Jeffrey W. Talley

Jeffrey W. Talley
32nd Chief of Army Reserve and Commander, United States Army Reserve Command
In office June 9, 2012 – June 1, 2016
Preceded by	Jack C. Stultz
Succeeded by	Charles D. Luckey
Personal details
Born	(1959-09-27) 27 September 1959 St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.
Spouse	Linda R. Hall (m. 1981)
Children	4
Education	Louisiana State University (BS) Assumption College (MA) Washington University in St. Louis (MLA) Johns Hopkins University (MSE) Carnegie Mellon University (PhD) U.S. Army War College (MSS) University of Oxford (EMBA)
Signature
Military service
Allegiance	United States
Branch/service	United States Army Corps of Engineers
Years of service	1981-2016
Rank	Lieutenant General
Commands	US Army Res Cmd (Fort Bragg, NC) 84th Division (Fort Knox, KY) 926th Engineer Bde, 4th Infantry Div (U.S. Forces Iraq) 926th Engineer Group (Montgomery, AL) 365th Engineer Battalion (Schuylkill Haven, PA) B Company, 44th Engineer Battalion, 8th Army (U.S. Forces Korea)
Battles/wars	Operation Enduring Freedom (Kuwait/Southern Iraq) Operation Iraqi Freedom (Baghdad/Sadr City, Iraq)
Awards	Army Dist. Service Medal (2) Legion of Merit Bronze Star Medal (3) Meritorious Svc Med (4) Joint Service Commendation Medal Army Commendation Med (2) Army Achievement Med (4) Army Meritorious Unit Commendation Reserve Component Achievement Med (5) National Defense Service Medal (2) Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal Iraq Campaign Medal Global War on Terrorism Service Medal Korea Defense Service Medal Armed Forces Reserve Medal (2) Army Service Ribbon Overseas Service Ribbon (3) Army Reserve Overseas Training Ribbon (2) De Fleury Medal (2)

Jeffrey W. Talley (born September 27, 1959) is an American businessman, scholar, and retired three-star general whose concurrent military and civilian careers encompass a blend of corporate, academic, and government leadership. His unique military and civilian contributions were recognized by the U.S. Senate on June 28, 2016, with Tribute to Lieutenant General Jeffrey W. Talley, as reflected in the congressional record.

General Talley’s military career included duty in the United States, Korea, Kuwait, and Iraq. His military service culminated with three consecutive commanding general assignments including the 926^th Engineer Brigade and Baghdad Provincial Engineer, 4^th Infantry Division, Multi-National Division-Baghdad, during the Surge and fight for Sadr City in 2008; the 84^th Training Command, where he trained units preparing for deployment from 2009-2012; and in 2012, he was appointed by the President to a four-year term as the 32nd Chief of Army Reserve and Commanding General of the U.S. Army Reserve Command, an organization of over 215,000 Soldiers and civilians, 134 general officers and senior executives, with an annual operating budget of approximately $9B, and activities in over 30 countries, including all states and territories. He has received numerous medals and awards, including two Army Distinguished Medals and three Bronze Star Medals. He retired from the military in 2016.

General Talley’s civilian career consists of a portfolio of business, academic, and government experiences. Business positions held are Founder / President & CEO of The P3i Group, Director at BluMetric Environmental, Vice President & Global Fellow at IBM, Co-Founder / President & CEO of Environmental Technology Solutions, and Associate at Malcolm Pirnie. Academic positions held are Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, Professor, Department Chair, Endowed Chair, Institute Director, Adjunct Professor, Advanced Leadership Fellow, Scholar-in-Residence, and Professor of the Practice, with appointments at University of Notre Dame, Southern Methodist University, The Johns Hopkins University, Harvard University, and University of Southern California. Government positions held are Research Engineer and Biotechnology Research Team Leader, Environmental Engineer, and Engineering Technician with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

General Talley holds a Ph.D. in Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University, an Executive M.B.A. from University of Oxford, an M.S.E. from The Johns Hopkins University, an M.L.A. from Washington University in St. Louis, an M.S.S. from U.S. Army War College, an M.A. from Assumption College, and an B.S. from Louisiana State University. He is a registered Professional Engineer (P.E.), a Board-Certified Environmental Engineer (BCEE) in Sustainability, and a Diplomate, Water Resources Engineer (D.WRE).

