Friends, coworkers reflect on Dr. David Elrod and his career Published May 23, 2011 By Philip Lorenz III AEDC/PA ARNOLD AIR FORCE BASE, Tenn. -- When Aerospace Testing Alliance (ATA) General Manager Dr. David Elrod recently announced his upcoming retirement from Arnold Engineering Development Center (AEDC) after a career spanning more than 33 years, friends and coworkers took the opportunity to share their thoughts and memories of him. Heard Lowry, ATA technical fellow for space sensors, and Dr. Elrod both attended David Lipscomb College in Nashville. During their undergraduate years, Dr. Elrod was a lab assistant when Lowry taught a lab there one summer. However, their first really memorable encounter took place under different circumstances. Looking back, Lowry said that chance meeting almost seemed like a harbinger of what was to follow when they became colleagues and personal friends. "He helped me when my car failed," Lowry recalled. "I had to drive from Manchester and I didn't quite make it. That's kind of my first real memory of him." Dr. Elrod came to AEDC in 1979, shortly after Lowry had joined the work force here. Soon after Lowry moved into the Mark I building, the two men began working together on a project which began in 1989. "We started working together on space projects and eventually we had a scene projection system called the Direct Write Scene Generation Test Capability, which went on for several years," Lowry said. "That was a multi-year program and it was Central Test and Evaluation Investment Program (CTEIP) Program and he became the manager of that. So, we claim that we are the reason he went to the top. "But seriously, he did show all the skills necessary to manage the program. Then he went to school as well to further himself in the engineering management areas. "So, we've known each other for a long time. We are fellow alumni, which is a connection, and we go to church together - so, we've been close for a long time." Lowry also saw another side of his friend and colleague. "We hiked on the Appalachian Trail quite a few times with some others, so we had camping experiences as well," he said, adding that Dr. Elrod kept things lively and the outings were fun. Lowry said even though hiking and camping trips were enjoyable, Dr. Elrod didn't leave things to chance, that careful planning was as much a part of his personal life as it was in his professional life. "When you're camping out in the middle of nowhere, you tend to depend on each other, and he would like to have everything precisely organized," Lowry said. "If anything went wrong, we'd give him grief about it and he maintained his cool. He bore up under that pressure. That was probably another great training experience for management." Lowry said Dr. Elrod was equally capable, whether working physics challenges with scene generation in space chambers or dealing with complex upper level management issues. When asked about Dr. Elrod's legacy, Lowry said, "I think a sincere and stable management approach. I just see him as a very solid, capable manager and I think people have learned to trust him." He called Dr. Elrod's calmness under pressure "amazing." Lowry said, "He has that ability to calm down and think and say something that's not reactionary or inflammatory. He just tries to settle out the differences and come up with a plan." In 1978, Dr. Ralph Jones, manager for the technology and analysis branch within ATA Integrated Test and Evaluation Department, came to AEDC as he was finishing his doctorate. As Sverdrup and Calspan, the support contractors for testing, merged at AEDC in the mid-1990s, Dr. Elrod became Dr. Jones' immediate manager. "He [Dr. Elrod] actively seeks the input of others, very carefully and deliberately considers it and has no qualms about incorporating all of those recommendations into his actions. He seems to have a knack for drawing the best from his staff. "One thing that has always impressed me about David is that he thinks logically through issues and problems, challenges that face him. He genuinely solicits and respects the inputs of others and helps you to understand from his perspective how your inputs are relevant or appropriate or perhaps how they are not, how they don't fit in. But he does have the ability to be compassionate and diplomatic so even when you're wrong you come away feeling about it because someone has looked at it and given you objective and honest inputs." Dr. Jones said when all is said and done; Dr. Elrod's legacy is "compassionate and trusted leadership." Chip Stepanek, director of ATA's Performance Management Group, has known Dr. Elrod for about 20 years, and they have become close friends during that time. They first met when Stepanek moved into the Technology Branch, of which Dr. Elrod was deputy director. "I remember one conversation that he and I had was [when] he encouraged me to go back to school to pursue a degree in engineering management," Stepanek said. Dr. Elrod has made at least a couple of other career suggestions to Stepanek over the years, which has led to his current position in Performance Management. "Along the way he recognized and pointed me in directions, and I suppose he does that with a lot of people," Stepanek continued. "I know that he has mentored a lot of people from a leadership development perspective. Stepanek said Dr. Elrod has always seemed to have a unique vision that has served ATA and its employees well. "When there are budget cuts or ... work load shifts and we have to face making changes, it'll be clear that he has the best interest of AEDC in mind and he'll protect against any knee-jerk reaction," Stepanek said. "I think that's where AEDC has benefited from his vision for the center. He knows what's important and he'll help guard against making too abrupt changes that might threaten the long-term viability of the center." Stepanek said that calm, reflective management style may be Dr. Elrod's greatest legacy at AEDC. "I think his influence on AEDC will persist long beyond his physical presence here as he moves downtown," he said. "He has left a team of current leaders and future leaders pointed in the right direction and practicing the right approach to managing a company that will long be in place. "Of all those things that are easy to notice about David, I have noticed most his leadership by principles. I think we've all been the benefit of that. Many employees may never really know about how much he has done on their behalf in the decisions he makes, whether it's about a benefits program or just consistently treating people right." Glenda Partin came to AEDC in 1979 to work for the contractor, Sverdrup, and then began working with Dr. Elrod in the mid-1980s while with Calspan. This is when she first began her award fee administering duties. An award fee presentation is a self assessment that the contractor gives every six months to the Air Force - like someone giving themselves a grade for their performance. "Dr. Bill Davis was Calspan's general manager and Jim Patterson was the deputy," she recalled. "They invited David as part of the management group to come in and help 'wordsmith' [the award fee presentation]. What made the difference and still resonates years later for Partin is how David was always the consummate professional and gentleman. She said Dr. Elrod had a special ability to make everyone feel like their work counted and that he personally appreciated their contributions. "It's a personal thing," she said. "He's so gracious, kind and compassionate. He genuinely cares." Partin keeps a stack of handwritten notes from Dr. Elrod, each one thanking her for the work she did on another award fee presentation. "He does have confidence and trust that the quality of his briefings is always there," she said. "Not only in me [but] everybody that he works with... he trusts to get things done right. Every time we had an award fee briefing, if I wasn't in my office, he'd leave me a note which I've collected over the years because that's the type of person he is...grateful for your support in helping to make AEDC the best place to work." Dr. Elrod also serves as a senior vice president for Jacobs Technology. He was appointed general manager when ATA became the major contractor at AEDC in 2003. Prior to that, in 2000, he was appointed to general manager of Sverdrup's AEDC Group and deputy general manager in 1997. Before joining Sverdrup in 1995, Elrod was manager of the Applied Technology Program for Micro Craft Technology at AEDC where he was responsible for the planning, advocacy and execution of the Aerodynamics Technology Program. In 2008, Dr. Elrod was honored as an AEDC Fellow. Upon retiring from AEDC, Dr. Elrod will transition to senior vice president of business development at Jacobs Technology in Tullahoma.