header image

[Sign Up Now] to Receive Our FREE Daily SCVTV-SCVNews Digest by E-Mail

Inside
Weather


 
Calendar
Today in
S.C.V. History
March 19
1875, 1:35PM - Outlaw Tiburcio Vasquez hanged in San Jose [story]
Tiburcio Vasquez


General Lester L. Lyles

General Lester L. Lyles. Photo credit U.S. Air Force.

Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III has appointed General (Ret.) Lester Lyles to serve as the Chair of the Defense Advisory Committee on Diversity and Inclusion (DACODAI). Lyles is a seasoned organizational leader and US Air Force veteran, with over two decades of executive-level leadership to corporate and STEM-related national boards.

On Sept. 14, as part of the Zero-Based Review of all Defense Department advisory committees,  Austin authorized the DACODAI to begin operations once members were appointed in accordance with DoD policy and procedures.

On Sept. 19, the Defense Department announced the appointment of new members to the DACODAI. Consistent with the guidance directed by Secretary Austin in September 2021, the Department of Defense looked to the nation’s talented, innovative private and public sector leaders, whose service will provide a more diverse and inclusive perspective that promotes variety in background, experience, and thought in support of the committee’s mission. “The Department looks forward to the valuable and insightful recommendations provided by the DACODAI,” said the Honorable Mr. Gilbert R. Cisneros, Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, who is the DACODAI’s sponsor.

As the Chair of the DACODAI, Lyles brings with him an impressive record of providing military and corporate strategic advice on a wide range of policy matters, including national security issues, to the executive branch, congressional officials, and the corporate industry. In 2009, Lyles served as Chairman of the Military Leadership Diversity Commission. During his Air Force career, he served as Vice Chief of Staff, US Air Force at the Pentagon, and Commander, Air Force Materiel Command, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio.

Lyles is devoted to community service, particularly in diversity and inclusion matters which he believes is a mission imperative to national security. He currently serves on a multitude of boards including Chairman, KBR Corp; JobsOhio (the economic development entity for the State of Ohio); and Frontier Technologies, Inc. He also served as the Chairman of the NASA Advisory Council  and was recently named by the Office of the Vice President as Chairman of the National Space Council’s User Advisory Group.

“It is an incredible honor to be appointed as the Chair of the DACODAI. This year marks a historical event as the first committee to provide the Secretary of Defense with advice and recommendations to improve racial/ethnic diversity, inclusion, and equal opportunity as a force multiplier in the military. I look forward to working with my fellow committee members to help the Defense Department so that our national security is strengthened by the full participation of a diverse and inclusive environment with service members of every background,” stated Lyles.

The committee is composed of civilian women and men who are appointed by the Secretary of Defense to provide advice and recommendations on matters and policies relating to the improvement of racial/ethnic diversity, inclusion, and equal opportunity within the Department with a primary focus on military personnel.

In addition to General (Ret.) Lyles, the DACODAI’s membership will include:

– DACODAI Vice Chair, Ms. Kristen Kavanaugh, Senior Director, Diversity and Inclusion, Tesla; US Marine Corps veteran

– DACODAI Member, Maj Gen Byron Bagby, US Army (Ret.), Managing Partner, BMB Strategies Inc.

– DACODAI Member, Fleet Master Chief April Beldo-Lilley, U.S. Navy (Ret.), Director, Executive Operational Planning, USAA for the CEO and Chief of Staff, USAA

– DACODAI Member, Gen Vincent Brooks, US Army (Ret.), Consultant Principal, WestExec Advisors; Visiting Senior Fellow at Harvard Kennedy School’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs

– DACODAI Member, Mr. Phillip Carter, J.D., Senior Director, Corporate Counsel, Salesforce; Adjunct Professor of Law, Georgetown University

– DACODAI Member, Col Lisa Carrington Firmin , US Air Force (Ret.), and CEO, Carrington Firmin LLC on Leadership, Veterans, Transitions, Military Sexual Trauma and Diversity and Inclusion

– DACODAI Member, Brig Gen Lawrence Gillespie, Army National Guard of the United States (Ret.), and International Consultant

– DACODAI Member, Sgt. Maj Gregory Jenkins, US Army (Ret.) and CEO, Greg Jenkins Consulting on Diversity and Inclusion, Organizational Development, Education and Training

