Airman turned senior executive discusses personal, professional journey in Air Force

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WASHINGTON (AFNS) --  The journey from Air Force enlistee to senior executive service member and 2011 Black Engineer of the Year Award winner had its challenges, said Dr. Jarris L. Taylor Jr., but he said there is still much work to be done for the nation and the service.

Inspired by his uncle on March 20, 1985, the deputy assistant secretary of strategic diversity integration joined the Air Force to help him continue his college studies. More than two decades, three career fields and five college degrees later, including his doctorate in 2005, the senior leader continues to raise both the bar for himself and an awareness of diversity from the top down.

In addition to a rigorous college preparatory curriculum that even required a year of Latin, he credits teachers such as Lynn Badham with sparking his initial interest in pursuing academia as a profession.

"He was very conscientious about what he wanted to do; he was headstrong but it paid off," Mr. Badham said of Dr. Taylor, then his middle school industrial arts student. "We stayed in contact through the years, he wrote me from around the world, and it made me feel great that he persevered and wanted to be the best."

Dr. Taylor asserted that influences like Mr. Badham and the background and experiences of all Airmen and civilians help create the mosaic of today's total force. Of his BEYA recognition as an honoree award recipient, the SES member said that though he received an individual award, the Air Force as a whole shares the victory because of the service's rich and diverse pool of talent and commitment towards diversity as an organization.

The award highlighted Dr. Taylor's blueprint of the policy, guidance, direction and oversight of all plans and programs affecting diversity integration for Air Force service members and civilians.

"We're not just looking at the racial and ethnic background, but language, cultural geographical, educational, work, and socioeconomic diversity -- personal life experiences exhibited at various military installations and host nations ... the talent that everyone brings to the table to make us the best force." Dr. Taylor said. "Diversity is a military necessity."

From stints as a radar specialist in the Philippines and South Korea, to a precision measurement equipment laboratory craftsman, and finally as programs superintendent at Langley Air Force Base, Va., Dr. Taylor concurrently completed the credits he needed for his college degrees.

"Living and traveling abroad you experience the true sense of geographical diversity, cultural and educational diversity with our brothers and sisters in arms," Dr. Taylor said. "You take all that with you and it develops you as person if you're willing to embrace it."

Dr. Taylor described endeavors the Air Force has undertaken to help Airmen embrace and benefit from diversity, including the service's diversity senior working group and diversity strategic roadmap -- avenues to brainstorm about best practices and turn those successes into effective policy.

He also cited the publication Oct. 13, 2010, of the first Air Force Policy Directive on Diversity (AFPD 36-70), the foundation for the forthcoming Air Force Instruction on Diversity, currently in coordination, to be published later this year.

"Our diversity priorities are to institutionalize, attract, recruit, develop and retain," Dr. Taylor said. "We want to ensure that we take care of Airmen and their families today, tomorrow, and for generations to come by having a highly talented pool of applicants to serve the Air Force."

Dr. Taylor emphasized that diversity is a leadership and managerial philosophy.

"We're fortunate to have leaders who believe in these initiatives and the importance they play in having an effective and mission-ready military while enhancing our warfighting capabilities," he said.

On a personal level, Dr. Taylor revealed his secrets to success: faith, family, academics and athletics, adding that he wants Airmen, now and in the future, to feel confident in their commitment to serve.

"The Air Force has a place for everyone; we value and mutually respect everyone and you have an opportunity to grow professionally and personally, achieve your dreams and serve the nation," he said.

An Air Force retiree with 20 years of uniformed service, Dr. Taylor described returning to serve in a civilian capacity as "a blessing and privilege."

His next goals include everything from earning his pilot's license to becoming president of a university or college.

"Whatever you do in life, have no regrets about the decisions you make," Dr. Taylor said. "That's really the way I look at my Air Force career ... it was a nice 20-year ride."

Dr. Taylor earned his doctor of education degree in higher education administration from George Washington University in Washington, D.C. He has experience in academia, research, community service and fundraising. Prior to his current position, he was associate director at the William R. Harvey Leadership Institute and Honors College at Hampton University, Va. He was appointed by the president to the SES in 2009.