Yockell named ANG's human resource advisor of the year

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Shannon Oleson
  • 176 Wing Public Affairs office
JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska - --  The human resource adviser for the Alaska Air National Guard's 176 Wing was recognized as the Air National Guard's human resource adviser of the year at the 2012 Joint Diversity conference in Reno, Nev. May 2012.

As a human resource advisor, Chief Master Sgt. William Yockell provides guidance, direction and support across the force development, force management and diversity spectrum for wing leadership and members alike.

"We must value, celebrate and embrace our differences. When we leverage the combined strengths of each of our members together as one team, we are more agile, innovative and effective in accomplishing the mission," said Yockell.

Yockell, a traditional Guardsman, took a five-week leave of absence from his civilian job as regional director of information technology for Providence Alaska Medical Center in Anchorage to work for the National Guard's Diversity Operations at Joint Base Andrews Naval Air Facility, Md. While there, Yockell built an extension to a program he had initially established for the 176 Wing's human resource office. The program helped wing leadership track diversity trends, both within the wing and the wider Air National Guard throughout the state of Alaska. The extended program is now being used by National Guard senior leaders to gather key demographic information that can be used to facilitate National Guard diversity goals.

"I've been fortunate to have great leadership support at the wing and state level. Our leaders understand the importance of inclusion, engagement and diversity as an integral part of our culture. The focus is not on counting heads, but on making heads count," said Yockell.