AMC HR director recognized for achievements, takes next step in career

By Kari HawkinsNovember 30, 2022

Awarding AMC Senior Executive
Max Wyche, the Deputy Chief of Staff for Human Resources at the Army Materiel Command, is presented the Distinguished Civilian Service Award by AMC Commander Gen. Ed Daly during a Nov. 28 award ceremony at AMC’s headquarters in Huntsville, Ala. Daly also announced Wyche’s recognition as a recipient of the 2022 Meritorious Executive Presidential Rank Award. Wyche is leaving AMC to take on a new role as the director of Human Resources Operations for the Internal Revenue Service. (U.S. Army Photo by Doug Brewster) (Photo Credit: Kari Hawkins) VIEW ORIGINAL

REDSTONE ARSENAL, Ala. -- Even when the accolades are coming his way, Army Materiel Command’s Human Resources director Max Wyche remains focused on passing the credit to the team of employees who are engaged in the daily implementation of the Army’s People Strategy and Quality of Life initiatives.

During a standing-room-only award ceremony Nov. 28, AMC Commander Gen. Ed Daly presented Wyche with a Distinguished Civilian Service Award, announced Wyche’s selection for the 2022 Meritorious Executive Presidential Rank Award and congratulated the Senior Executive Service member for his selection as the new director of Human Resources Operations for the Internal Revenue Service. Wyche has served as the AMC’s Deputy Chief of Staff for G-1 (Personnel) for just over six years, during a time of tremendous change in Army Human Resources initiatives.

“This is a tough day. I wanted to make sure we got an opportunity to say farewell to a very special person,” Daly said. “This man is a class act, a professional who leads by example, and a person of the highest principles and values. Max has led through a time of unprecedented challenges for anyone working in Human Resources.”

Since joining the AMC leadership team in 2016, Wyche has led a team of more than 580 civilian and military personnel to provide human capitol support to more than 90,000 federal civilians worldwide. It’s that team – and particularly the 70-member G-1 staff at AMC headquarters – that Wyche recognizes for the impact they have had in implementing the Army’s People strategy in the areas of talent acquisition, development and retention, and Army quality of life initiatives in the areas of child care, spouse employment and permanent change of station moves.

“Through all the great challenges and opportunities, the G-1 staff has stayed laser-focused on AMC’s greatest asset – its people,” Wyche said. “The best thing we’ve done is recruit and retain the right people who have the desire to serve, and who are really committed to the goals and priorities of AMC.”

During Wyche’s tenure, AMC hired more than 30,000 civilians with 16,000 of those being direct hires, increased hiring of disabilities by 9% and increased hiring in the annual BEYA (Becoming Everything You Are) hiring event by 500%, which directly correlates with building employee diversity within the AMC footprint. Wyche led HR initiatives through the COVID-19 pandemic, ensuring AMC supervisors had the tools to manage employees in a teleworking environment and overseeing the development of workforce resiliency programs.

The Meritorious Executive Presidential Rank Award recognizes exceptional performance over an extended period of time among a select group of Senior Executive Service members.

“It’s an absolute honor to be a recipient of this award,” Wyche said. “It is probably on the list of goals for a lot of senior executives and is quite competitive. But more than recognizing what I’ve done, it recognizes the hard work of the teams I’ve been apart of and that I’ve led during seven years as a senior executive.”

Wyche was selected as an SES member while serving as the deputy director of Civilian Force Management for the Air Force at the Pentagon. But a year later he accepted the G-1 job at AMC, bringing his family to Huntsville, and he and his wife Kia back to their alma mater – Alabama A&M University.

“The accomplishments recognized by this award are mostly from my time at AMC,” Wyche said. “There is a very diverse portfolio within the AMC G-1. We are supporting our total force and subordinate commands and joint partners. As the Army’s largest employer of civilians, we are focused on civilian personnel management, talent management, leadership development, workforce training, wellness, resiliency, and occupational health and safety. We also focus on quality of life and installation programs that support our military and their families.”

The AMC HR mission has grown under Wyche’s leadership and as AMC has grown in its mission.

“We have definitely within the G-1 had to adjust to emerging missions and new demands that our command took on for the betterment of the Army,” he said. “At the same time, there was no significant growth in the G-1 staff. Instead, we had to rebalance and reorganize our portfolio to align with AMC’s new mission sets. Along the way, I’ve stressed to employees to recognize they are making a difference for AMC and the Army when they stay focused on the mission and continue to achieve.”

The HR role is important in bringing talent, skills, knowledge and diversity to the AMC workforce. “It’s rewarding to be able to support commanders and Soldiers and Army organizations that are providing essential support to the mission in terms of logistics, sustainment, supply chain, quality of life and other aspects,” Wyche said. “Helping and enabling this diverse organization to achieve its goals from a human capitol perspective is rewarding.”

In his leadership role, Wyche has viewed his job as one of building trust within AMC’s team of HR professionals and building coalitions with partners that allow the G-1 to accomplish its mission.

“Ultimately, this is not a quick assignment. It is a long-term initiative with a strategic vision and solidified in processes put in place,” he said. “It takes relentless commitment to build teams that perform at a high level. These teams are at the heart of what the civilian corps is and what it represents in terms of values, stability and continuity.”

As Wyche prepares to move on to his new HR responsibilities with the IRS, he said a career of various leadership positions with a variety of federal organizations is essential to the continued development of SES members. His new responsibilities include employee and labor relations, recruiting and hiring, and employee benefits.

“I’ve always tried to align my career path with Department of Defense senior leader core competencies in terms of how you develop. This new position is an opportunity to further develop my career as a senior executive and gain more depth in my leadership portfolio,” he said, adding that he has been able to follow the advice of mentors while also balancing family needs.

For now, Wyche and his wife will continue to reside in the Madison area, allowing their son Austen to complete his senior year at James Clemens High School, where he is the senior class president. The couple’s daughter Sydney is a student at Tennessee State University and a member of the marching band.

“I will definitely miss the Department of Defense and the Army, and my AMC family,” he said. “Army Materiel Command has a very important mission that is critical to the Army. I’ve had the pleasure to work with some great Army leaders and to learn from them.

“I’ve had this great honor for six years. But as an SES, you have to commit to move from one job to another to gain the experience and knowledge to continue on the SES career path. But it’s also important because it gives someone else an opportunity to grow as a leader as they take on the roles you leave behind.”