Open To Work
William Vernon, PhD, MBA
Corporate Communications Principal
Waterloo,IL
Quote
"I shall either find a way or make one"
Hannibal
Summary
Proactive and results-driven professional with over 30 years of leadership experience across various levels of responsibility. Demonstrated success in creating and revitalizing organizational programs, streamlining processes, and enhancing productivity while fostering staff development. Renowned for delivering ethical, high-quality service that consistently achieves client satisfaction, alongside a proven ability to build multi-faceted, high-performing teams. Exceptional leadership and communication skills facilitate effective issue resolution in fast-paced, high-stress environments, supported by a foundation of technical knowledge, sound judgment, and interpersonal awareness.
Security Clearance
Top Secret-SCI w/ CI Poly
Work History
Corporate Communications Officer
SAIC, National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency
11.2023 - Current
- Developed and implemented strategic communication plans to enhance organizational visibility.
- Coordinated internal and external communications, ensuring message consistency across platforms.
- Crafted media materials to effectively convey agency initiatives and achievements.
- Developed and managed project webpage for the organization on both classified and unclassified systems. Enhanced outreach and knowledge distribution.
Project Team Manager
SAIC, Science Applications International Corporation
04.2021 - Current
- Serves as the team lead for approximately 20 contractors and subcontractors located in the Saint Louis area of responsibility
- Mentored junior team members, fostering professional growth and enhancing team capabilities.
- Reported regularly to managers on project budget, progress, and technical problems.
- Streamlined interview processes, improving candidate experience and reducing hiring timeframes.
- Improved onboarding experience for new hires, creating a comprehensive orientation program.
- Increased applicant quality by streamlining the hiring process and implementing a pre-screening system.
User Experience Researcher
SAIC, National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency
04.2021 - 11.2023
- Analyzed and incorporated quantitative and qualitative data from a variety of UX methodologies (e.g.; usability studies, user personas, participatory design, surveys, heuristic evaluations, etc.) to identify user needs and improve product usability and. enhance the NGA user experience.
- Facilitated workshops and design sprints to collaborate with cross-functional teams to identify and integrate user research findings.
- Provided data-driven reports, in a variety of formats in order to communicate findings and inform decision making.
- Conducted and incorporated UX research techniques such as observations, interviews, surveys, questionnaires, card sorts, usability tests, tree tests, and A/B testing to analyze assumptions, find commonalities across target audience members, and recognize needs, goals, and mental models in the NGA digital space either live or remote
Senior Advisor (Clinical Sergeant Major)
Madigan Army Medical Center, MAMC
08.2015 - 06.2016
- Served as the senior enlisted advisor for the Deputy Commander, Chief Nursing Officer, and Chief Medical Officer for a Level II 243-bed Medical Center with over 113,000 beneficiaries and 5000 staff members
- Provide personal and professional mentorship, promoting collaborative, diverse, and inclusive team climates
- Reviewed staff evaluations and performance plans to ensure personnel placement and staff development necessary to meet individual and organizational needs
- Assessed patient surveys, safety reports, and inquiries to establish best practices to enhance patient satisfaction and safety
Senior Advisor, Education, Training, and Research
Walter Reed National Military Medical Center
04.2011 - 10.2012
- Served as the senior advisor for the Deputy Commander for Education, Training, and Research for the largest military medical center in the U.S., providing oversight of training for over 6000 staff members
- Shared oversight of a multifaceted education platform consisting of 4 medical licensing courses, staff development programs, and General Medical Education
- Instruct courses in compassion fatigue, resiliency, and cultural competence for the U.S. Military's Psychiatric / Behavioral Health Nurse program
- Continued service as board member for Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences’ Institutional Review Board for Human Protection and Infectious Disease Research, reviewed 571 administrative reviews and 74 full board protocol reviews
- Spearheaded the relocation and integration of 57 staff members, $1.2 million in equipment and supplies, and the installation of $350,000 in IT equipment during the realignment of military medical centers at Walter Reed and. Bethesda
Deputy Director, Military Training Network
Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences
04.2006 - 03.2009
- Supervised a global footprint for continuing healthcare and medical education efforts. Provided centralized administrative control of 12 Training Sites with over 728 instructors for the American College of Surgeons as well as 521 Training programs across 335 training sites for the American Heart Association
- Developed a robust staff assistance visit program to ensure quality training and regulatory guidance. Meticulous planning allowed for increased travel year after year without budgetary increases
- Collaborated with stakeholders at various training sites to develop and implement policies that improved organizational effectiveness and compliance with institutional goals and regulatory requirements
- Volunteered as a non-science member for the University's Institutional Review Board; reviewed and advised on hundreds of human research protocols a year
Military Recruiter
U.S. Army Recruiting Command
04.1997 - 09.2000
- Successfully served as Station Commander despite no formal training or mentorship. Regularly surpassing individual missions as well as collective station missions.
- Managed administrative operations, program sustainment and public service efforts of recruiting station. Fostered positive relations with community and educational leaders
- Applied market analytics to increase market penetration resulting in earning the top recruiter in assigned recruiting company for the recruitment of high school seniors
- Trained and mentored new recruiters who accomplished 150% of their assigned mission in the first month on station
Education
Ph.D. - Industrial and Organizational Psychology
Liberty University
Lynchburg, VA11-2025
MBA - Health Care Management
Liberty University
Lynchburg, VA07.2022
Master of Science - Psychology
University of Phoenix
Phoenix, AZ12.2011
Bachelor of Arts - Social Sciences
Thomas Edison State University
Trenton, NJ12.2007
Professional Certificate - Software And Coding Fundamentals
UX Design Institute
Dublin, Ireland01.2023
Professional Certificate - User Interface Design
UX Design Institute
Dublin, Ireland05.2022
Professional Diploma - User Experience Design
UX Design Institute
Dublin, Ireland05.2021
Graduate Certificate - Healthcare Management
Liberty University
05.2019
Graduate Certificate - Industrial and Organizational Psychology
Grand Canyon University
04.2018
Skills
- Operations Management
- Personnel Management
- Stakeholder Relations
- Detail Oriented
- Customer Relationship Management
- Project Management
- Resource Allocation
- Staff Management
- Team Leadership
- Complex Problem Solving
- Verbal and Written Communication
- Creative Thinking
- Detailed Planner
Military Service
July 1991 - 31 July 2021 - Active Duty, United States Army, Command Sergeant Major
Work Preference
Work Type
Full TimeContract WorkLocation Preference
HybridRemoteOn-SiteImportant To Me
Work-life balanceCompany CultureAwards
Legion of Merit
Bronze Star x 2
Order of Military Medical Merit
Affiliations
- American Mensa
- American Psychological Association