– DACODAI Member, Maj Gen James Johnson, US Air Force (Ret.) and CEO, Operations Gratitude, a non-profit organization; and Vice Chairman, US Air Force Academy Board of Visitors

– DACODAI Member, Dr./Col Walter Kaneakua, US Air Force  (Ret.), Ph.D., Professor, U.S. Naval War College; and Adjunct Professor, Pacific Rim Christian University

– DACODAI Member: Professor Thomas Lee, J.D., Leitner Family Professor of International Law at Fordham University School of Law; Of Counsel, Hughes Hubbard & Reed; Member of the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) Panel of Conciliators

– DACODAI Member: Dr. Nelson Lim, Ph.D., Director, Workforce, Development and Health Program, RAND Project Air Force; Senior Social Scientist, Professor, Pardee RAND Graduate School

– DACODAI Member: Dr. Jeffrey Means, Ph.D., Department Chair and Associate Professor of History; Adjunct Faculty and Advisory Councils Board Member; American Indian Studies Program, University of WY; and Enrolled Member of the Oglala Sioux Nation

– DACODAI Member: Mr. Horacio Rozanski, President and CEO, Booz Allen Hamilton; Chairman of the Board of Directors for Children’s National Medical Center

– DACODAI Member: Lt Col Alfredo Sandoval, US Air Force Reserve (Ret.), Founder and Managing Partner, Private Investment Group; and Co-Founder, Creosote Partners

– DACODAI Member: Dr. Celia Szelwach, D.B.A., Professor of Practice for Leadership and Organization Development and Change, Cabrini University; Co-Director, Fulbright Hays “Bridges to Zambia II” Project

– DACODAI Member: Dr./Col Heidi Urben, US Army (Ret.), Ph.D., Professor of the Practice and Director of External Education and Outreach, Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service Security Studies Program, Georgetown University

– DACODAI Member: Maj Gen Linda Urrutia-Varhall, US Air Force (Ret.), Vice Chair, Board of Directors, National Military Intelligence Foundation; Board of Directors, National Intelligence University Foundation; Member, Secretary of the Air Force Scientific Advisory Board

– DACODAI Member: Dr./Lt Gen Frances Wilson, US Marine Corps (Ret.), Ed.D., Board of Directors, Sentara Healthcare; Virginia Beach Mayor’s Military Economic Development Advisory Committee

Comment On This Story
COMMENT POLICY: We welcome comments from individuals and businesses. All comments are moderated. Comments are subject to rejection if they are vulgar, combative, or in poor taste.
REAL NAMES ONLY: All posters must use their real individual or business name. This applies equally to Twitter account holders who use a nickname.

0 Comments

You can be the first one to leave a comment.

Leave a Comment


SCV NewsBreak
LOCAL NEWS HEADLINES
Monday, Mar 18, 2024
Santa Clarita Cowboy Festival Live Music Performers Announced
The 28th Annual Santa Clarita Cowboy Festival is back with your favorite musical performers and an exciting lineup of new acts.
Monday, Mar 18, 2024
City’s 2024 ‘Celebrate’ Lineup Released
There is so much to learn from different customs and cultures and you don’t need a plane ticket to experience it all.
Monday, Mar 18, 2024
March 22: COC’s Uniquely Abled Academy Robotics Graduation
On Friday, March 22, the Uniquely Abled Academy (UAA) at College of the Canyons will host a graduation ceremony for nine students who have completed the UAA’s pilot robotics training program.
Keep Up With Our Facebook

