S1/E27: Why Being a Leader is Not For the Weak - Bill Valdez

Bill Valdez is a recognized thought leader in the Federal government who has successfully led science and technology programs, significantly influenced government policies in science, technology and government administration, and has led efforts to modernize government programs to deliver improved mission value to American taxpayers and to create a 21^st Century Federal workforce.

Bill in 2020 co-founded the Alliance of Latinx Leadership & Policy (ALLP), which is dedicated to developing a pipeline of highly qualified Latinx policy leaders in the Federal government (www.LatinxPolicy.org).  ALLP is a non-profit and bipartisan group and will serve as a think tank and leadership pipeline program for Latinx professionals who wish to pursue a career in public service.

Bill retired from Federal service in 2014.  His career with the Department of Energy spanned over 20 years and he held the positions of Director, DOE Office of Economic Impact; DOE’s Chief Diversity Officer; Director of Business Services, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy; and Director of Planning and Analysis, and Director for Workforce Development within DOE’s Office of Science.  During this time, Bill became expert in both programmatic and policy development, along with the operational side of the house including budget development/execution, HR, procurement and IT.

Bill was the President of the Senior Executives Association (SEA) from 2016-2020 and focused on strengthening the Senior Executive Service (SES) through legislative and policy initiatives, building a leadership pipeline for the Executive Branch, working with a broad range of good government groups to modernize the civil service, restoring a public service ethic to the Federal government, and developing policies/programs that will promote the Future of Work, the Workplace and Workforce in the Federal government through innovative tools such as AI/RPA and shared services.

Bill is currently President of Global Innovation Associates LLC, which provides advisory services to government agencies and private sector companies, and is a senior advisor with the Advanced Technology Group LLC, which develops rural and remote community broadband and economic development solutions.  He also is a member of the National Science Foundation’s Budget & Operations Advisory Committee.

Prior to serving at DOE, Bill worked as a Senior Project Manager in private industry where he provided strategic planning services to Asian and European multinational corporations.  He also was a reporter in Austin, Texas.  Bill received a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from the University of Texas and his Master of Arts in International Economics and Energy Policy from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies.