Enterprise Services names new product leads

Project Director for Enterprise Services (PD ES) Lee James III hosted a double ceremony on Wednesday July 10, 2019 at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, to welcome two new product leads. During the ceremony, Gus Burnside II assumed the charter as product lead for Army Enterprise Staff Management System (AESMS) and Wayne Sok assumed the charter as product lead for Computer Hardware, Enterprise Software and Solutions (CHESS).

Attendees learned that Burnside brings with him a wealth of military and government knowledge. His wife Michelle is retired Navy and Gus is a retired Army aviator, who also managed counter narcotics and law enforcement programs for 11 countries in western and central Africa.

“Gus is a pretty interesting guy, I’ve only known him a few weeks now, but he has a twinkle in his eye and is most proud of his heritage,” said James. “Another thing Gus doesn’t do is brag about himself, but he served in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom and I believe Gus is well equipped to lead the AESMS program into the future.”

Burnside thanked Tom Neff, the previous project director for ES, noting that Neff taught him everything he knew about acquisition. “I would come in the morning and breathe acquisitions and every afternoon and evening I would breathe acquisitions,” Burnside said. He concluded his remarks with a quote from Napoleon. “A leader is a dealer in hope and product lead AESMS is full of hope.”

As part of the ceremony, outgoing Product Lead for CHESS, Doug Haskin, received the Superior Civilian Service Citation for outstanding support. Haskin’s efforts ensured that Soldiers received world-class, commercial IT solutions when they needed them, while saving the Army millions of dollars that were made available to invest in readiness.

“Doug was on his rise during his Transportation Information Systems days and he is still trending upward,” said James. “I admire his ability to listen, observe, think and then communicate and act clearly with confidence that demands respect.”

During his time as product lead, Haskin was responsible for the oversight of the delivery, implementation and management of the CHESS portfolio of contracts. This consisted of multiple Indefinite-Delivery/Indefinite-Quantity (ID/IQ) contracts with more than 187 vendors and more than 11 software agreements that exceed $43 billion in total value. He also expertly guided the efforts of the Information Technology Enterprise Solutions – 3 Services (ITES-3S), the momentous services multiple award ID/IQ contract vehicle.

Haskin then spoke about incoming CHESS product lead, Wayne Sok. “Wayne is an awesome deputy, he is an awesome leader and has been my battle buddy,” Haskin said. “Wayne is the right person to take over CHESS, he is ready for this and will take the team to the next level.”

Sok also has military service in his family background. His father, Justin Sok, served with the Republic of Korea Army and his older brother was a West Point graduate and Army Ranger. In addition, he served in combat tour during Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003. He holds a master’s degree in program management from the Naval Postgraduate School and most recently had the distinguished honor of attending the Harvard Kennedy School Executive Education – senior executive fellows program.

During the ceremony, Sok asked the CHESS team to stand up and be recognized for the work they do. He said the change of charter is not only about leadership, but is also about the program and the team. “The people at CHESS are top notch, every single one of the folks are high-speed and are ready to support the Army.”

James noted that Sok served as an executive officer (XO) for two years at PEO EIS headquarters. James said whenever he saw Sok, he always cheerful and upbeat, which was impressive in such a fast-paced and demanding role. “He always had a smile on his face,” said James.

“To CHESS, I promise to continue to give you my 100 percent every day,” said Sok. ”To my new boss Mr. James, everyone in CHESS is excited to have you on board and we are looking forward to [working with you].”