Alumnus lands job in Homeland Security
By Brent Yarina
Staff Reporter

Inside the walls of the Pentagon are the offices of the people responsible for protecting the American public. Gordon England, a TCU business graduate, calls one of these prestigious offices his own.

England, who received a master’s degree in business from TCU in 1975, was selected by President George Bush to form the Department of Homeland Security with Secretary Tom Ridge. Deputy Secretary England said in an e-mail that he is attempting to build the foundation for a new government department that will integrate 22 separate agencies with an annual budget of $40 billion.

The department, which represents the largest government reorganization since 1947, is devoted to defending America’s freedom and security — especially now that the nation is under constant threat of terrorism because of its involvement in war with Iraq, he said.

England said he credits the education he received from TCU and its professors with providing him the “foundation” for much of the success he has experienced.

“The faculty was very professional, experienced and ethical, which are important characteristics to pass on to students, even for those who had considerable experience like me,” he said.

England said having a master’s degree was crucial to the development of his career because it allowed him to leave the engineering field for the business of engineering.

England said he had a degree in engineering but realized a separate degree in business was necessary to feed his constant craving for business knowledge.

“I always enjoyed the business side of engineering more than engineering itself and wanted to improve my management skills,” he said.

England said the leadership abilities and management skills he acquired during his seven years at TCU are important to his great success. He said every experience he has encountered since leaving the university has been to prepare him for his “latest service to the nation.”

Fort Worth Congresswoman Kay Granger said she got to know England as a trusted friend and adviser while she was the mayor of Fort Worth. She said England has terrific management and administrative skills, amazing vision and perfect focus.

“Gordon could have retired and gone fishing or whatever it is men like Gordon England do when they decide to retire,” Granger said. “Instead he answered the call for service.

“He gave his skills, his vision and his patriotism to the nation as secretary of the Navy. Now, he has accepted a new assignment in service to our country and today, in America, no task is more important than defending our homeland.”

Navy Capt. Kevin Wensing, who worked with England for 20 months in the Navy, said England’s exceptional leadership principles provided him the opportunity to serve as deputy secretary. He said England is a terrific leader who has been involved in serving his country for decades.

“The country is lucky to have Gordon England serving as deputy secretary because he is the perfect person for this tremendous undertaking,” Wensing said. “The Navy’s loss is the nation’s gain.”

England said in all the positions he has held — from consulting firm owner of Lockheed Martin aircraft company to vice president of General Dynamics to secretary of the Navy — that he has always tried to focus solely on his job and to become more familiar with its duties.

“I’ve never viewed myself as particularly successful and am frankly always surprised and humbled that others do,” he said. “My objective has merely been to do the best I can in any job or in the completion of any task and to make my customer, or my boss or co-workers, a success.”

England said one of the greatest perks of his profession is that he gets to work under the president. However, he said, he does not have a personal relationship with the president other than as deputy secretary.

“I serve at the pleasure of the president and for the American people,” he said.

Brent Yarina