By Monica D. Morales
ESC Public Affairs
 

Staying focused, executing the vision of your boss and understanding the vision of your boss’s boss are among the principles that have guided the career path of Dr. Joe Delaney, the newly named Electronic Systems Center deputy director of plans and programs.

“I am excited and looking forward to working for Col. Bruce Johnson and the Plans and Programs team that provides such great products and services to ESC,” Dr. Delaney said.

The ESC Plans and Programs Office provides integrated business planning, investment decisions and integration of strategies to support the center’s mission.

Dr. Delaney feels the key to a successful organization can be found in three different focus areas – people, processes and executing the mission. Chief among these areas is ensuring a proper fit by having the right person in the right job.

“I have always believed if you have the right people in the right job, you are half way there,” he said. “You also need documented processes. People need to understand not only what is expected of them, but also how to go about achieving those expectations.”

And, according to Dr. Delaney, it’s the mission that makes the organization and this environment unique.

“We all have chosen this profession for a reason. We could have chosen other careers, but service to our country is important to all of us, and that sets us apart,” Dr. Delaney said.

Plans and Programs teams are currently working on a variety of projects including awarding the ETASS and PASS contracts, which will provide a significant portion of the center workforce. Efforts are also being taken to review the center’s IT processes and to boost efficiency, as well as reduce costs; and, Streamlining the Balanced Scorecard to capitalize on the existing work already accomplished and paving the way to link multiple strategies, such as competency-based hiring and educating and developing the workforce, is another key endeavor; the National Security Personnel System and Air Force Smart Operations for the 21st Century are also critical. The Plans and Programs Directorate is also focused on developing essential policies and procedures and advancing the center's international activities worldwide.

“We have an outstanding team of professionals providing services to the entire center,” he said.

Among Dr. Delaney’s goals are articulating the ESC Strategy Map to the entire workforce, with the aim of understanding how each person contributes to the success of the center, command and, ultimately, the Air Force.

The second includes continuous process improvement, which starts with documenting ESC key processes and then driving them downward and out to the workforce.

“We need to leverage all the great work that has been accomplished in the wings,” he said, “and use the best practices available across the center.”

Finally, he hopes to reach out to private industry and the educational communities to continue attracting high-caliber talent to support the ESC mission.

Dr. Delaney’s career spans more than 25 years and includes work with the Air Force and private industry. His most recent position was as the Operations Management Division director at the 554th Electronic Systems Wing. It is in that job, he said, that he gained even more insight that would serve him in his current post.

“I have been fortunate to have worked with some great leaders and mentors -- at all levels,” Dr. Delaney said. “At the 554 ELSW from Mr. [Frank] Weber, the director, to Master Sgt. Mike Cleator, one of our great senior NCOs, they demonstrated that leadership and mentoring is not rank specific.”

Dr. Delaney said that team atmosphere provided the perfect segue way to his new job.

“That is the same environment I have encountered at Plans and Programs in my short time here. The team welcomed me and has made my transition extremely smooth,” he said. “I was honored and humbled by the selection and understand the challenges of the position.”
 

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