May 30, 2024

By Karen Thornton, AIRC Fellow

The DCTC Culture of Care is rooted in the Historically Black College & University (HBCU) tradition of mentoring that emphasizes development of leadership, empowerment, and a sense of community.  These values align with the Department of Defense’s commitment to take care of its people and its recruitment strategy to develop talent and foster diversity and innovation. Over the past year, the DCTC faculty have fostered a Culture of Care within their classrooms.

LTC (Ret.) Larry Burnett is the DCTC professor at the North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University (NCA&T).  Professor Burnett was recently recognized by the Governor of North Carolina with the prestigious Order of the Long Leaf Pine award for significant contributions to the community and a proven record of exemplary service to strengthen the state.  An alumnus of NCA&T, Professor Burnett joined the DCTC faculty after serving as executive director of the Hayes-Taylor Memorial YMCA in Greensboro, following a distinguished Army career that included serving as the professor of Military Science at NCA&T.

In April, Professor Burnett arranged for his DCTC scholars to visit Ft. Liberty, where he spent much of his Army career, and the Center of Creative Leadership in Greensboro.  At Ft. Liberty, scholars learned about the integration of civilian workforce with military personnel. Professor Burnett introduced scholars to Dr. Christine Hull and Mr. William McMillian of the Installation Management Command, Readiness Directorate, who spoke about their customer-focused mission and the breadth of Army civilian career opportunities.

Scholar Alyssa Durrell observed “Visiting Fort Liberty was an amazing experience. Getting more in depth on the different government pay scales and the reassurance that my interest can align with the military makes working as a civilian a lot more interesting than before.”

 The Center for Creative Leadership (CCL) is ranked among the world’s top providers of leadership development and a pioneer in the field of global leadership research. Professor Burnett arranged for scholars to learn about CCL’s efforts to bring positive change through the advancement of understanding, practice, and development of leadership for the benefit of society.

Scholar Aliyah Terry said, “The trip to  the Center for Creative Leadership (CCL) was very informative. I really enjoyed learning more about how leadership is its own science. I particularly liked talking about the different ways that CCL measures leadership development, and the type of programming they perform for businesses and individuals.” Cydney Harris agreed, “CCL was amazing, I particularly remember a story about a soldier who had gone through a lot and pinpointed their time at CCL and the advice they got about treating others with respect as a leader. That soldier went on to say that that advice saved his life in a very dangerous situation.”

The CCL’s mission is to help leaders tap into their potential and empower them to pave a positive path forward for the greater good. This value proposition is consistent with the DCTC Culture of Care, which develops scholars’ sense of creativity, purpose, resilience, and community.

Scholar Janese Reid was deeply impacted by what she learned at CCL. “My journey to CCL was a transformative experience. I’m grateful that I was able to learn the rich history of CCL and just what leadership means to them.”  Jalen Weathers was similarly inspired, “It was great to hear different leadership point of views and makes me want to take a workshop at the Center for Created Leadership.”

Professor Burnett’s career of public service and commitment to nurturing scholars in his classroom bring pride to the entire DCTC team. Read more about the DCTC Culture of Care HERE.