There’s a New Chief In Town – Meet Chief Master Sgt. Luis Reyes

What is your role as the Exchange’s senior listed advisor?

My primary role is to be a visible leader who educates the joint forces, family members, veterans and retirees on the relevance of the Exchange, its benefits and why we should all support our organization.  “We go where you go” is not just our motto, it’s something we truly believe in. I want to ensure that Airmen, Soldiers, Sailors, Marines and Coast Guardsmen are aware of the Exchange’s mission. I plan to effectively communicate that mission worldwide.

As the senior enlisted advisor, I work closely with the Exchange Director/CEO, deputy director, executive vice presidents, senior vice presidents and general managers as a liaison between the Exchange, military service members and their families. The current budgetary constraints are like a fiscal noose slowly affecting the DoD. We must encourage service members to shop the Exchange. More shoppers generate more sales, which generate earnings and helps us give back to military members and their families in the form of dividends to Quality-of-Life programs.

2017 will be a great year for the Exchange, and I am excited to be a part of it. 

What are your plans for 2017 at the Exchange?

The great thing about being a Chief in the Air Force is being able to take care of Airmen. The only thing better than that is my new role as senior enlisted advisor for the Exchange. Not only do I get to take care of Airmen, I also take care of Soldiers and their families, too. 

Working in a joint environment will help me understand the different cultures among the Services and help me understand and articulate to HQ what the service members need at their local Exchanges. I look forward to aggressively visiting our customers, service members, military families and retirees.

My plans for 2017:

• Communicating via all platforms, i.e. local and national media, social media and any avenue that helps me reach the service members and families.

• Educating Soldiers and Airmen about the valuable programs the Exchange offers, from quarterly and annual awards to the You Made the Grade program. Inform customers of Exchange initiatives like Veterans Online Shopping Benefit, price matching, and debunk the negative stigma associated with the MILITARY STAR^® card.

• Motivating customers to shop the Exchange, and if they are not able to shop us in our brick-and-mortar facilities, I plan to encourage them to shop from the comforts of their own homes at shopmyexchange.com.

2017 will be a great year for the Exchange, and I am excited to be a part of it.

Follow the Chief as he visits Exchanges worldwide @ExchangeChief