Faces of the Force: Kenneth Telsee

POSITION AND UNIT: Management analyst, Workforce Development Branch, Enterprise Resources Division, Army Contracting Command – Aberdeen Proving Ground
YEARS OF SERVICE IN WORKFORCE: 3
DAWIA CERTIFICATIONS: Level I in contracting
EDUCATION: B.A. in business administration, Triton University International

Make the most of what comes your way

By Susan L. Follett

“Growing up in small-town Louisiana, I learned to be thankful for every opportunity—even the bad ones,” said Shreveport native Ken Telsee. With that mindset, he turned a difficult Army post into a learning experience and now works to facilitate career development for the Army Acquisition Workforce (AAW).

Telsee enlisted in the Army after high school, thanks to a recruiter “who painted a very compelling picture of Army service,” and served for 22 years. One of his early assignments was with a forward unit in Fulda, Germany.

“That assignment made me who I am,” he said. “I learned a lot about serving and leadership—how to be a good NCO [noncommissioned officer] and how to take care of Soldiers in a combat environment—and quickly moved up the ranks as a result.”

He came to Army acquisition three years ago and is now a management analyst for the Workforce Development Branch in the Enterprise Resources Division at the Army Contracting Command – Aberdeen Proving Ground (ACC-APG). In the AAW, he said, “I saw an opportunity to advance and have a second career. I wanted to be a part of an organization that I could offer my skills and ability as I continued to serve my country.”

He added, “As a result of my work, our contracting workforce can focus on meeting the needs of the warfighter in the field while knowing that their careers are being managed with the utmost professionalism.”

What do you do, and why is it important to the Army or the warfighter?

I provide guidance and assistance to Contracting Center personnel in the area of professional development, which includes setting up and facilitating training events for the workforce; tracking enrollments and completions; logging training into the Total Employee Development database; and recording and verifying employee information through the Army Training Requirements and Resources System and the Career Acquisition Personnel and Position Management Information System.

I collaborate with team members, assist others with developing individual development plans and manage the ACC-APG Wellness Program and Civilian Fitness Program, among other tasks. Additionally, I serve the organization as a representative for the APG Community Health and Working Group Council and as an ACC-APG liaison for union supervisory training.

Without our support, the contracting personnel could not do their jobs, and without contracting personnel, warfighters could not be successful in doing their jobs.

Are there any programs or assignments that have had a notable impact on your career? If so, which ones and what impact did they have?

Two stand out for me. While I was on active duty as a young Soldier, I was stationed in Fulda, Germany, during Operations Desert Storm and Desert Shield. It was a rapid deployment cavalry unit, and our commander was determined to make sure we were prepared for combat, so we spent a lot of time training in the field—months, in some cases. I hated that assignment with a passion, but I wasn’t going to let it break me and was determined to learn as much from it as I could. It made me a better leader, and it taught me what it meant to be an NCO and the importance of serving well regardless of the assignment.

The second experience that stands out is a later assignment to HQ DA, where I was an assignment manager, moving troops. I realized the impact that my work had on the lives of the Soldiers I assigned, and I tried as much as possible to get them to the places they wanted to go so that their careers could progress.

What’s the most important skill or ability you need to do your job well?

People skills. Often, people in acquisition don’t understand the career-support side of the field, and they come to us with questions or complaints. It takes people skills—listening, communication, patience—to find out what they’re really asking, so you can defuse a situation and provide them with what they need. It’s also important to be yourself, and to make sure that you don’t let the demands of the job change who you are.

The Army has rolled out a number of programs, classes and initiatives aimed at boosting workforce and career development. Is there a program or initiative that stands out to you as particularly significant?

There have been some great programs rolled out over the past year for the AAW. For our workforce at ACC-APG, we’ve seen the most impact from the fitness program and the wellness program that we introduced last year. I might be a little biased because I helped roll out the effort, but I see two benefits: This can be a stressful job, and people who are healthier and have the tools to deal with that stress can do their job more effectively. Second, I think the workforce appreciates the command’s decision to devote time and resources to their health. It sends the message that senior leadership cares about its people and are invested in their well-being, and that benefits morale.

What advice would you give to someone who aspires to a career like yours?

Be aggressively humble in all of your actions. I guess that seems somewhat contradictory, but what I mean is work hard and be thankful for the opportunities that come your way, but don’t step on anyone’s toes. Your work will speak for itself and it will get you noticed. Also, don’t get so caught up in looking to the future that you forget about the task at hand. The lessons that you can learn from today will serve you well in future assignments.

“Faces of the Force” is an online series highlighting members of the Army Acquisition Workforce through the power of individual stories. Profiles are produced by the U.S. Army Acquisition Support Center Communication and Support Branch, working closely with public affairs officers to feature Soldiers and civilians serving in a variety of AL&T disciplines. For more information, or to nominate someone, please contact 703-805-1006.