129 Years of Family Serving Family: Thomas Marsden, HQ
One in a series honoring the Exchange’s 129 years of family serving family.
Who he is: Thomas Marsden, Resource Specialist, Information Technology, Exchange HQ
Years with the Exchange: 25 years, retiring Aug. 30.
Military connections: Marsden served from 1982 to 1986 in the active Air Force, followed by two years in the Reserves. Thirteen years later, Marsden had dreams of being back in the military. “These were the most vivid, realistic dreams I’ve ever had. After about four nights of this, my wife told me to just call up a recruiter so they could tell me that I was too old, and hearing this news would allow for me to move on.”
When he called a recruiter, however, he learned that with prior military service, he was still eligible to rejoin. “At 37 and two weeks before 9/11, I was a member of the 301st Fighter Wing Air Force Reserves in Fort Worth, Texas.” Marsden served in the Reserves (again) until 2015, retiring with twenty total years of service.
Marsden’s father also served in the Air Force for four years, and his stepfather served in the Navy for 20 years.
Memories as an Exchange shopper: “My first base was Ramstein [in Germany]. I remember the incredible high-end, top-of-the-line stereo equipment at the Exchange. I liked the high-quality items the Exchange had, along with the feeling of home. That’s truly what it is. You see items you’re used to seeing back home.”
What brought him to the Exchange: Feeling like his current career wasn’t the right fit, Marsden went back to school for Information Systems Management at the University of Texas in Arlington. He had friends in the IT field tell him that with some of the IT classes he had already taken, he should be able to get a job without a degree, so when UTA had a hiring fair, he attended and walked up and down the aisles, talking to every company.
“Everyone asked if I had a degree and when I said no, they said to come back when I did. I walked around the fair for an hour doing that and then left. Felt like a waste of time. But a little voice in my head told me to go back inside.” When Marsden turned back and opened the door, the first thing he saw was an Exchange booth, and he immediately recognized the name from his time in the military.
“I leveled with the IT Branch Manager, Paul Williams, that I was looking for an IT opportunity, I had a family, my wife and I had another baby on the way, and I didn’t have a degree yet. He wrote it all down, and I left, still thinking I had wasted my day.
“A friend, who worked at the Exchange, gave me Paul’s number, I called him weeks later to follow up. I was sure he didn’t have a clue who I was, but then he said, ‘You’re the one with the family, trying to get into IT. Funny you called – I have your resume right in front of me.’”
Marsden was called in for an interview, and things went very well – shortly afterward, he began his career with the Exchange as a software developer.
What he did next: After seven years in IT, an opportunity opened in the Merchandising Directorate. “I loved being on the business side of things. I thought I was going to be there for the rest of my career. But then, an opportunity came up to build out an IT Contracting Program – known today as the ODR Program (On Demand Resourcing) – back to my IT roots.
Memorable moment: “First and foremost, the friendships, family and support that I gained while serving with the Exchange. Without their support, there is no way that I would have accomplished much of anything.
“Regarding the ODR Program, early on, I remember being told that the program would be onboarding contractors for IT-D only, and that the contractor count would not exceed 20. Well, the program was so successful, it quickly surpassed 20 while it expanded across all IT divisions and non-IT Directorates HQ.”
Marsden’s program allowed the Exchange to reduce spending and consolidate payments under one team so that managers could focus on higher priority tasks – the program also improved contractor onboarding times from four to six months down to three weeks. “Its success is truly due to my leadership’s belief in me, my team’s dedicated support and all the help we received from Force Protection, General Counsel and Procurement.”
Retirement plans: Marsden plans to use his newly found free time to travel, including a six-week trip up the East Coast with his wife shortly after retiring. They already have trips to Montana and a three-month tour of Europe on the books for next year. “I am really looking forward to spending more time with my family and friends, especially my grandkids.”
What Family Serving Family means to him: “Family starts with us; with the way we treat our colleagues and our teammates. We serve each other so we can serve the military.”
