade.”
- Twice directed the logistical movement of over 100 tons of vehicles and equipment for an 80-man company to the Joint Readiness Training Center in Fort Polk LA and returned same equipment to Fort Bragg NC; no losses of sensitive items; planned, coordinated and oversaw the evacuation of over 500 real and simulated casualties; recognized as leading the best medical company as assessed by the senior evaluator in his 23 separate rotations that he’s evaluated; awarded the US Army Commendation Medal.
Project Management
- The second in command of 165 soldiers located at 14 offices world-wide to include Germany and Hawaii; logistically sustained 50 vehicles and 165 people and their associated facilities and equipment valued at $2M; Awarded the US Army Achievement Medal in 2016 for exceptionally meritorious service.
- Served as the Contracting Officer’s Representative and Project Manager for the production of a command and recruiting video in 2014 for the firm; managed a $300K budget, multi-month schedule, classified Secret information, and personalities without fault; contracted Persistence of Vision and traveled nationwide to complete a top-quality video that was later used to articulate the firm’s core values and competencies to soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines and various decision makers and members of influence in the US Military, The Department of State and Congress.
- Supervised a $3-million military construction project, coordinating the efforts of architects, contractors, and survey teams to renovate firm office space and a Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility. The result was a 100% increase in operational capacity and effectiveness to conduct sensitive operational training and missions.
- Selected to travel overseas for a special project as the Deputy Operations Officer for the firm at a remote office in Balad Iraq; excelled; provided well-researched, timely information, prepared briefings, cleared battle space, ensured proper resourcing of assets; oversaw 90 operations; safely returned all personnel back stateside; awarded the Defense Meritorious Service Medal.
- Planned, coordinated, and synchronized the surge of one of the firm’s 60-person department’s into Afghanistan; firm had not served in Afghanistan at a department-level in over 10 years; traveled overseas to Afghanistan and served there for 4 months; successfully ensured critical capabilities & assets and deconflicted with four allied national task-forces for over 90 operations; managed and synchronized rotary wing lift, fires, reconnaissance, and logistical needs.
- Direct supervision of 1 firebase engineer and rigger at Advanced Operational Base 7130 in Tarin Kowt, Afghanistan; conducted 74 pre-planned logistical resupply missions to outstations by air and ground; conducted 13 emergency resupply missions to forces fighting in direct contact with the enemy; resulting in the effectively movement and delivery of 100,000 pounds of supplies and equipment.
- Planned and coordinated a 90-person/14-day training exercise in Hawthorne, Nevada that included 12 multi-vehicle, multi-movement live-fire exercises and six dismounted live-fire exercises to prepare the firm for lethal combat operations in Afghanistan. Also deployed to Afghanistan 15 days early as the leader of the advanced party and received and relocated all 90 people and six teams into effective fighting positions. While in Afghanistan, tracked and resourced the logistical supply for 90 people spread across six remote locations, directed 30 helicopter resupply missions, directed 24 parachute resupply missions, managed $927,000 in cash for sensitive nontraditional logistics requirements, liaised with Afghan, Dutch and Australian leaders to plan operations against the enemy, and created an interim staging base for 120-man Afghan Commando company. I was awarded the US Army Meritorious Service Medal.
- Deployed to Colombia South America leading a 12-man team; specially selected as project lead for the quick reactionary force for a high visibility contingency combined US/Colombian Hostage Rescue mission of 3x Americans held captive by the FARC (a terrorist organization known as Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia); lead, trained, and advised 250-man Colombian Special Operations Commando force; interacted with critical Bogota Embassy, Military Group and Southern Command officials; resulting in the first partnering of US Special Forces from 7th Special Forces Group and Colombian Special Forces on a joint- operational mission into Colombian soil & heavy recognition and accommodation from the commanding general for Special Operations Command South and was awarded the US Army Meritorious Service Medal.
- Lead 12-man special forces team during 4 highly intense 3-month pre-mission training cycles prior to deployment into Afghanistan and Colombia South America; all men and equipment assessed at a high level of combat readiness and selected to deploy overseas to fight and win against the enemy; planned over 38 combat operations; fought in 16 direct fire fights; neutralization of 125 enemy fighters and 5 commanders; established 3 remote checkpoints that denied the enemy access into key terrain; seized sizable enemy cache containing weapons and equipment; employed the Tigershark Unmanned Aerial Vehicle to conduct reconnaissance operations; maintained 100% accountability of men and $2M of equipment; Selected as #1 of 10 peers by my direct supervisor on my 2007 annual performance review; “the most natural leader of all the officers I supervise;” awarded the US Army Bronze Star Medal.