Walter Spears leads the directorate's mission to manage the talent lifecycle for the Department of War's cyberspace workforce as Director of the Workforce Innovation Directorate (WID) within the CIO organization. He oversees programs essential to national security, including the DoD 8140 policy series, DoD Cyber Workforce Framework (DCWF) Cyber Academic Engagement Program, the Cyber Excepted Service (CES) personnel system, and Enterprise Workforce Talent Management Data & Analytics platform.
Before this current role, Mr. Spears served in numerous roles within WID from August 2019 to March 2024 which included Deputy Director, Chief Compensation & Analytics, and Chief Policy and managed the budget. His achievements include the successful establishment of the CES Target Local Market Supplement (TLMS) program and the DoW enterprise-wide Cyber Workforce Health and Readiness Report.
From November 2017 to August 2019, Mr. Spears served as the Chief of Force Management Plans and Integration for the US Army Intelligence and Security Command (INSCOM), where he was responsible for the execution of current and future force structure change processes for Cyber, Military Intelligence (MI), and Information Operations (IO) organizations. He also represented INSCOM in the Total Army Analysis program for intelligence and Cyber Future force structure planning.
Before entering civil service, Mr. Spears served in the United States Army for 24 years. He began his military service as an Armor Crewman and later as a Career Counselor. Culminating his career as the INSCOM Command Career Counselor. He served numerous tours in the United States, South Korea, Germany, and a combat tour in Iraq from February 17, 2004 – February 23, 2005. Service Awards include the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, and Korean Defense Service Medal.
In addition to his professional experience, Mr. Spears holds certificates in Strategic Planning, Statistics, Recruitment and Staffing, Resource Management, Intelligence Resource Management and Resource Development. His education includes a bachelor’s degree in business management from American Military University.
Mr. Spears has been married to his wife, Sun, for 37 years, and they have one son, Shawn. In his personal time, he and his wife enjoy golfing, hiking, and traveling.