General (RET) Lester Lyles

Senior executive with over 26 years experience running large, high-technology organizations involved in aeronautical and astronautical research, development, acquisition, and logistics. Responsible for executing $40 billion annually and managing 82,000 personnel in operational locations throughout the United States . Unparalleled success in achieving multiple organization missions, with result-oriented experience in supply chain management and technological operations. Demonstrated record of leading large organizations, effectively communicating with people, quality improvement, and optimizing revenue/costs.

Direct experience includes:

• Leadership Optimization Technology Enterprise Integration
• Retention of Scientists & Engineers
• Supply Chain Management
• Systems Engineering
• Financial Management
• Diversity Recruitment
• Program Management

ACCOMPLISHMENTS:

Leadership Optimization and Systems Engineering: Designed and implemented strategic Systems Engineering planning with integrated metrics, objectives, accountability, and action plans. Enhanced team-building amongst multiple U.S. government services to focus on objectives rather than service prerogatives, while establishing benchmarking and partnerships with private industry. Created a single unified team focused on the mission of creating an optimized national capability. Effectively opened communications with both supporters and non-supporters on Capitol Hill. Increased success rate of projects from 25% to over 78%. Established strategic initiatives creating long-term successes, reducing cycle times, and attaining cost reductions with revenue producing stability and growth for a global organization of 82,000 employees and a budget of over $40 billion.

Technology Enterprise Integration: Provided leadership for the technological research, development, and integration of an enterprise-wide global U.S. ballistic-missile defense system, including Army PATRIOT missile systems, Navy missile defense systems, Air Force Airborne Laser System, and National Missile Defense Program. Executed comprehensive science and technology programs devoted to advanced state-of-the-art space/sensor/rocket propulsion technologies. Led daily interactions, communications, and testimony before the U.S. Congress. Managed multi-national missile defense cooperative programs.

Financial Management: As chief executive officer for aerospace technology depot maintenance and supply chain management business areas, arrested annual operating losses to drive a $527 million profit achieved, in part, through aggressive cost control. Developed planning factors prior to the start of the normal depot maintenance budget process to enable customers to better perform advanced planning. As a result, customers were able to evaluate and prioritize requirements, which enabled budget rates to be reduced by about 10%. In supply management for FY06, AFMC has committed to a 1% reduction in expenses translating to about $70M in FY06 and a like amount in subsequent years.

Retention of Scientists and Engineers: Managed comprehensive program to improve scientist and engineer (S&E) retention - including establishment of bonuses, greater recognition of achievements and public acknowledgment of value of S&E by U.S. Air Force (USAF) leadership. Developed communications plan to effectively communicate the improvements to all USAF scientists and engineers. Secured $32.4M in funding to initiate several innovative programs to dramatically increase recruitment and retention of military and civilian scientists and engineers. Retention losses decline by 323% for S&E employees while recruitment numbers increased by 1000%. Long-term strategic plan established by Air Force to keep a priority focus on these critically-skilled personnel.

Diversity Recruitment: Managed first-ever “Diversity Summit ” review to establish strategic plan to address the issue. Established increased USAF involvement in Historically Black and Hispanic Colleges . Personally committed to speak and mentor at forums, conventions, and symposia focused on minority. Minority recruitment programs now part of Air Force's personnel plans.

Supply Chain Management: Transformed and implemented Supply Chain Management through a series of major initiatives aimed at improving performance while minimizing costs. Teamed with HQ USAF logistics and Air Force financial staffs to implement the Spares Requirements Review Board, the first fully integrated spares requirement and budget. This and other initiatives under Spares Campaign led to significant improvements in operational performance and contingency support. In the past three years, customer wait time decreased by 44%, issue effectiveness improved by 13%, and not mission capability hours were cut by 57%.

Program Management: Responsible for the development and life cycle management of more than 370 Air Force programs to include management of such high-profile programs as the Global Hawk unmanned aerial vehicle, the F/A-22 Raptor, the Joint Strike Fighter, the Air Operations Center, and a host of new precision armaments.

