News

AFSC’s new executive director values diversity and innovation

  • Published
  • By Kimberly Woodruff, Air Force Sustainment Center Public Affairs

The Air Force Sustainment Center’s new executive director, Dennis D’Angelo, is focused on people. His priorities center on developing the workforce through education, helping them advance in their jobs and enhancing their lives, giving them opportunities to succeed.

“I’m looking forward to working with the hardworking folks that make readiness happen not only on the floor but in each of the air logistics complexes.” D’Angelo said. He said he was blessed to be selected for the position, adding, “I’m excited about the fact that I get to share some of the leadership role with [AFSC Commander] Lt. Gen. [Gene] Kirkland in taking the AFSC to the next level.”

D’Angelo firmly believes in a diverse and inclusive culture because with a larger cross section of ideas come more innovative ways to do business.

“The most important thing right now is diversity and inclusion and how we manage the workforce,” D’Angelo said. “If our people don’t feel secure, the job doesn’t get done as effectively as it should. Now it is a forever journey — we will not get it right in the beginning, but eventually the situation will improve. We are all unique and can bring diverse ideas to the table.  That diversity of thought is what makes us great.”

Speaking of innovative ideas, setting up innovation centers across the AFSC were a project left from D’Angelo’s predecessor and remain an important goal.

“We hear additive manufacturing, artificial intelligence, machine learning and they are all a part of the innovation process,” said D’Angelo. “Sometimes we just need to reorganize the way we do business to make it faster. Art of the Possible is able to bring advancements in the way we do business. We find the constraints in a process and we relentlessly attack the constraints until we make improvements we didn’t think were possible and make it more successful.”

D’Angelo believes partnerships are essential to the AFSC because of the exchange of ideas and the ability to all work together and solve our problems collectively.     

“We can share our experiences and bring in new ideas,” D’Angelo said. “I’m looking forward to working with academia, industry and our union partners to help make advances in software, hardware, and processes. I look forward to those partnerships and providing support, it is very critical.”

D’Angelo is no stranger to the AFSC, having served as the director of the 448th Supply Chain Management Wing for nearly three years. He left the 448th SCMW in the very capable hands of Col. Jerome McLin and Col. Spencer Van Meter, but he brings that wealth of supply chain knowledge with him to the AFSC.

“I’m elated to be part of the bigger team,” said D’Angelo. “I’m going to work hard and not take it lightly. I’m blessed to work with all the great people of the AFSC, many of whom I already know, and I will learn from them, but I’m just glad to contribute to this great team. We must never forget AFSC is the heart of Air Force readiness, and that each one of us is part of that game and my goal is to avoid putting any restrictions in your way. I will knock down any barriers that keep you from producing that level of readiness.”