Command Sergeant Major Daniel K. Elder, U.S. Army, Retired
Learn about Mr. Dan Elder, M.S., MKMP, Executive Coach and Trainer [ here ]
A retired Command Sergeant Major with more than more than 35 years serving soldiers and their families and 11-years active service as a command sergeant major, Dan’s culminating assignment was as the Senior Enlisted Advisor (SEA) of a 4-star major Army Command headquarters, the Army Materiel Command and he was the Army’s senior enlisted sustainer. He served as a member of the Sergeant Major of the Army’s Board of Directors and was selected as the Transition Team CSM for incoming Army Chief of Staff Gen. George Casey, Dan has multiple stateside postings, as well as overseas service in Germany, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, and Iraq. Post-retirement Dan runs a consulting firm in Killeen, TX and continues to participate as a military advocate and trainer, coach, and historian. He has authored, edited and consulted on a number of soldier-related books, articles, and manuscripts and provides commentary and thought on current events as a blogger, podcaster and speaker. Dan was selected as the first enlisted Senior Fellow for the Association of the United States Army and was inducted to the US Army Sergeants Major Academy Wall of Fame and the US Army Ordnance Corps Hall of Fame. He was awarded the Army Distinguished Service Medal, the Drill Sergeant Identification Badge, and multiple awards of the Good Conduct Medal.
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| Geographical Location | Central Texas:
Waco, Temple, Belton, Killeen, Copperas Cove |
| Business Experience / Background | Topsarge Business Solutions, LLC
Principal owner responsible for 100% of profit or loss for a service-disabled, veteran-owned small business and accountable for managing projects cost, schedule, quality, and on time delivery on budget and within scope. Accountable for all business planning, manage workload and operating budgets. Curate a portfolio of 10 existing or potential clients focused on state and federal clients. Conduct marketing activities, manage a workforce of associates and consultants, and ensure profitability. Develop and manage multi-year strategic marketing plans and programs. Senior Director of Business Development for McLane Advanced Technologies, LLC, Temple, TX Responsible for generating $3,000,000 of revenue annually by closing on new business deals and by creating and managing relationships, identifying and managing risk, and through the process of preparing, developing and negotiating contracts. Accountable to identify and capture employer and customer-partner contracts for ERP and computer systems within the Federal, State, and not-for-profit sectors. Provided support in negotiations, risk management and other business development projects in association with other organizational initiatives for over 35 major proposals Computer Sciences Corporation Independent advisor and consultant to a Department of Defense customer where I provided autonomous support to military leaders and management at Fort Hood, Texas. A subject matter expert on how best to create, organize, apply and transfer knowledge using a variety of collaborative techniques, tools, and best practices. Day-to-day duties included providing change management recommendations, technology implementation advice, strategy development coaching, and operational improvement services. |
| Military | 4-star Command Sergeant Major, US Army Materiel Command
Highly successful 26-year military career in the U.S. Army in culminating in 5 successive senior management positions responsible for oversight of Defense Department and federal managers and employees; led small teams of 5-10, to large, complex organizations of 100-500 employees. Selected to a competitive executive-level position as a senior executive member of the board of directors responsible for oversight of 65,000 supply and distribution management employees in more than 40 different US and overseas locations. A disciplined, honest, and respected leader. Served on the Sergeant Major of the Army Board of Directors; selected as the only command sergeant major Army-wide to be incoming Chief of Staff GEN George Casey transition team sergeant major. 2-star Command Sergeant Major, 13th Corps Support Command Supervised multi-functional logisticians in an organization that conducts maintenance and retail and wholesale resupply functions. Managed assigned personnel for projects and assigned work and provided direction with regard to timeliness and completion of project objectives. Addressed performance issues within prescribed guidelines. Monitored performance and provided expert advice to multiple projects in various stages of completion. Oversaw, planned and prepared individual training for a Corps Support Command executive team in preparation for an operational deployment to combat. Monitored human resource functions for 1,800 employees which included hiring, promotions, reassignments performance appraisal review and processing, and awards review and processing. Led consultation and advisory services to management and employees on conduct and performance, compliance, and technical policy interpretation. Responsible for policy development, safety, employee relations and training and development. Brigade Command Sergeant Major, 3d Brigade, 75th Division Served as the senior enlisted advisor to the Brigade Commander of a multi-component unit which provided training, readiness and oversight to all RC (Army Reserve & Army National Guard) Logistics and Sustainment units in the Kansas, Nebraska, Missouri and Iowa Region, as well as all aviation units west of the Mississippi. Supervised 4 USAR Training Battalions of 300 employees each, as well as 2 active duty Aviation Battalions of 100 employees each. Conducted Lanes training, evaluations, as well as assisting units develop short and long range training. Conducted multiple unit mobilizations and certifications. Monitored human resource functions for 700 employees which included hiring, promotions, reassignments performance