WORK HISTORY:

CEO/Commander, Air Force Materiel Command, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
2000-2003

Responsible for the 82,000-person organization implementing all U.S. Air Force research, development, acquisition and logistics/sustainment. This includes development and implementation of policies and processes to annually acquire $42.6 billion in research and development, production, test and logistics support for U.S Air Force technological systems and infrastructure. This represents 53% of the USAF annual budget.

COO/Vice Chief of Staff of U.S. Air Force, Pentagon, Wash 1999-2000

Chief Operating Officer and second highest ranking officer for the U.S. Air Force. Responsible for helping Chief of Staff manage 750,000 Active Duty, Guard, and Reserve personnel in executing global Air Force missions. Managed Air Force “Air Staff” (2,000 personnel), running day-to-day oversight, budgeting and control processes at the Pentagon.

CTO/Director Ballistic Missile Defense Organization, DoD, Washington D.C.
1996-1999

Managed development of all the nation's “ballistic-missile” defense programs including Army PATRIOT Missile Systems, Navy Missile Defense Systems, Air Force Airborne Laser System, and National Missile Defense Program Executed comprehensive science and technology programs devoted to advanced state-of-the-art space/sensor/rocket propulsion technologies. Led daily interactions/communications/testimony before Congress. Managed multi-national missile defense cooperative programs. Operated an annual budget and industrial facilities/equipment worth approximately $7 billion annually and supervised over 1,500 personnel.

Commander, Space and Missile Systems Center , Los Angeles AFB, CA. 1994-1996
Managed development and acquisition of all Air Force satellites, space-launch programs, space test programs and space science and technology programs.

Commander, Ogden Air Logistics Center , Hill AFB , UT. 1992-1994
Ogden Air logistics Center, Hill Air Force Base, UT

Managed maintenance, repair, overhaul, supply and sustainment support for Air Force F-16 fighters, C-130 transports, U.S. intercontinental ballistic missiles, landing gear, and all Air Force munitions.

Director Systems and Requirements, AF Systems Command, Andrews AFB, MD 1992-1994
Managed comprehensive strategic plan to merge two large organizations - Air Force Systems Command and Air Force Logistics Command into new Air Force Materiel Command responsible for all U.S. Air Force weapon/support systems - from “cradle-to-grave.”

Prior work assignments include: Managing or overseeing large commercial manufacturing and government repair and overhaul facilities, developing acquisition strategies of major aerospace systems, and modernizing as well as replacing legacy corporate information systems.

EDUCATION/TRAINING:

National and International Security Program, Harvard University , 1991

National War College , National Defense University , Ft. McNair , Washington , D.C., 1985

MS in Mechanical (Nuclear) Engineering, Air Force Institute of Technology at New Mexico State University, 1969

BS in Mechanical Engineering, Howard University , Washington , D.C. , 1968

AFFILIATIONS:

Board of Directors, General Dynamics Corporation

Board of Directors, MTC Technologies, Inc.

Board of Directors, United Services Automobile Association [USAA]

Board of Directors, Air Force Association

Board of Directors Dayton Power and Light [Public Utility]

Board of Advisors Johns-Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory

Board of Advisors Battelle Memorial Laboratory

Chairman, NASA Exploration Systems Advisory Committee

Presidential Appointee for The President's Commission on Implementation of United States Space Exploration Policy (2004)

International Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association (AFCEA)

“Gold” Lifetime Member of the Dayton Urban League

HONORS AND AWARDS:

Honorary Doctorate of Laws, New Mexico State University , 2003

2003 Black Engineer of the Year Lifetime Achievement Award

Aviation Week and Space Technology Laureate and Hall of Fame Awards

General Bernard A. Schriever Award (recognizes best space program in the Air Force), Air Force Association

Hiram Hadley's Founder's Award of Excellence, New Mexico State University

NAACP's 1994 Roy Wilkins Renown Service Award

Named “Astronautics Engineer of the Year” in 1990 by the National Space Club

Ebony Magazine, “100 Most Influential African-Americans in America ,” 2001, 2002, 2003

U.s. Black Engineer & Information Technology magazine “Top Technology Entrepreneurs-2004”