Veteran Transition Advocate Magazine (VTAM) Interviews Jerry Williams

Jerry is currently the Director of Programs and Chief Security Officer at XTec Inc. XTec supplies the technology solution to issue the civilian equivalent of the military CAC Card. He is also responsible for providing advice on how to operate as a government contractor. He provides advice on procurement, relationship building, and the federal government budget cycles.

Jerry went on to discuss his impressive background with VTAM. He has been a senior executive for many years in government and the private sector. He worked for the United States Secret Service for over 20 years and retired as a Supervisory Special Agent. Upon his retirement from the Secret Service, he was selected to be the Chief Security Officer for the US Department of Homeland Security. While Chief Security Officer, Jerry hired several veterans wounded in Iraq. Jerry later ran the FEMA Mount Weather Emergency Operations Center where he led over 450 employees, many of them being veterans. While at Mount Weather, Jerry was able to hire veterans using FEMA’s noncompetitive hiring process initiated for veterans and their spouses.

Mr. Williams: Those who work in the security field tend to be stovepiped into one discipline. For advancement, they should think of learning other areas of security such as physical security, protective security, personnel security, which involves hiring people with the right background, Operations Security or OPSEC, and information security. Learning how the security disciplines complement each other to provide a secure environment for people, property, and information will allow someone to grow.

VTAM: What a great accomplishment to be awarded one of the most Influential People by the Security magazine.

VTAM asked Jerry what he thought about Networking. “It’s important. Networking builds trust and allows for the exchange of ideas. People in your network can provide assistance and guidance. As often as you can, try to build up a network of people who can help you. If your contact is a business leader, ask them about their work and what qualities of business make them successful.

When job seeking, look for roles that fit your career choice. Develop your resume in that field. List your strengths. Education and training are key. Take courses that can prove helpful, maybe accounting or business writing. These courses can help you in any field you go

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