Early life and education

Lt. Gen. & Mrs Talley at Louisiana State University (LSU) on November 22, 2013.

Talley was born in St. Louis, Missouri, the son of Gloria E. (Genter) and Donald E. Talley. He graduated from Yorktown High School in Arlington, Virginia in 1977. After spending his freshman year of college at Old Dominion University, he transferred to Louisiana State University (LSU). While at LSU, he was a Cadet of the Ole War Skul and an Army ROTC Scholarship recipient. As a cadet, he graduated from the U.S. Army Airborne School and was Distinguished Honor Graduate from the U.S. Army Air Assault School. His senior year, he was the Commander of Pershing Rifles Company D-16 and an Officer in the Scabbard and Blade. He graduated from LSU in 1981 with an B.S. in Forestry (Natural Resource Management) and was a Distinguished Military Graduate.

While serving on active duty in the military, Talley completed an M.A. in Religious Studies from Assumption College in 1985, and an M.L.A. (History & Philosophy) from Washington University in St. Louis in 1988. Upon leaving the Regular Army in 1992, he enrolled at The Johns Hopkins University where he received his M.S.E. in Environmental Engineering & Science in 1995. In 2000, he earned his Ph.D. in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University. His dissertation research won the U.S. Department of Defense’s Strategic Environmental Research and Development project of the year award.

In 2001, Talley was selected as an Army reservist to attend the U.S. Army War College Distance Education Program. Through a series of distance learning and resident sessions, he completed his studies in 2003 and was awarded an M.S.S. (Military & Strategic Leadership). In 2010, he began an executive graduate program in global business at the University of Oxford. Over the next 22 months he would commute to and from England, graduating from Keble College in 2011 with an Executive MBA. While at Oxford, he would also create a series of tech start-ups with one of his classmates, winning the Saïd Business School Venture Fund Competition for best new start-up.

He married his wife Linda in 1981. They have three sons and a daughter - Christopher, Joshua, Matthew, and Ashley.

Military career

The Regular Army (1981-1992)

Upon graduation from LSU in December of 1981, Talley received a Regular Army commission as a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. After completing the Engineer Officer Basic Course at Ft. Belvoir, Virginia, and the U.S. Army Ranger School at Ft. Benning, Georgia, he reported to his first permanent duty assignment at Ft. Devens, Massachusetts. He was assigned to the 39th Engineer Battalion where he served as 1st Platoon Leader, Alpha Company, and later as Battalion Adjutant (S-1). In August of 1985, he was promoted to Captain enroute to the St. Louis District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers where he worked in Construction Division on Lock & Dam 26 (Replacement), the largest civil works project in the U.S. at that time. He would later serve in both Engineering and Planning Divisions.

Following his assignment in St. Louis, Talley returned to Ft. Belvoir for the Engineer Officer Advance Course. Upon graduation, he volunteered to go to the Republic of Korea for an unaccompanied assignment with the 44th Engineer Battalion, Eight U.S. Army. After a short stint as Assistant Battalion Operations Officer (Assistant S-3) at Camp Mercer (vicinity Seoul), he took command of Bravo Company and Camp Nimble (Dongducheon), in support of 2nd Infantry Division and its demilitarized zone (DMZ) mission. After two years in Korea, he returned to the U.S. for Combined Arms Service Staff (CAS3) School at Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas.

