Jeffrey W. Talley (born September 27, 1959) is an American businessman, scholar, and retired three-star general whose concurrent military and civilian careers encompass a blend of corporate, academic, and government leadership. His unique military and civilian contributions were recognized by the U.S. Senate on June 28, 2016, with Tribute to Lieutenant General Jeffrey W. Talley, as reflected in the congressional record.
General Talley's military career included duty in the U.S., Korea, Kuwait, and Iraq. His military service culminated with three consecutive commanding general assignments including the 926th Engineer Brigade and Baghdad Provincial Engineer, 4th Infantry Division, Multi-National Division-Baghdad, during the Surge and fight for Sadr City in 2008; the 84th Training Command, where he trained units preparing for deployment from 2009 to 2012; and in 2012, he was appointed by the President to a four-year term as the 32nd Chief of Army Reserve and Commanding General of the U.S. Army Reserve Command, an organization of over 215,000 Soldiers and civilians, 134 general officers and senior executives, with an annual operating budget of approximately $9B, and activities in over 30 countries, including all states and territories. He has received numerous medals and awards, including two Army Distinguished Medals and three Bronze Star Medals. He retired from the military in 2016 and was recognized by the Association of the U.S. Army with the MG James Earl Rudder Medal for the advancement of the goal of a seamless and component integrated Army.
General Talley's civilian career consists of a portfolio of business, academic, and government experiences. Business positions held are Founder/President & CEO of The P3i Group, Vice President & Global Fellow at IBM, Co-Founder/President & CEO of Environmental Technology Solutions, and Associate at Malcolm Pirnie. Academic positions held are Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, Professor, Department Chair, Endowed Chair, Institute Director, Adjunct Professor, Advanced Leadership Fellow, Scholar-in-Residence, and Professor of the Practice, with appointments at University of Notre Dame, Southern Methodist University, The Johns Hopkins University, Harvard University, and University of Southern California. Government positions held are Research Engineer and Biotechnology Research Team Leader, Environmental Engineer, and Engineering Technician with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. He serves on multiple for-profit and not-for-profit Board of Directors.
General Talley holds a Ph.D. in engineering from Carnegie Mellon University, an Executive M.B.A. from University of Oxford, an M.S.E. from The Johns Hopkins University, an M.L.A. from Washington University in St. Louis, an M.S.S. from U.S. Army War College, an M.A. from Assumption College, and a B.S. from Louisiana State University. He is a registered Professional Engineer (P.E.), a Board-Certified Environmental Engineer (BCEE) in Sustainability, and a Diplomate, Water Resources Engineer (D.WRE).