Earl W. Stafford, Sr.

Earl W. Stafford was born in 1948, the ninth of 12 children, to a part-time Baptist minister and his wife in Mount Holly, New Jersey. His father had worked for 40 years as a laborer at Campbell Soup Company, and his mother was a domestic worker. 'My parents always worked hard to support the family. We weren't rich, but we grew up with the thought that we weren't poor,' Stafford says. 'Poor deals with your attitude, but being broke deals with your wallet.'

The Stafford children spanned 20 years in age, which meant the entire family never lived under one roof at the same time. When Stafford was born, for example, his oldest brother was entering the U.S. Navy. A short time later, the Korean War started, and his other elder brothers followed suit and joined the military. But he remembers a loving, close-knit family that has remained in frequent contact. Two siblings had particular influence on him: his brother Eugene, who was 13 years his senior, and his sister Joan, who was 7 years older. 'Eugene was a role model, and Joan was a guiding force in my life,' he says. 'Ever since I can remember, my sister and I have talked once a week, even when I was away in the military.'

From the time he was five, Stafford knew that if he wanted anything extra, he would have to work for it. He began earning money by collecting soda bottles. Later he cut grass and shoveled snow. One summer, when Stafford was 10, a neighbor told his mother that he needed help selling hot dogs and sodas on Mount Holly's main street. The young boy helped his neighbor, and that experience began his interest in business. Stafford's other jobs as he got older included working at a grocery store, helping out in the kitchen at Howard Johnson's, and moving furniture.

'Our family was raised with a deep and abiding faith,' says Stafford, whose father was an unpaid, part-time minister. 'And our values are faith-based and Christ-centered. I see it as an advantage that my parents instilled in my brothers and sisters and me. They taught us that through faith, perseverance, and endurance you are able to continue through difficult times until you achieve your goal.'

When Stafford had time to himself, he often went to a condemned home next door where there were stacks of old magazines, including Life, The Saturday Evening Post, National Geographic, and Ebony. 'A whole new world began to open for me,' he says. 'I saw a world that I was not even aware existed. It made me realize I wanted to travel and be a part of a bigger world.'

In high school, Stafford was involved in basketball and football; he also enjoyed band and played chess. For most in his community, college was not a realistic option after graduation. 'You were encouraged to go right to work full time, but I wanted to see the world,' he says. 'To make that happen, I decided to join the military.'

Stafford graduated from high school in 1966. He worked for the post office for a few months and then enlisted in the U.S. Air Force. He was trained as an air traffic controller and on two separate occasions, saved planes full of passengers that would likely have crashed without his guidance. While in the service, he took it upon himself to start taking college courses at night. After passing an exam for the Air Force scholarship program, Stafford won a full scholarship and went on to earn a bachelor's degree in business from the University of Massachusetts, thus becoming the first college graduate in his family. He went on to earn his MBA from Southern Illinois University. Later, he graduated from the Harvard Business School's OPM Executive Program.

Stafford climbed the ranks of the Air Force, eventually becoming assistant liaison officer to the Federal Aviation Administration right after the 1981 nationwide air traffic controllers' strike. But six years later, at the age of 39, he decided to retire and go into business for himself. 'It was a dream I'd always had,' he says. Using his background and contacts in aviation, Stafford founded Universal Systems & Technology, Inc. (Unitech) in 1988. He began with just one small contract with the U.S. Navy monitoring air space. It was a difficult and slow beginning. 'I recall our lights were turned off at one point,' he says. 'But we persevered and worked hard. I got other contracts, and we began to grow.'

Under his leadership, Unitech grew from a small professional services firm into a provider of robust business and technical solutions with nearly 500 employees. It became a world leader in providing a complete portfolio of Multiple Integrated Laser Engagement Systems (MILES), range instrumentation, and other Tactical Engagement Simulation Systems (TESS) for military training. In addition, the company designed and developed high-end interactive and immersion courseware and gaming solutions for the defense, healthcare, and financial sectors. In 2009'after leading the company for 21 years'Stafford sold Unitech to Lockheed Martin.

Reflecting on his achievements, Stafford says he thanks God that his early prayers for an easy success upon opening his business were not answered. 'I wasn't ready for instant success,' he says. 'It was through my struggles, my endurance, and perseverance through the tough times that made me work hard to give my customers what they wanted. In the end, there are no shortcuts to success. You get there through a lot of hard work. I don't believe success is a destination. For me, it's a journey. Success comes when you establish goals and objectives, accomplish them, and then keep on pursuing new dreams. But I don't think it's much of a dream if your dreams for success don't include others. And one other piece of advice is to separate fear from your dreams. In other words, don't limit your dreams with your fears. Dream big, and never, never quit.'

Drawing on the faith instilled in him as a child, Stafford says, 'I try to live my life in a manner of replicating Jesus Christ. I believe there should be no dichotomy between how I live my life and what I believe.'

Stafford became chairman and CEO of The Stafford Foundation, Inc., a nonprofit organization that promotes Christian principles by helping the underserved, marginalized, and economically distressed. 'I was once asked by my pastor to go to Haiti to help rebuild churches,' says Stafford. 'That experience helped me realize I wanted to dedicate the rest of my life to helping others. That is why I established the foundation.'

A major project for the foundation was funding the People's Inaugural Project, which enabled hundreds of disadvantaged people to attend the inauguration of President Barack Obama. Stafford formed a relationship with comedian and educator Bill Cosby, who volunteered for the foundation's Doing Good Campaign. That effort seeks to inspire people from all walks of life to get involved by giving a dollar and volunteering an hour of their time. This Internet-based effort provides opportunities and information about partner groups that engage in high-impact volunteer projects.

Stafford also became CEO of The Wentworth Group LLC, a consulting company that advises small firms doing business with the federal government. He has also served on the board of the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies'a think tank that focuses on issues of special concern to African Americans'as well as on boards of Drexel University, Wesley Theological Seminary, Venture Philanthropy Partners, and Business Executives for National Security.