Upon graduation from CAS3, Talley was assigned to the Baltimore District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, where he worked in the Hazardous Toxic Radiological Waste Branch of Engineering Division. There he supported the design and remediation of contaminated sites around the country, including the Times Beach Superfund project in Missouri, considered by many to be the most toxic site in America. In April of 1992, Talley resigned his Regular Army commission, leaving active duty as a senior Captain, and transferring to the U.S. Army Reserve.

The Army Reserve (1992-2012)

Talley’s first assignment in the Army Reserve was Assistant Operations Officer (Assistant S-3), 315th Engineer Group, New Cumberland Army Depot, New Cumberland, Pennsylvania. In December of 1993, he was promoted to Major and served as the Group’s Operations Officer (S-3). Subsequently, he was assigned to the 365th Engineer Battalion in Schuylkill Haven, Pennsylvania as the Battalion Operations Officer (S-3). While at the 365th, he also graduated from the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College.

Talley relocated in April of 1996 to Vicksburg, Mississippi to join the 412th Engineer Command. While at the 412th, he served as the Commanding General’s personal Plans Officer, and later as Commandant. After two years in command, he returned to the 365th to be the Battalion Executive Officer, but only to return to the 412th a year later to serve as its Secretary General Staff. Selected early for battalion command, he returned  to the 365th in February of 1999. He was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel in April of 2000.

Upon completion of battalion command in February of 2002, he became the Deputy Operations Officer (Deputy G-3) at the 416th Engineer Command in Darien, Illinois. In December 2002, Talley was called to active duty and in February of 2003 he mobilized and deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraq Freedom. While in theater, he was the Chief of Operations for the 416th which was part of the Coalition Joint Forces Land Component Command. There he was responsible for the planning and execution of hundreds of combat and construction missions throughout Kuwait and Iraq. He was awarded the Bronze Star (1st award).

Upon graduation from the U.S. Army War College in 2003, Talley served in the Pentagon as a Strategic Planner in the Deputy Directorate for the War on Terrorism, Strategic Plans & Policy Directorate (J-5), Joint Chiefs of Staff. Promoted to Colonel in February of 2005, he was reassigned to command the 926th Engineer Group in Montgomery, Alabama. The 926th was the largest engineer group in the Total Army with over 7,000 Soldiers scattered across multiple states. As part of an Army force structure change, the group was reorganized and re-designated as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 926th Engineer Brigade. At that time, reserve brigades were one-star commands. Talley was selected to be its first Commanding General and promoted to Brigadier General in August of 2007.

In January 2008, Talley returned to active duty in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom as Commander, 926th Engineer Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, Multi-National Division - Baghdad and the Baghdad Provincial Engineer. While in Iraq, he led an organization consisting of thousands of engineers in the rebuilding of Baghdad to include restoring essential services and eliminating threats from improvised explosive devices. He is credited with developing a military and policy strategy widely referred to as “Engineering the Peace” that aimed to reduce violence in destabilized communities by rapidly rebuilding infrastructure, schools and hospitals in the militia stronghold of Sadr City and across Baghdad. He was awarded two Bronze Stars (2nd & 3rd award) - one for his efforts in rebuilding Baghdad, and the other for meritorious achievement in combat during the January 2009 planning and execution of security operations for the Baghdad provincial elections.

Upon return from Iraq, Talley assumed command of the 84th Training Command at Ft. Knox, Kentucky in June of 2009 and was promoted to Major General. At the 84th, he was responsible for training and assessing the readiness of units through Combat Training Center-like exercises in preparation for their upcoming combat deployments. He relinquished command in April of 2012 and was awarded the Army Distinguished Service Medal (1st award). He also served on the Reserve Forces Policy Board within the Office of the Secretary of Defense from 2009-2012.

Lt. Gen Talley addresses U.S. Chamber of Commerce on April 23, 2014.

