Darren Quarles, COLSA’s Director of Corporate Security, served in the U.S. Army for 21 years, reaching the rank of Master Sergeant. In the military, he managed a classified contract and worked in executive protection at the Pentagon. During that time, he ran into a neighbor who told him about an emerging field called Security Management.
Darren pursued a master’s degree in business and organizational security management from Webster University. After retiring from the Army, he was hired on the spot at a job fair as a Program Security Officer with the U.S. Department of the Navy.
He served in that role for over 3 years and then was hired as a Program Security Officer with the Air Force Office of Special Investigations (AFOSI), and later as a Government SAP Security Officer at the White House.
“I picked this career field because it’s so interesting. As a Program Security Officer, you have to be a jack of all trades and a master of none…it’s a very unique field because you have to know about every aspect of security.”
Darren shared that a PSO is in charge of providing security guidance in all security disciplines to include Personnel, Physical, Operational, Industrial and Network Security. His comprehensive knowledge helps him mitigate risks and ensure the utmost security at every touchpoint.
Moving to Huntsville and Coming to COLSA
Having grown up in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, Darren spent his entire military career and much of his civilian career away from home. In 2017, his wife, who works for the FBI, learned about an opportunity in Huntsville.
They visited the city and loved it. They decided to move to Huntsville not long after. Darren was hesitant to leave such an amazing job at the White House, but he found his home at COLSA where he has now worked for over 7 years.
“COLSA is a great company, very family-oriented. It was scary leaving the government sector and entering the private sector…at the end of the day, I couldn’t have landed at a better company. I feel like I’m very lucky. Actually, had I known what I know now, I probably would have left a lot sooner.”
More About Darren
One fun fact that not many people know about Darren is that he played as a Wide Receiver and Defensive Back for Jacksonville State University and at East Central Community College in Mississippi before joining the Army.
Also, both of Darren’s sons joined the Army. One is a First Lieutenant at Fort Bliss, Texas, and the other is currently attending Advanced Individual Training (AIT) at Fort Eisenhower, Georgia. Considering he and his wife also both served in the Army, they are an Army family through and through.
