Alumnus Came to UCF With a Single Bag
Looking at UCF’s current attendance numbers, it’s hard to believe that the school once had only 14,000 students and a low student to teacher ratio. But in 1983, it’s this factor that appealed heavily to young Lieutenant Colonel (LTC) Alfredo Anthony, DBA, and inspired his transfer to the school.
Anthony showed up to UCF with nothing but a single bag and a challenge: find a place to live. After an uncertain week but a bit of good fortune, he found a roommate and moved in to begin working towards a psychology degree. He walked on the football team until he suffered two injuries and decided instead to control his future by enrolling in the Reserve Officer Corps Training program. This began his journey into the United States Military.
After graduation, Anthony used the skills he learned while completing his psychology degree during his time in the U.S. Army. A pioneer in utilizing an “emotional intelligence” approach to leading during a time in which this went against the default Army culture, Anthony commanded his soldiers by responding to their basic needs.
“To me a leader was not solely based upon giving authoritative directions,” Anthony said. “Rather, the leader in me had to lead based upon serving the needs of those that I led.”
He did this utilizing his knowledge of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, and applied much of the knowledge he ascertained during his classes at UCF while stationed as a platoon leader in Korea. His psychology background was the most influential aspect in developing his leadership style.
Following the intuition as a captain serving as the officer in charge of ground intelligence electronic systems integration, Anthony observed a discrepancy in equipment and operations between the 313th Military Intelligence Battalion of the 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, North Carolina, and the 110th Military Intelligence Battalion, 10th Mountain Division, Fort Drum, New York. Anthony successfully tackled a project that his boss, the Director of Intelligence for Forces Command, thought was infeasible. The 110th was not fully operational as it lacked three fully-functional systems. Meanwhile, the 313th received new intelligence equipment and was getting rid of their old equipment. Anthony created a plan to retrofit three of the old systems from 313th and issue them to the 110th. Despite doubts from superiors and a tight schedule, his project was completed in only 4 months – and on the date deemed impossible by others.
“I went into the director’s office and calmly stated, ‘Sir, I just received a call from Fort Drum declaring the 110th Military Intelligence Battalion fully operational; you owe me a soda.’ The colonel proudly announced to the office that he lost a bet and presented a Coca-Cola to me,” Anthony said. “That still brings a smile to my face because it was seldom to have systems in place at a specified time, and even rarer to surpass a superior’s experience.”
Anthony’s creative thinking and determination continued to follow him through his career as he progressed through the U.S. Army’s intelligence field, eventually becoming the Intelligence Collections Officer in Charge and directing the U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) Intelligence Collection policy and implementation in support of USSOCOM Global War on Terror Campaign Plan. After retiring from the U.S. Army, he earned his doctorate degree in business administration, strategy and innovation and is currently working as the president of NuMillennium Strategies, LLC, where he pursues government and commercial contracts within national security and business consulting.
During his free time, Anthony devotes himself to community development. As a member of Task Force 2020, he guided the organization in developing a measurable strategic plan to help reduce poverty and increase employment for the underserved population in St. Petersburg. He is also a member of the board for Habitat for Humanity Pinellas County and serves on the executive and strategic plans committee, and chairs the South St. Petersburg Community of Action Committee.
He has also been involved with the UCF community since his retirement via the Tampa Bay UCF Alumni Association and enjoys attending home football games.
UCF may have increased in size since Anthony first attended in 1983, but students can still find success. As an Outstanding AlumKnight, Anthony encourages students to seek strong mentors in their field, as this can make the difference in becoming mediocre, good or great regarding personal and professional development. He also advocates for current students to pursue learning with an intense passion and expose their minds with new experiences.