faculty

Expertise
Cross functional coordination, team leadership, leader and talent development, organizational design, strategic planning, critical thinking, crisis management

Experience
Darsie offers more than 20+ years of senior executive experience leading adaptable and high-performing teams in solving challenging problems in uncertain environments. He has directed complex organizations ranging from small, specialized tactical units to leading more than 24,000 people. Darsie has an extensive background transforming elite organizations, including U.S. Army Special Forces and U.S. Navy SEALs. He served in the Gulf War, Operations Iraqi Freedom, and New Dawn and numerous contingency operations. As the Theater Special Operations Forces Commander, Darsie led U.S. Special Operations in the Middle East in the Iraq, Afghanistan, and Counter-ISIS Campaigns. He served in the Pentagon and various leadership positions around the world which led him to the rank of three-star General. Darsie retired after 35+ years of service as the Deputy Director of the Defense Threat Reduction Agency. In this position Darsie managed a 2000+ organization tasked with countering threats posed by weapons of mass destruction and improvised threat networks. Here he led organizational change by eliminating excessive bureaucracy through interconnection and liaison networks to eliminate silos, measure production, and increase collaboration with customers. This resulted in a workforce united around a single compelling vision to solve even the most complex challenges.

Darsie is currently a Professor of Practice with the University of Maryland advising the Defense Department and other government agencies. He is on the Board of Advisors for several non-profit, defense, and private-sector organizations advising on topics that include leadership, strategic planning, and business development. He is a mentor who recognizes the importance of instilling positive leadership on an empowered workforce, promoting a coaching culture, professional development, lifelong learning, and an appropriate work/life balance.

Scholarly Work/Publications/Awards
Darsie received various military awards and appeared in a number of publications, including Defense Media Network and Special Warfare magazines. Darsie routinely addresses audiences on Special Operations operationaland organizational matters, and leadership, including foreign ambassadors and dignitaries. He is the recipient ofthe S. Philip of Neri Award for a lifetime of service to the U.S. Army Special Forces.

Education
MS, Strategic Studies, U.S. Air Force War College, Montgomery, AL

MA, Military History, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA

U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, KS

BA, Psychology, Auburn University, Auburn, AL