HawkStrong: Dr. Doyle Ford retires from government service, aspires to teach

Once he retires from the U.S. Department of Labor in early 2022, HFC alumnus Dr. Doyle Ford says he would like to return to his alma mater and teach.

“Working for the College would be an honor and would complement my familiarity with the community, my passion for student success, and my commitment to excellence. This will advance my alma mater for the next generation,” said Ford, who lives in Farmington Hills with his wife and two children.

Growing up in Detroit, Ford attended what is now Davis Aerospace Technical High School at Golightly. His high school education “hit a brick wall” his senior year after transferring to Thomas M. Cooley High School. There was a records mix-up. When he started applying to colleges, Ford was informed that there were no records on file to show he graduated from any high school. Even the principal at Cooley confirmed his records were lost.

Fortunately, counselors at HFC (then Henry Ford Community College) advised him about different ways he could register. He completed his GED and enrolled at HFC days later. He earned his associate degree in general education.

“My dad, Doyle Larward Ford, took classes at the College in the early 1960s, and that experience encouraged me to do the same,” said Ford. “In the late 1950s, my dad owned an upholstery store in Detroit. In the early 1960s, he took apprentice courses at Chadsey High School in Detroit and enrolled at the College because he believed that a skilled trade would increase his income. The Chrysler Corporation hired him immediately after he completed an apprenticeship in tool and die. He worked at Chrysler as a tool and die maker for more than a decade.”

His sister, Stacey, of Okemos, also attended HFC, where she met her husband Jerome Dillard. She is licensed medical professional and her husband is an accountant.

Semper Fi

Upon graduation from HFC, Ford enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps, serving from 1980-84.

“I wanted to get assistance with the high cost of tuition and secure gainful employment,” said Ford, whose highest rank was corporal. During his time in the military, Ford was stationed at Camp Pendleton – one of the largest USMC bases in the nation – in San Diego, CA and later in Okinawa, Japan. He was a telecommunications specialist, where he installed, maintained, upgraded, repaired, and monitored network and telecommunications equipment to include phone systems, switches, WAN, LAN, and network servers.

Talk about measurable results. Ford’s efforts reduced time for the commanding officer to receive classified, secret, and confidential messages by 50 percent, and ensured continuous timely delivery of messages for top officers by streamlining messaging retrieval processes. He increased successful training of new officers by 100 percent as Watch Lead Officer. He also improved the training and policy compliance process by emphasizing a hands-on approach to problem-solving.

25 years at the Border Patrol

After leaving the USMC, Ford worked as a supervisory customs and border protection officer for the U.S. Customs and Border Protection in Detroit for 25 years. He led operations with a team of 27 direct reports across investigations, cross-agency collaboration, data analysis, international customs compliance, program development and management, and documentation.

While at the CBP, Ford obtained his bachelor’s degree in public administration from Siena Heights University in Adrian and his master’s degree in educational leadership from Central Michigan University in Mt. Pleasant. Ford eventually earned his certification in college teaching and his PhD in organization and management both from Capella University in Minneapolis.

Ford directs the arc of his academic success to his time at HFC, where he built a solid foundation to continue his education.

“HFC had a safe campus, challenging courses, and a reputation as a nationally-renowned accredited college,” he said.

Successful career at the Department of Labor

After leaving the CBP, Ford spent a year at the Veterans Benefit Administration. There, he spearheaded claim adjudication efforts, and secured expanded research and training programs for individuals with disabilities.

For the next 10 years, Ford was an immigration program analyst for the DOL. His duties included executing program operations, initial nationwide collaboration with policymakers in Washington, D.C., and integrating various programs.

Pursuing a career in teaching

Ford says the transition from the CBP to the DOL wasn’t that difficult as one might think.

“There is not much change here. Both agencies focus on immigration, so the transition was minimal,” he explained. “A graduate degree is required for the latter – no police uniform or firearm required, no maximum law enforcement retirement age – and I enjoy other benefits.”

Ford would like to teach courses in criminal justice, public policy, international relations, business administration, sociology, general education, and/or liberal arts at HFC. He spoke about his desire to teach at the college level.

“For more than 20 years, I worked with several CBP officers who all had full-time jobs as schoolteachers in the daytime and worked for the CBP in the afternoon,” he said. “I decided that teaching was the path I would pursue after the end of my federal employment career.”