Chief of Army Reserve and Commanding General, U.S. Army Reserve Command (2012-2016)

President Obama nominated Talley to be the Chief of Army Reserve and Commanding General, U.S. Army Reserve Command on March 20, 2012.  The U.S. Senate confirmed the nomination on May 3, 2012. Talley was appointed to the rank of Lieutenant General in the Regular Army on June 9, 2012, at a ceremony at Ft. Bragg, North Carolina.

Immediately after his appointment, he assumed command of the U.S. Army Reserve Command (USARC) and was sworn in as the 32nd Chief of Army Reserve. General Raymond T. Odierno, 38th Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army, officiated the appointment, the change of command, and the swearing-in ceremonies.

As the Chief of the Army Reserve, Talley was the principal staff adviser to the Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army on all Army Reserve Affairs. He developed Army Reserve budgets, training programs and policy decisions; managed the Army Reserve troop program units, individual mobilization augmentees, and the active guard/reserve program; and served as the appropriation director of all Army Reserve funds. As the Commanding General, U.S. Army Reserve Command, Talley commanded all Army Reserve troops in the Continental U.S. and had administrative control over the Army Reserve troops overseas, with a total end strength of 205,000 Soldiers and over 12,000 civilians.

During Talley’s tenure, the Army Reserve mobilized over 62,000 Soldiers to over 30 countries, including continued support to operations in Iraq and Afghanistan; all while overcoming unprecedented challenges including the first reduction to the Reserve force since the end of the Korean War, severe budget cuts known as sequestration and a government shutdown. To improve the Army Reserve’s support to the Total Force, he developed the “Plan, Prepare and Provide” readiness model that placed Army Reserve Engagement Cells and Teams into every Army Service Component Command and Combatant Command around the world. He also created the Reserve's Private Public Partnership program, which built partnerships with civilian companies and organizations and helps Soldiers and their families find employment or advance their civilian careers.

Talley relinquished command of the Army Reserve to General Robert B. "Abe" Abrams, the commanding general of U.S. Army Forces Command, on June 1, 2016, at Ft. Bragg, North Carolina. Concurrently, he ended his statutory appointment as the Chief of Army Reserve.

Retirement from the U.S. Army

Talley retired from the U.S. Army on June 30, 2016 at the rank of Lieutenant General, having served almost 35 years in active and reserve assignments. Talley and his wife Linda were honored at a Special Retirement Review at Conmy Hall at Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall, Virginia. The ceremony was conducted by the 3rd U.S. Infantry (The Old Guard) and hosted by General Mark A. Milley, 39th Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army. Talley was awarded the Army Distinguished Service Medal (2nd award).

Dates of rank

Rank	Date
Second Lieutenant	December 19, 1981
First Lieutenant	June 19, 1983
Captain	August 1, 1985
Major	December 18, 1993
Lieutenant Colonel	April 12, 2000
Colonel	February 17, 2005
Brigadier General	August 13, 2007
Major General	June 19, 2009
Lieutenant General	June 9, 2012

Medals and ribbons

Military Decorations Army Distinguished Service Medal (with oak leaf cluster) Legion of Merit Bronze Star (with two oak leaf clusters) Meritorious Service Medal (with three oak leaf clusters) Joint Service Commendation Medal Army Commendation Medal (with oak leaf cluster) Army Achievement Medal (with three oak leaf clusters) Army Reserve Component Achievement Medal (with four oak leaf clusters) National Defense Service Medal (with oak leaf cluster) Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal Iraq Campaign Medal (with Campaign Star) Global War on Terrorism Service Medal Korea Defense Service Medal Armed Forces Reserve Medal (with M Device and Silver Hourglass) Army Service Ribbon Army Overseas Service Ribbon (with two oak leaf clusters) Army Reserve Components Overseas Training Ribbon (with oak leaf cluster) Army Meritorious Unit Commendation

