UTSA Case Study

The Challenge

The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) has built a macro-scale public-private partnership ecosystem to help build collaborative solutions related to issues of national security and global defense. UTSA’s National Security Collaboration Center (NSCC) partners with a wide array of federal and private entities within the defense and intelligence communities. The NSCC embraces the “one team, one fight” enterprise-wide national security posture.

The Approach

Higher Talent was retained to lead a national search for the inaugural Executive Director for the NSCC. While there were several nominations, Higher Talent also conducted original research to identify individuals. Higher Talent reached out to approximately 120 individuals and after thorough vetting recommended 9 shortlist candidates, including one woman and three people of color.

Throughout the journey, Higher Talent explored candidates in the U.S. National Laboratories, industry, and other higher education institutions who had the hard and soft skills to:

• Provide executive level management of the National Security Collaboration Center (NSCC) and related staff and facilities.

• Develop and manage the NSCC’s budget, membership recruitment and retention, and fundraising efforts, ensuring that resources meet current and projected NSCC needs.

• Develop and advance the NSCC’s research development direction and create value for the NSCC’s collaborative partnership ecosystem.

The Result

UTSA hired Guy Walsh as the inaugural Executive Director of the National Security Collaboration Center. Guy Walsh comes to UTSA from the US Department of Defense where he served as the Deputy Director, Capabilities Development Group, U.S. Cyber Command. His work has involved developing new capabilities, transitioning existing technologies to the operational environment and facilitating the development of training and advanced tactics, techniques, and procedures.

Prior to joining U.S. Cyber Command, Brigadier General Walsh had a distinguished career of 31 years in the United States Air Force and the Air National Guard, commanding at the squadron, group and wing levels. He served as the Commander, 175th Wing, Maryland Air National Guard from 2002 through 2009. In 2009 to 2010, Brigadier General Walsh commanded the 451st Air Expeditionary Wing in Kandahar, Afghanistan, becoming the first Air National Guard general officer to command an active duty air expeditionary wing in combat.