In Frank Beatty's experience in the private sector, discussions about job losses and benefits cuts are not limited to the military community. But a key difference between the two sectors is family programs, said Beatty, husband of Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James.
"That's a huge benefit for being in the Air Force," said Beatty, speaking in a session featuring the senior spouses at the Air Force Association's Spouse and Family Forum on Monday. He noted the variety of programs available to enhance the quality of life for families dealing with a variety of stressors ranging from frequent moves to deployments. He has traveled with his wife some in the nine months since she became secretary of the Air Force.
In keeping with the "resiliency" theme of the forum, he provided his perspective on preparing for and adapting to change and challenges. Beatty and James married a year and a half ago, after met four years ago at a conference. He is senior director of regulatory compliance for Engility Corp. in Chantilly, Virginia.
Over the years, he has often had to reinvent himself professionally, he said. A key point is "you have to have a plan, and [have] the ability to know when you need a new one," he said. In some cases, he had to get a new job when his company was sold or there was restructuring.
"There will be change, and most of the time, you aren't ready for it," he said, whether there are health issues, loss of loved ones, job cutbacks or other challenges. But when challenges come, the more varied your life skills, the more tools you will have to make a change, he said.
One of those tools is building a strong network. His praised his wife's networking ability, and said he believes it is a key reason she is in her current job. Her impressive network includes some people at the White House, he said.
Every employed person should always be thinking ahead, "If I were to lose my job, what would I want to do?" he said.
Another key principle, he said, is to "aim high — most of the time." There will be times when moving sideways or even taking a step back makes sense, he said. "Whatever the role or position, strive to be the best at it," he said.
But there has to be balance with work and personal life, too, he said, noting that is easily said, but it's not just for others to practice. Try to miss as little as possible when your children are growing up, Beatty said. He and James have four grown children between them.
Karen has covered military families, quality of life and consumer issues for Military Times for more than 30 years, and is co-author of a chapter on media coverage of military families in the book "A Battle Plan for Supporting Military Families." She previously worked for newspapers in Guam, Norfolk, Jacksonville, Fla., and Athens, Ga.