appraisal review and processing, and awards review. Led consultation and advisory services to management and employees on conduct and performance, compliance, and technical policy interpretation. Responsible for policy development, safety, employee relations and training and development. Battalion Command Sergeant Major, 541st Maintenance Battalion Served as the senior enlisted advisor to the chief executive and provided supervision to 540 employees of a multi-functional headquarters that included a heavy maintenance company, a transportation company, two engineer companies and a chemical company. Supervised an organization that provided supply chain management, maintenance and transportation services to 12,000 customers. Oversaw multiple projects and assigned and provided direction with regard to timeliness; ensured completion of project objectives and resolved work slowdown or stoppage within prescribed guidelines. Provided performance input upon completion of projects. Monitored human resource functions for 540 employees which included hiring, promotions, reassignments performance appraisal review and processing, and awards review and processing. Led consultation and advisory services to management and employees on conduct and performance, compliance, and technical policy interpretation. Responsible for policy development, safety, employee relations and training and development. Senior Enlisted Leader, Multiple Assignments Expert multi-functional logistician that conducted maintenance and resupply duties at operational and strategic levels from motor pools to the assembly line. Administered and ran organizations; supervised departments with as small as 10 employees to as large as 300 employees; managed projects and assigned work while tracking progress. Monitored timeliness of project objectives and took corrective action. Addressed performance issues within prescribed guidelines. Provided performance input upon project completion. Assigned as shop foreman for ground equipment maintenance management; responsible for the scheduling, work assignments, and provided management of retail supply chain using logistics management systems. Served as a lesson developer in the Directorate of Training and Evaluation (DOTE) of the US Army Sergeants Major Academy. Responsible for developing curriculum for Phase I of a basic leader and advanced leader courses. One of 2 developers to create, deploy and teach the first-ever advanced leader course via video tele-training to remote students. Experienced trainer, a training developer and a drill instructor. Routinely demonstrated my strong problem-solving and decision making skills and demonstrated the ability to develop and implement effective action plans. An experienced speaker, published author, and a communicator with excellent presentation skills who served as a spokesman and advocate for various organizations. Served as the senior enlisted leader and manager at a defense department industrial center. Provided change management recommendations in regards to morale, health and welfare for a 4,000 employee and contractor workforce and served as a member on the board of directors. Monitored mechanical and electronic maintenance operations and made recommendations to increase efficiency on overhaul processes for 3 military ground combat systems and 12 missile systems. Participated in weekly strategy and performance meetings, surveyed the workforce, and provided observational review to plant activities, and provided recommendations to streamline operations. Monitored job satisfaction and created a series of controls to reduce anxiety in employee behavior due to a reduction in force directive. |
| Formal Education / Training / Select Awards | Master of Science, Corporate and Organizational Communication Northeastern University, Social Media and Online Communities concentration, Boston, MA – 2016
Bachelor of Science, Business Administration Touro College, Touro College, New York, NY – 2009 Associate of Arts, Liberal Studies Central Texas College, Killeen, TX – 1998 Served on the faculty of the U.S. Army Sergeants Major Academy, the premier educational institution for enlisted soldiers. Recognized for his excellence on numerous occasions to include being awarded the U.S. Army Chief Information Officer/G-6 Knowledge Management Pioneer Award, November 2003. Sergeants Major Academy Wall of Honor inductee, US Army Sergeants Major Academy, September 2010 US Army Ordnance Corps Hall of Fame inductee, US Army Ordnance Corps, May 2012 Army Distinguished Service Medal (DSM), US Army, November 2007 Bronze Star Medal, US Army, December, 2004 |
| Training / Certification & Experience; Other Certifications | Certified Authentic Leader Development Coach; Chambers Bay Institute, True Growth® Coaching Certification Program. Successfully completed a 48-hour intensive certification program that qualifies participants to coach senior leaders using a proven, structured development of both the principles and applications of authentic leadership.
Master Knowledge Management Professional TM Certification (2011) – Awarded by KMPro to experienced practitioners in the field of Knowledge Management based upon demonstration of practical application of knowledge management. Candidates complete a KMPro CKM certification workshop, then qualify for the KMPro Certified Knowledge Management Professional (CKMP) certification by successfully applying the concepts in completing a knowledge . Member, International Coach Federation |
| Book, Publications, & Speaking | Soldier for Life: Leadership Lessons by the 12th Sergeant Major of the Army Jack L. Tilley & Dan Elder (2015) NCO Historical Society, Temple, TX
NCO Guide (10th Edition) (2015) Stackpole Books, Mechanicsburg, PA Sergeants Major of the Army (2nd & 3nd Edition) (2015) Center for Military History, Ft McNair, DC Speaking gigs: Central Texas Business Resource Center American Advertising Federation-Central Texas Copperas Cove Economic Development Corporation |
| Interests/Hobbies | Classic Cars, boating, family |
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