Melody Gratic, M.Ed, Cdp Email & Phone Number

I am a transformational leader with more than 29 years of senior leadership and team leadership experience in the military and non-profit organizations. My diverse background enables me to coach senior management and facilitate training. I have provided leading-edge and compelling strategies for organizations, improving employee relations and morale. I am highly adept in strategic planning, conducting qualitative surveys and leadership assessments, analyzing internal operations and facilitating soft-skills training. I am committed to deploying a multipronged approach for "winning in the workplace" with a people-centric and customer-centric focus.In 2018, I founded XcelMil, LLC to offer a suite of professional and intellectual services to educate and develop leaders. Our professional training and coaching methodology supports senior leaders build strong healthy teams by investing in their number one asset: their staff. I am passionate about helping veterans and women in business succeed to achieve their goals in the government, private or non-profit sector. Specialties: Strategic Planning, Executive Leadership Development and Training, Executive Coaching, Administration Management, Operations Management

Plans, coordinates, and implements security control measures to prepare for the safe arrival of 1,200 senior staff members to include congressmen and congresswomen, news correspondents, and reporters on Air Force One. Conducts executive coordination meetings. Organizes advanced staff equipment to go to specified locations. Observes and plans protected transition routes from landing to the location. Transmits information acquired from White House Senior Staff Personnel to the United States Secret Service (USSS) to perform critical background checks. Annotates in an excel document the total number of personal luggage, critical operational material (s) and cargo. Ensures 5,000 tons of Presidential cargo is accounted for subsequent missions and return to the United States (US). Employs multiple layers of security and pre-screening when deploying and re-deploying valuable material (classified and unclassified) and cargo without loss or damage. Pre-screens all material(s) and cargo before placing on Air Force One. Coordinates the availability and security of a staging room that everything is stored in before and after the trip. Organized and planned logistic site evaluations and coordinated with USSS, State Department personnel and local government officials to ensure security and control of equipment for Presidential movements. Provided emergency action communication services to the Presidential Communication Officer and served as the assistant operator for approximately $80,000 worth of Video-Teleconference (VTC), satellite and secure telephone equipment. Served as the White House Transportation Agency Protocol Drivers Training Instructor encompassing over 4,000 hours of emergency action training and Air Force One Logistics Training of newly assigned personnel.

Plans strategically the successful coordination for over 250 National and International ground transportation missions supporting the President of the United States, the First Family, senior White House officials, official guests and foreign diplomats. Directs a team of 15 personnel that provides Presidential transportation and logistical service worldwide. Receives over 60 weekly and daily schedules of travel events to coordinate and assign. Determines the personnel appropriate for each mission. Selects individuals based on knowledge and experience depending on how detailed the mission(s). Documents in the mission-log database from the starting point to the end point: location, duration of movement to include hours and minutes expended, and man-hours for personnel on mission. Monitors and records how many ground transportation missions are performed on a daily, weekly, monthly and yearly basis. Performs quality control by calling and conducting a weekly survey to assess the quality of service received. Disseminates results from weekly survey to the Deputy Director and Director to identify problematic areas, identify resolutions and commend excellent performance from assigned personnel. Manages and coordinates resources utilizing the Defense Travel System. Managed the security for a 48,000 square foot facility that stores $2,000,000 worth of White House Equipment.

Managed and supervised organization wide daily, weekly, monthly, and annual operations for 3,250 personnel to include sixty servicemen and servicewomen. Researched procedural guidelines and policies from the following: Department of the Army Regulations (DA), Department of the Army Circulars, the Office of the Personnel Management Training Guidance and the Code of Federal Regulation (CFR) to advise senior executives on personnel promotions, professional development seminars and training attendance. Communicated to the subordinate leaders within the organization any new or modified changes to the standard operating policy (SOP), memorandum of agreements (MOA), or memorandum of instructions (MOI) from the Regional Senior Director and the Senior Executive Director in Europe. Discussed the probable and immediate affect these changes would have on day-to-day operations. Corresponded daily and weekly with the Operations Tasking Director in Europe to obtain specialized and detailed mission objectives to delegate to subordinate departments. Prepared excel spreadsheets to monitor each department’s progress from start to completion. Reported each department’s compliance to defer, extend, or meet deadlines. Met with senior executive directors to determine whether personnel had the necessary logistical resources or remaining funds within budget to complete quarterly and annual initiatives.

Initiated and oversaw the construction and activation of the organization’s first Emergency Operation Center. Analyzed data from a peer organization’s emergency procedures and implemented a duplicate system. Implemented a sign-in access roster for accountability for mission essential personnel. Verified each department’s access rosters included host nation personnel, DA Civilians, United States Department of Defense Contractors, and Military Servicemembers. Monitored and recorded the organization’s personnel reporting and telephonic response to emergency alert categories. Compiled data from all emergency threats and force protection exercises to ensure compliance with Army guidance.