Latest Additions to SCVNews.com
1875, 1:35PM - Outlaw Tiburcio Vasquez hanged in San Jose [story]
Tiburcio Vasquez
College of the Canyons notched its first victory at the newly named Mike Gillespie Field on Saturday, winning its second straight conference series, this time over visiting Bakersfield College, by a 6-4 final score. 
Cougars Notch First Win at Mike Gillespie Field
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. -- The Master's University hit 20 3-pointers, one shy of the program record in a game, to defeat the St. Thomas Bobcats 122-91 in the second round of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics Men's Basketball National Championship tournament.
Mustangs Advance to NAIA Sweet 16
The Master's University baseball team lost a pair of 1-run games Saturday against the Menlo Oaks in Atherton, Calif.
Mustangs Drop Three Games to Menlo
The Los Angeles County Development Authority is excited to announce that its executive director, Emilio Salas, has been appointed to a two-year term to serve as a member of the national Strategic Planning Advisory Committee for the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials (NAHRO).
LACDA’s Emilio Salas Appointed to National Planning Advisory Committee
The 28th Annual Santa Clarita Cowboy Festival is back with your favorite musical performers and an exciting lineup of new acts.
Santa Clarita Cowboy Festival Live Music Performers Announced
REDLANDS — College of the Canyons track and field recorded a dozen top-10 finishes and established 30 new personal records while competing at the University of Redlands Invitational on March 15. 
Cougars Earn Top-10 Finishes at Redlands Invitational
There is so much to learn from different customs and cultures and you don’t need a plane ticket to experience it all.
City’s 2024 ‘Celebrate’ Lineup Released
Big Chicken, the star-powered fast casual chicken concept, which has a location in Santa Clarita, is fueling the mania for the Big Tournament with a nationwide Big Bracket Challenge.
Compete for Chance to Open Shaquille O’Neal Chicken Restaurant
California State University, Northridge’s Spring 2024 Cinematheque series will pay tribute to Hollywood casting director and producer Deborah Aquila, executive vice president and head of casting at Paramount Television Studios and CBS Studios, to mark the end of Women’s History Month on Wednesday, March 27.
Legendary Casting Director Deborah Aquila to Speak at CSUN
On Friday, March 22, the Uniquely Abled Academy (UAA) at College of the Canyons will host a graduation ceremony for nine students who have completed the UAA’s pilot robotics training program.
March 22: COC’s Uniquely Abled Academy Robotics Graduation
The Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation is excited to announce spring has sprung at its local parks, including those in the Santa Clarita Valley.
L.A. County Parks Releases Spring Jubilee Dates
The city of Santa Clarita’s Film Office released the list of six productions currently filming in the Santa Clarita Valley for the week of Monday, March 18 - Sunday, March 24.
‘Bosch Legacy,’ ‘CSI Vegas’ Among Six Productions Filming in SCV
Unlike our children who enjoy a week-long spring break, we adults no longer have that luxury.
Ken Striplin | Register Now for Spring Break Camp 2024
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health cautions residents who are planning to visit the following Los Angeles County beaches to avoid swimming, surfing and playing in ocean waters due to bacterial levels exceeding health standards when last tested.
Ocean Water Advisory Continues for L.A. County Beaches
The California Department of Motor Vehicles now offers a faster way for businesses to check that their employees have clean driving records using the new online Employee Pull Notice (EPN) Service.
DMV Launches Enhanced Digital Employer Pull Notice Service
1919 - Fire destroys abandoned second Southern Hotel, built 1878 in Newhall (corner Main & Market) [story]
Second Southern Hotel
1927 - Newhall telephone exchange, est. 1900, now serves 100 phones [story]
telephone
2003 - Lifesize sculpture honoring heroes of St. Francis Dam disaster unveiled in Santa Paula [video]
The Warning
In the first of three matches on consecutive nights in Arizona, The Master's men's volleyball team defeated Benedictine-Mesa in three sets 27-25, 28-26, 25-19.
TMU Men’s Volleyball Sweeps Benu in Arizona
Greg Herrick, the former longtime College of the Canyons women's basketball head coach who recorded 611 career wins while winning 16 conference titles, was inducted into the California Community College Women's Basketball Coaches Association (CCCWBCA) Hall of Fame during the organization's annual Banquet of Champions at Mt. San Antonio College on March 13.
Longtime COC Women’s Basketball Coach Herrick Enshrined in Hall of Fame
The Santa Clarita Planning Commission will hold its regular meeting Tuesday, March 19, at 6 p.m. in City Council Chambers City Hall, 23920 Valencia Blvd. 1st Floor, Santa Clarita, CA 91355.
March 19: Planning Commission to Discuss Wiley Canyon Mixed Use Project
Attend the city of Santa Clarita's most unique egg hunt, the Splash N’ Dash at the Santa Clarita Aquatics Center, presented by Kaiser Permanente.
March 30: Dive into Spring at Splash n’ Dash Egg Hunt
String orchestras and concert bands from around the Santa Clarita Valley and Southern California will participate in the Southern California School Band & Orchestra Association concert festival hosted by West Ranch High School on Tuesday, March 26 and Wednesday, March 27, 10 a.m.-9:30 p.m.
March 26-27: SoCal School Band, Orchestra Concert Festival
SCVNews.com