Badges, Patches, and Tabs Basic Parachutist Badge Air Assault Badge Ranger Tab Army Staff Identification Badge Office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Identification Badge Office of the Secretary of Defense Identification Badge 926 Engineer Brigade Shoulder Sleeve Insignia worn as his Combat Service Identification Badge 926 Engineer Brigade Distinctive Unit Insignia 3 Overseas Service Bars Bronze and Silver De Fleury Medals

Civilian career

U.S. Army Corps of Engineer (1992-2001)

Talley began his civilian career upon leaving the Regular Army (active duty) in 1992. His initial work was as an Engineering Technician in the Hazardous Toxic Radiological Waste Branch of Engineering Division, Baltimore District. Upon completion of his engineering degree from The Johns Hopkins University in 1995, he was promoted to Environmental Engineer. Working with multiple government organizations and Architect Engineering (AE) firms, he directly supported the assessment and remediation of hundreds of hazardous waste sites. His activities ranged from field sampling, site characterization, remediation design, and the application of innovative technologies.

In 1996, Talley left the Baltimore District for a Research Environmental Engineer position at the Waterways Experiment Station (WES) in Vicksburg, Mississippi. At the time, WES was considered the largest research and development (R&D) engineering center in the nation. As the Bioremediation Team Leader, he created an externally-funded R&D program focused on remediation of soil, sediment, and water in partnership with academia. He also served as principle investigator (PI) on multiple projects advising graduate students and post-doctorate fellows. While at WES, he completed his Ph.D. in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University.  

University of Notre Dame (2001-2009)

In 2001, Talley accepted an Assistant Professor (tenure-track) appointment at the University of Notre Dame (ND) in Notre Dame, Indiana. He taught undergraduate/graduate courses in engineering and science, while developing an externally-funded basic/applied research program focused on the characterization and remediation of pollutants. He also served as principle advisor to multiple undergraduate/graduate students and post-doctorate fellows. After 5 years, including one year deployed to Kuwait/Southern Iraq as an Army Reservist, he was selected early for tenure. He was promoted to Associate Professor in 2006. In 2008 he was deployed again, this time to Baghdad, Iraq as its first Provincial Engineer. In both deployments, he was able to directly apply his ND work in the area of environmental restoration.

Environmental Consulting (2002-2009)

To gain business experience in the practice of engineering and science, Talley began consulting part-time to various national AE firms. In 2005 he joined Malcolm Pirnie as an one of its few part-time Associates. While at Pirnie, he supported clients and projects nationwide in water and soil remediation. At that time, Malcom Pirnie was the largest privately-owned water and wastewater company in the U.S.

Southern Methodist University (2009-2011)

Talley continued his academic career at Southern Methodist University (SMU) in Dallas, Texas. At SMU, he held appointments as Professor (with tenure) and Chair, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Bobby B. Lyle Professor (endowed chair) of Leadership and Global Entrepreneurship, and Founding Director of the Hunter and Stephanie Hunt Institute for Engineering and Humanity. As a Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, he taught and conducted research on the characterization and remediation of pollutants. He also served as Principle investigator on multiple projects and advised students/post-doctorate fellows. As Chair of the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department, he led significant growth and reorganized the department with emphasis on advancing scholarship and teaching. As the Bobby B. Lyle Chair of Leadership and Global Entrepreneurship, he taught seminars, lectures, and executed projects emphasizing leadership and entrepreneurship skills. As the Founding Director of the Hunt Institute, he named and directed the first institute of its kind where engineering and humanities were integrated in theory and practice to address the issue of the global poor.

Environmental Technology Solutions (2011-2014)

In 2011,Talley received a unique opportunity to create a series of startups companies organized around technologies he had developed with others. Leaving his full-time career in academia, he co-founded Environmental Technology Solutions (ETS) in Phoenix, Arizona. ETS was an engineering, research and services company that developed and commercialized innovative technologies to benefit society and the environment. As President & CEO, he provided leadership to position the firm, its subsidiaries, and associated partners, at the forefront of their respective industries.