Provided flawless automation support to the senior executive director and regional staff during official visits to meet new personnel in the organization, inspected operations, and/or attended strategic planning meetings. Assisted the executive secretary in establishing the key leaders’ agenda and senior director’s talking points. Maintained the schedule to reserve the organization’s conference room. Selected to purchase furniture for the executive leader’s office and adjoining office spaces. Reviewed memorandums and documents before distributing to key leaders and posted on bulletin boards throughout the organization. Coordinated and hosted two off-site senior leaders team building and strategic planning workshops. Approved ceremonial agenda for promotions and quarterly civilian and military recognition. Communicated clearly to subordinate departments how to draft a personnel biography format and deadlines for when to submit names.

Coordinated with subordinate leaders to draft and monitor weekly, monthly, and quarterly training. Inspected and ensured leaders’ professional development training and specialized training was conducted in compliance with military and civilian regulations. Prepared and recorded each department’s training statistics to report overall training effectiveness for Host Nation Personnel, DA Civilians, and Military Personnel. Tabulated whether organization’s training scores reflected improved or marginal proficiency. Disseminated semi-annual and annual report to the senior executive director and regional training director. Generated temporary duty orders for assigned personnel to attend professional development training and executive leadership seminars. Screened and scheduled professional experts to teach mandatory training classes to ensure the organization maintained 100% compliance in the following areas; sexual harassment, discrimination, safety, and ethics. Pioneered and planned annual screening for the organization’s pre-deployment mobilization for assigned military and civilian personnel. RESULTS: Organization’s servicemembers were deployed to support the most prestigious dignitaries from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization during Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF). Supervised and trained a security force team to deploy and safeguard missiles and munitions for the United States Air Force (USAF) in support of Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) at Nordenham, Germany.

Scrutinized expenditures for an operating budget of over $4 million dollars. Supervised preventative maintenance and logistical assets for a fleet of 41 vehicles to include four armored sedans to ensure compliance with DA regulatory guidance, European Transportation Guidance, and Transportation Safety Laws. Maintained and catalogued inventory for government fuel coupons, credit cards, and car wash vouchers from an approved list of external businesses. Stipulated in detail the organization’s and government’s transportation policies and regulations and met with approved external business entity to renew contracts or discuss non-compliance which resulted in a change of vendors. Catalogued and filed agreed upon memorandums of agreement for recordkeeping and future inspections. Devised logistical plan to identify adequate office space and required operational equipment to relocate transportation office. Delegated to a junior leader responsibility to implement inventory for safeguarding master chauffeur vehicle logbooks that included the vehicle registration form, Standard Form 91, Motor Vehicle Accident Report Form, and the DA Form 5988-E, Equipment Maintenance and Checklist. Maintained meticulous accountability for all assigned vehicles and exercised direct control for all primary and secondary vehicle keys. Attended a number of bi-annual strategic meetings to plan logistical and transportation requirements needed to support six NATO Ministerial visits by the President of the United States (POTUS), Secretary of Defense (SECDEF), Secretary of the State (SECSTATE) and other notable representatives from NATO. Established award system to recognize host nation drivers, servicemen, and servicewomen in dedicated and unwavering loyalty to take on difficult and enduring missions.

Prepared and presented 392 hours of training within the Warrior Leader Course of Instruction; supervised and evaluated 20 junior students performance evaluations; controlled and evaluated a 96-hour student led Field Training Exercise (FTX); counseled junior leaders and prepared Academic Evaluation Reports; integrated accountability, logistic, maintenance and risk management during every aspect of training. Specialized in maintaining the United States of the Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) accreditation standards were met on annual basis. Prepared junior leaders for the Army Physical Fitness Test: a semi-annual requirement to accelerate to the next grade and for course completion. Taught and evaluated junior leaders proficiency on common task training for example, emergency medical treatment, nuclear, biological and chemical response, and survival techniques required for combat and non-combat environments. Expert mentorship training resulted in 98% of junior leaders completing the rigorous four-week course and more than 20% each cycle achieving honors. Provided invaluable insight for the instructor/facilitator recertification process ensuring only the best candidates were selected and maintained within the organization. Selected over 15 peer senior leaders for the Instructor of the Cycle Award and Non-Commissioned Officer of the Year Award for two years consecutively. RESULTS: Commended by the Senior Enlisted Advisor repeatedly for being a consummate professional, team player, and possessing superior leadership skills.

Master’S Degree, Educational Leadership And Administration

Bachelor Of Arts (B.A.), Bible & Theology