AFCEE gets new director

  • Published
  • By Michael Briggs
  • ACFEE Chief of Public Affairs
LACKLAND AIR FORCE BASE, Texas --  
U.S. Air Force photos by Michael Briggs
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Terry Edwards sits at his desk at the Air Force Center for Engineering and the Environment Oct. 22 at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas.
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Terry Edwards, new director of the Air Force Center for Engineering and the Environment, talks with Lt. Col. Winston Shaffer and Marty Faile at a reception he hosted Oct. 22 on the patio at AFCEE, Lackland Air Force Base, Texas.
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The new director of the Air Force Center for Engineering and the Environment didn't have far to travel when he took the helm recently.

Terry Edwards had been acting as AFCEE's civilian deputy director when Maj. Gen. Timothy Byers, Air Force Civil Engineer, made the announcement Oct. 21 he would replace Dennis Firman, who retired Oct. 1.

In his announcement, General Byers said Mr. Edwards' "selection for this challenging position is a phenomenal professional achievement and speaks volumes about his leadership capabilities as a Civil Engineer in our Air Force. He has already made a difference, and there's no question he'll continue to make AFCEE even better!"

Mr. Edwards' ties to AFCEE date back to 1991 when he first served as a senior environmental program manager while an officer on active duty. He transitioned into civil service in 1994 and has continued to work in various capacities at the Center, serving since 2008 as chief of the Capital Investment Execution Division before filling the civilian deputy director post in September.

As AFCEE director, Mr. Edwards becomes a member of the Senior Executive Service, a corps of civil servants who administer programs at the top levels of the federal government, according to information provided by the Office of Personnel Management.

"I am both honored and humbled," Mr. Edwards said of his new position. "It's a tribute not so much to me, but to the members of the AFCEE team I've worked with over the years. I see it as both a wonderful opportunity and a tremendous responsibility. I'm proud to have been chosen to take the helm and look forward to bringing us into the next phase of our evolution."

He said the Center is in excellent shape exactly three years after the October 2007 consolidation that gave it its current name and brought major engineering programs on board.

"AFCEE is doing great," he said. "I  want to reinforce that over and over again: AFCEE is doing great. We've done a lot in the last several years."

He said significant accomplishments include centralizing capital improvement programs, supporting Base Realignment and Closure restoration and cleanup programs, instituting process improvements and metrics, bringing transparency to operations, and locating to a new facility.

As impressive as those accomplishments are, including current program execution valued at some $5 billion, the new director said AFCEE still has much to accomplish.

"We're not done in many of those areas. We still have lots of work to do," he said. "We have to be better, more efficient and more effective at what we do, and we have to be more responsive to the Air Force's needs."

He said the overarching theme the AFCEE team would adopt as it moves into the future is a focus on excellent installations.

"Air Force doctrine tells us our installations are our war-fighting platforms," Mr. Edwards said. "Here at AFCEE, fundamentally, we support the installation, whether it's defined as the natural and built environment, infrastructure and facilities, or environmental programs."

He has set five AFCEE priorities for achieving and maintaining installation excellence.
  • Environmental Stewardship. "We have a legacy in this area that's very significant. We do restoration at both closed and active bases. We do environmental compliance, planning and a great deal of other environmental work."
  • Sustainable Design and Construction. "We have a big role in support facilities and infrastructure. We should be thinking sustainability in all we do, which builds off Mr. Firman's legacy."
  • Strategic Sourcing and Flexible Contract Tools. "We want to make sure we have the right contract tools in place for what the Air Force needs today and tomorrow. We shouldn't wake up today and hope we have what we need for tomorrow; we should be planning for the future."
  • Enhanced Asset Management. "This involves looking for ways to maximize the utilization of the assets we have and tying them into technology and other innovations."
  • Energy Security. "We do not play a lead role, but we play a significant role because we design buildings, we make them LEED certified and that saves energy. We do many other things in our portfolio that tie directly into energy security."
In the near term, the new boss said he will "be mostly listening and learning."

"I have been at AFCEE a long time, but I don't know everything," Mr. Edwards said. "I started this past week spending time with division chiefs to discuss their top issues and concerns, where they're going, what they're doing and what keeps them up at night."

Over the next 60 days, he said AFCEE will conduct Program Management Reviews in every division to "set a benchmark of where we are and then we'll build from that."

The AFCEE team should not expect any significant changes from its new leader.

"I don't see any major immediate reorganizations or changes," Mr. Edwards said. "We're not going to shuffle the deck and re-deal anytime soon. That doesn't mean that couldn't happen eventually. This is the Air Force and 'flexibility is the key to airpower,' as the saying goes. I would see perhaps some minor tweaks, just where needed."

He said two things stand out above all else in terms of what has impressed him most about AFCEE in his 19-year tenure here: the dedication of the AFCEE team and the magnitude of the mission.

"I understand and know how dedicated our people are," Mr. Edwards said. "The AFCEE staff loves the Air Force, but they love AFCEE just as much. All of our success has been due to the dedication of folks who, many times without being asked, just do what it takes to get the job done."

The mission is significant and continues to grow, he added.

"The magnitude of the support we're responsible for, as regards the Air Force mission, is incredible if you look at the depth and breadth of what we do and how we contribute to the Air Force and (Department of Defense) war-fighter," he said "It is mindboggling."