William Tsao's introduction to the aviation industry came from being a co-op intern at Robins Air Force base while finishing up his bachelor's degree in business management at Mercer University.
He received his Air Force Smart Operations (AFSO21) Green Belt training from Robins AFB and his Black Belt training from Maxwell AFB. He also received a master's degree in supply chain logistics from Georgia College and State University in 2015. He also completed Squadron Officer School and is currently enrolled in Air Command and Staff College and plans to complete the course by 2018. During his career, he has received a total of six Notable Achievement Awards, four Performance Awards, and four Time Off Awards. He was also nominated as a candidate for Civilian of the Quarter in 2012.
Tsao has had several mentors along the way ranging from group directors to his co-workers. "I try to listen and soak in the wisdom with every piece of advice I receive," Tsao says. "I would not be the person I am today without the support and guidance of my mentors and senior leadership throughout my career. One of the most impactful mentors I have had is my squadron director, Ms. Robin Hamsley."
His current job entails planning, organizing, and directing the activities of the 572nd Commodities Maintenance Squadron and ensuring operations comply with legal and regulatory requirements to meet customer requirements.
Nominated by Stephanie Langley, awards program manager, USAF: "William Tsao epitomizes what leading by example means as he tackles each new process or obstacle with a “can-do” attitude that is contagious. His open, sincere demeanor makes one proud to be a member of his team. A challenge he took on was supportability for the C-130 propeller shop. Parts and necessary chemicals needed to perform tasks were consistently becoming major issues. Mr. Tsao is an adamant proponent of process discipline and easily obtains buy-in from the people who actually perform the work. He rallied the team and implemented a series of supportability reviews that increased parts and chemical availability as well as forecasting to over 90 percent. Mr. Tsao was monumental in stabilizing the propeller and wing shops for the squadron. The P-3 Orion program and Aircraft Maintenance Group customer relations are at an all-time high. His strategic forethought allowed the squadron’s footprint to expound and create capacity for five additional numerical control machines freeing 24,000 square feet of floor space. He single-handedly trained teams to become cost accountants focused on revenue. He institutionalized the Air Force core values while partnering with the local American Federation of Government Employees to improve morale across the squadron. With Mr. Tsao’s ongoing support and commitment, the squadron will continue to be a success. He puts the needs of others first and helps people develop and perform at the highest level possible."
"The best way to give back to this industry is to improve our processes and ensure we keep the workload we have while gaining new workload in areas where we have the capacity and capability," he says.
One of his career goals is to be a Senior Executive Service (SES) member to affect change in the Air Force and to find new avenues to bring new workload to Middle Georgia.
