ALDEBARAN KARI IMPERATORE
Project Manager and Instructor
Scotch Plains
Summary
Dynamic, results-focused, and EQ-driven Project Manager and Instructor with over 20 years of proven success in developing, planning, analyzing, and executing projects and programs. Leadership acumen honed through diverse experiences in instruction, flight operations, policy authorship, budget development and management, project oversight, asset allocation, human resources, and crisis management. Demonstrated leadership across international tours, driving change and educating across organizations. Certified as a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR), Lean Six Sigma Green Belt, and Project Management Professional (PMP). With a passion for continuous improvement and talent development, brings thought leadership and cross-functional collaboration to every project. Thrives in fast-paced environments, ensuring projects are completed on time and within budget. Strong communication skills enable effective stakeholder engagements and the ability to drive project success through clear objectives and accountability.
Overview
20
20
years of professional experience
3
3
Certifications
Work History
Line Officer Adjudicator, Physical Evaluation Board, Council of Review Boards
Secretary of the Navy
11.2023 - Current
- Evaluates medical and administrative evidence for service members referred due to potentially disabling conditions. Then determines the nature, cause, degree of severity, and permanency of disabilities. Decides if a service member is "Fit" or "Unfit" to continue Naval service based on their ability to perform the duties of their office, grade, rank, or rating.
- Mission Impact:
- Adjudicated over 1400 informal and formal cases, returning over 220 Sailors and Marines to the Fleet for Fit for Duty contributing to increased manpower readiness .
- Established effective relationships with key stakeholders both internally and externally for increased collaboration opportunities.
Director // Commanding Officer
Navy Reserve Center Earle
10.2020 - 11.2023
- Provided strategic direction and vision for the Navy Reserve Center’s 210 personnel across nine departments and 10 units, leading Naval Reserve readiness for worldwide deployment. Developed and implemented strategic plans; established goals, allocated resources, and coordinated with higher commands. Managed personnel assignments, training, and evaluations to ensure warfighting proficiency across all departments. Developed and implemented innovative practices for sailor deployment, ensuring efficiency and effectiveness in deployment processes. Educated and supported service members and their families, addressing logistical, emotional, and practical concerns to facilitate successful missions. Oversaw a $996K budget, optimizing resources for maximum efficiency.
- Mission Impact:
- Implemented a comprehensive overhaul of security program, resulting in an impressive 85% increase in sailors with secret clearance eligibility.
- Achieved a remarkable 94% training rate with no deployment cancellations while maintaining a deployment availability rate of 90%+, enhancing overall operational efficiency.
- Successfully deployed 80+ Reservists to support critical missions and provided an additional 7200+ days of support to operational units, ensuring 100% of personnel were paid on time during Navy-wide pay system constraints.
Senior Author, Organizational Policy
Office of the Chief Navy Reserve (OPNAV N095) Pentagon
11.2018 - 10.2020
- Authored and revised policies to ensure alignment with current military standards and practices, focusing on areas such as equal opportunity, resiliency practices, and retirement/transition programs. Developed and implemented strategies to align military retirement and transition programs with Congressional requirements, collaborating with Department of Defense and Interagency partners to ensure compliance. Managed and directed compensation funds totaling $43M to retain employees with critical medical, surgical, and operational skill sets, ensuring optimal allocation and utilization of resources. Reviewed and managed manpower requirements for 80K billets, ensuring optimal staffing levels.
- Mission Impact:
- Facilitated communication and collaboration among Navy, DoD, and interagency partners, advocating for and strengthening the Reserve community in policy discussions, resulting in improved alignment and support for Reserve initiatives.
- Enhanced Reserve readiness by spearheading non-deployability legal coordination to retain service members, leading efforts to strategically realign requirements and manpower force-wide, resulting in increased operational effectiveness across the Reserve force.
- Integrated Reserve policy into multiple initiatives supporting major medical revisions for the Reserve force, resulting in increased access to care and improved force resilience, ensuring the health and well-being of Reserve personnel.
- Developed process improvements to decrease non-deployability rate from 25% to 6% in six months.
- Coordinated employee and family support services for 1600 individuals during rapid COVID deployments.
- Developed creative content for $1.2M Reserve marketing and advertising campaign.
Director of Reserve Operations
Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) Quantico
02.2017 - 10.2018
- Served as senior advisor for Reserve matters for 10 Navy Reserve units encompassing 220 Reservists. Reviewed and managed Reserve personnel issues, financial planning, requirements projection, and training to ensure operational support. Planned, programmed, and executed $5.9M to ensure the execution of strategic objectives, ensuring optimal utilization of resources and alignment with organizational goals. Negotiated with supervisors to manage funds in a resource-constrained environment to meet mission requirements.
- Mission Impact:
- Collaborated with law enforcement, protection, assessments, and security to geographically relocate an entire NCIS criminal Reserve unit and the re-appointment of 40+ billets in support of four field offices, enhancing operational efficiency and effectiveness.
- Directed facility management department responsible for $9M in agency supply requirements across five independent locations, optimizing resource allocation and ensuring seamless operations.
- Achieved a 100% training rate by personally training 90 sailors, demonstrating commitment to excellence in training and readiness.
- Selected to serve as interim service executive, leading 560+ personnel, continuing operations and leadership during transitions.
- Executed $1.1M in Reserve funding, resulting in 2900 days of support to global NCIS operations, and secured more than $1M in additional funding for global support for NCIS operatives, increasing resources and capabilities for critical operations.
Deputy Director of Operations
Naval Air Station Whidbey Island
11.2014 - 01.2017
Warship Operator and Director of Catapult Operations
USS Harry S. Truman (CVN-75)
11.2012 - 10.2014
Navy Pilot and Mission Commander
Patrol Squadron 1 / Patrol Reconnaissance Wing 10
10.2006 - 10.2012
Education
Joint Professional Military Education -
Air Command and Staff College
01-2016
Master of Business Administration - undefined
Texas A&M University-Commerce
05-2012
Bachelor of Science - Management Engineering
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
05-2004
Certification
Senior Professional in Human Resources // HR Certification Institute Jul 2016
Timeline
Line Officer Adjudicator, Physical Evaluation Board, Council of Review Boards
Secretary of the Navy
11.2023 - Current
Director // Commanding Officer
Navy Reserve Center Earle
10.2020 - 11.2023
Senior Author, Organizational Policy
Office of the Chief Navy Reserve (OPNAV N095) Pentagon
11.2018 - 10.2020
Director of Reserve Operations
Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) Quantico
02.2017 - 10.2018
Deputy Director of Operations
Naval Air Station Whidbey Island
11.2014 - 01.2017
Warship Operator and Director of Catapult Operations
USS Harry S. Truman (CVN-75)
11.2012 - 10.2014
Navy Pilot and Mission Commander
Patrol Squadron 1 / Patrol Reconnaissance Wing 10
10.2006 - 10.2012
Master of Business Administration - undefined
Texas A&M University-Commerce
Bachelor of Science - Management Engineering
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Joint Professional Military Education -
Air Command and Staff College