BIO | steeds

Biography

I completed a career in the US Air Force serving at 14 bases and 7 overseas tours. During my years of active duty I served as a weapons, missiles and explosives specialist, as well as the last five years as an educator. My last two military assignments were as the Director of the Student Operations Division at the USAF Senior NCO Academy and as the Chief Enlisted Manager at the Academic Instructor School, teaching Air Force members “how to teach” at Maxwell Air Force Base, AL. After retiring from the Air Force and working as a college administrator for a semester, I joined the Academic Instructor School staff in a civil service position as the Associate Dean of Education, then Chairman of the Evaluation Department. During this time I also taught at Auburn University at Montgomery and developed curriculum for John Patterson State Technical College. While at the Academic Instructor School, I was selected to be the Education Advisor and Director of Curriculum at the USAF Special Operations School at Hurlburt Field FL. I was named Dean of Academics at the newly created Joint Special Operations University where I served until I left civil service to join Booz Allen Hamilton in Huntsville, AL as the Learning Team Lead. I recently completed 2 years at LG Electronics as the Senior Manager of the LG Training Center where I was named the Manager of the Year for LG Electronics. I am now leading the Objective Simulation Framework modeling and simulation training team for nLogic, as part of Team Teledyne in Huntsville AL. I am active in my church, just completing 2 years as the Vice President of Messiah Lutheran Church in Madison AL. In addition to various church duties I routinely lector and assist with communion as well as usher. I also lead our mission team to build wheel chair ramps for needy individuals. My wife and I enjoy all things outdoors from gardening to hunting and shooting to kayaking the north Alabama rivers and streams. I am a Life Member of the Air Force Ammo Chiefs Association, the Air Force Association and the National Rifle Association. I am also a member of the Association for Talent Development (ATD), (formerly the American Society for Training and Development - ASTD) both National and North Alabama Chapter where I recently completed 2 years as the Program Chair. I often present to ATD meetings and other local organizations, most recently in September when I spoke to the ATD Mid-South Conference in Nashville TN and conducted a very interactive session on my unique approach to Instructional Design. I am also leading the local chapter's study group for members seeking to obtain the coveted certification as a Certified Professional in Learning and Performance (CPLP).