Under his leadership, they developed multiple technologies: Green & Grow, soil conditioners that multiply favorable plant characteristics; SafeWaters, a real-time pathogen sensing for water; Nereus, a series of heavy metal remediation products for water, soil, and sediment; and SecureNet, a land-based change detection product that aids in locating improvised explosive devices and improving border security by pinpointing human and drug crossing sites. Green & Grow, developed in partnership with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, won numerous awards for best new and green technology. It also won University of Oxford’s Saïd Business School Venture Fund competition for best new startup. While at ETS, Talley completed his Executive MBA from the University of Oxford.

In the spring of 2012, Talley was nominated by the President and confirmed by the U.S. Senate, to become the 32nd Chief of the Army Reserve and Commanding General, U.S. Army Reserve Command. This required him to return to the Regular Army (active duty) at the appointed rank of Lieutenant General (three-stars) for a four-year term and relocate to Washington, D.C. He resigned as President & CEO in the summer of 2012, but retained co-ownership of ETS, its subsidiaries, and technologies until they were acquired or transferred in 2014. He remained on Green & Grow’s Science Advisory Board until 2016.

The Johns Hopkins University (2011-2012)

To maintain a presence in academia while at ETS, Talley took a part-time appointment at The Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland. Working as an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Geography and Environmental Engineering, he commuted to/from Baltimore, where he taught seminars in environmental engineering, engineering for sustainable development, and entrepreneurship associated with technology. In 2012, he resigned in order to comply with senate confirmation rules for his appointment as Chief of Army Reserve.

Harvard University (2015-2016)

In the fall of 2015, during his last year on active duty as Chief of Army Reserve, Talley accepted an Advanced Leadership Initiative (ALI) Fellowship and appointment as the Cabot House Scholar-in-Residence, at Harvard University. Although initially commuting between Washington, D.C. and Harvard, he eventually moved to Cambridge, Massachusetts upon his retirement from the military in the summer of 2016. As an ALI Fellow, his focus was to learn, lecture, mentor, consult, reflect, and write about the integration of business, technology, and public policy to solve global problems. Specific emphasis was on exploring ways to improve partnerships between the public, private, and academic sectors. He also researched and advanced his understanding and application of principles to promote peace and stability as it relates to the global threats of climate, pollution, security, poverty, and migration. As the Cabot House Scholar-in-Residence, he met regularly with students to discuss current topics of the day and provide advice on careers. He also advised various students and faculty on their respective startup companies.

International Business Machines (IBM) (2016-2020) In the summer of 2016, while still at Harvard, Talley joined IBM as Vice President, Global Public Sector, and Global Fellow, IBM Center for the Business of Government (a business think tank). Upon completion of his Harvard Fellowship in November of 2016, he relocated to Scottsdale, Arizona. At IBM, he applies thought leadership across a variety of activities ranging from advising on strategic goals and issues to advancing business development. He leads multiple efforts worldwide on delivering solutions sets to clients that utilize big data integration with cognitive analytics for applications in defense and intelligence, cyber security, disaster and complex emergencies, infrastructure resilience, climate change and environment, business and government operations, and improved decision-making. As a Global Fellow, he researches and blogs about climate change, disaster management, veteran’s initiatives, and public private partnerships.

University of Southern California (2017-2020)

Wanting to return to academia in some capacity as an IBMer, Talley accepted a faculty appointment as Professor of the Practice, Price School of Public Policy and Viterbi School of Engineering, and Scholar-in-Residence, Brittingham Social Enterprise Lab, Marshall School of Business, University of Southern California (USC), Los Angeles, California. Commuting to/from Los Angeles, he researches, teaches, and writes about Public Private Partnerships (P3), and the Management of Disasters and Complex Emergencies, with emphasis on the impact technology is having on society, business, and government.

External links

• U.S. Army Senior Leader Bio. "Lieutenant General Jeffrey W. Talley". Archived from the original on 18 April 2016. Retrieved 8 April 2016.