Today we’d like to introduce you to Frank A. Harris.
Hi Frank A., it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I was born and raised in New Orleans, a city defined by resilience, culture, and a spirit of perseverance that shaped my identity long before I understood its impact. Growing up in an environment where grit was a necessity, not a choice, I learned early what it meant to push through adversity. In 2001, I enlisted in the United States Air Force, a decision that would change the trajectory of my life. The military introduced me to the world of information technology and placed me on a path that included five deployments during the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. Determined to break generational barriers, I became the first in my family to earn both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree, achievements I completed while balancing military responsibilities, deployments, and family life. Those milestones, along with years of learning, sacrifice, and discipline, formed the foundation for my transition into federal service. Today, I serve as a District IT Manager for the U.S. Government, leading technology operations that support thousands of military-connected students and families. My journey started from the streets of New Orleans to the front lines of war to becoming a leader in the federal government. My personal mission is to create opportunities, elevate others, and set an example of what is possible, no matter where you start.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
The road has been far from smooth. My story is built on surviving circumstances that were meant to break me. Growing up in New Orleans during the 90s, when the city was known as the murder capital, meant daily exposure to drugs, violence, and instability. I learned quickly that awareness was survival. At nine, my parents divorced, and the emotional impact hit long before I had the language to express it. School brought its own challenges, academic struggles, disciplinary issues, and teachers who openly predicted I would end up dead or in prison. As a teenager, I was sent to North Carolina to live with my father, a culture shock that uprooted me from everything familiar. Leaving behind my mother and siblings created a deep sense of loneliness and resentment, but that move ultimately pulled me out of an environment that didn’t offer many second chances. My military career came with its own sacrifices. Multiple deployments meant missing irreplaceable moments, including the birth of my child. During one deployment, Hurricane Katrina devastated my hometown. I watched from a combat zone as my family lost everything as I was unable to help, unsure if everyone had survived or how bad the damage was. That helplessness stayed with me for years. When I separated from the Air Force in 2014, the transition to civilian life felt like starting from zero again. I struggled to rebuild my identity outside the uniform, navigate employment uncertainty, and reconnect with a world I had been away from for over a decade. Every hardship, violence, displacement, heartbreak, deployments, and starting over became the fuel that shaped my determination. Those experiences didn’t just test me; they transformed me into who I am today.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Today, I serve as a District IT Manager for the U.S. Government, where I lead enterprise-level technology operations that support multiple schools and thousands of military-connected students. I specialize in large-scale modernization, cybersecurity governance, and high-availability IT ecosystems. At work I am known for my leadership, taking complex environments stretched across wide geographic areas and transforming them into secure, resilient infrastructures that strengthen teaching, learning, and mission readiness. What sets me apart is my leadership philosophy: people first, people always. I focus on building high-performing teams, developing future leaders, and driving measurable outcomes that directly impact lives. I lead with empathy, humility, and a strategic mindset shaped by both combat experience and community responsibility. Beyond my professional role, my deepest passion lies in service, especially through Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. As a proud Sigma man, I am committed to uplifting communities, mentoring young men, and expanding access to educational and economic opportunities. Through Sigma’s principles of Brotherhood, Scholarship, and Service, I help youth prepare for college, guide students in securing scholarships, support local businesses, organize community service initiatives, and pour into the same kinds of communities I came from. My involvement in Phi Beta Sigma is not just membership it is a continuation of my life’s purpose: to serve, to build, and to leave every space and every person better than I found them. If there is one thing that gives me energy, it is creating a legacy of leadership and service that will outlive me and inspire those who come next. I may be chasing goals, serving communities, and leading where I’m called but at home, I’m simply known as Dad, and that’s the title that grounds me and I’m most proud of.
Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs or other resources you think our readers should check out?
Books
Title: Everyday Sisu
Author: Katja Pantzar
Title: Can’t Hurt Me
Author: David Goggins
Title: No More Excuses
Author: Tony Evans
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @bayou.bengal
- Facebook: frank.harris.7731247
