"The Dust I have known"
~Terry Jennings


Dusty Charern was born a poor but wise young man in Thailand. He was fortunate to be born with a strong brain but his real luck was that he was born with a unique and loving heart. I had the privilege of meeting Dusty in 1995 when I was hired to work for his Defense Company, Quality Research. This was the beginning of a long and wonderful journey with Dusty.


I had never met a CEO or even a man who was as humble, approachable and caring as Dusty. Dusty had worked his way from the dirt floors of Thailand all the way across the world to become the founder & CEO of one of the most respected defense companies in the USA ~ Huntsville Al. Over the course of the 10 years that Quality Research was in business he never discriminated and treated everyone the same regardless of what position you held in the company. Dusty had a real soft spot for those who were down to earth, and as long as you worked hard and treated people well his company provided opportunities to learn and grow and became a breeding ground for teaching and developing many young professionals. Quality Research was an extension of Dusty and operated with the culture that he was so famously known for. Love, care, peace & happiness was the mantra he created and it was infectious. The company was popular and was never short of candidates who desired to work there due to the happy employee & customer centric reputation. Dusty’s love of people bled through the workforce and ignited the morale which in turn created a place where people were excited to go to work every day.


Dusty’s principals were simple but powerful. I watched him as he always believed “treat others like you want to be treated”. His humble beginnings allowed him to connect to the under privileged and operate with a compassion that created opportunities for those that others might look down upon. I was an example of that as I did not have a college degree and had worked in Administrative jobs throughout my entire life. Dusty was the first person to open the door for me and tell me that I had no limitations. It was his opportunity that opened the door to my professional career. He fostered an environment that for the first time in my life made me excited to be part of something so positive and I felt motivated to push my limits beyond anything I had ever done before. He had honestly created a situation where the world was your oyster!


Dusty quickly became the mentor and teacher that I had longed for. His teachings were things that I could relate to and professionally this was everything I had ever dreamed of. I often joked that Dusty could make me want to work harder than I had ever done before. Working for Dusty was the first thing I had ever felt so passionate about professionally. His belief in me and lessons of life inspired me to do things I never had the confidence that I could do before. It was fairly simple ~ work hard and treat people like you wanted to be treated. He was right…the rest would come. I was just a regular girl looking for a job & had no idea that I would meet someone who would change my life forever until I met Dusty.


I have seen Dusty’s generosity through the years and the examples are endless. He provided jobs when he didn’t have the funds to support them, he helped numerous people who needed financial support, bought cars, watches, cameras, vacations, jewelry, money, pictures, etc. This was just normal life for Dusty. I believe that the light he saw in their eyes was the only reward he needed. Dusty has done so much for others and I pray that he is now getting back the peace & love that he gave to so many. The gifts he gave exonerated this positive energy and he also gave of himself emotionally, intellectually, spiritually. He lives his life by the principle of giving to others and it will pay off exponentially. He has never been a monetary person himself, but his joy is giving to others.


Dusty believes in fun & lives his life to the fullest. Some of the best and most fun times of my life have been with Dusty. We have laughed, partied, drank, toasted, danced, smiled, sang, watched the ocean, and talked of dreams, love, care, peace & happiness. He always ends a good time with…what a life!


It has been almost 10 years since he sold Quality Research and there is rarely a day that someone doesn’t ask about Dusty or tell a story of how he helped them or how he positively impacted their life. Dusty had a newsletter at work and he called it the “bright side”. I always felt that this was a good depiction of how he viewed the world. Dusty continues to live a very humble life for a man with his means. The gifts of love & life to others are what bring him real happiness.


He is a natural teacher and I continually learn something new from him. Even today, I am almost 50 years old and I strive to make Dusty proud as I use his teachings on a daily basis both personally & professionally.


Dusty lives and believes whole heartedly in the principal of giving back to those who give to you. This was best demonstrated by his greatest gift to the United States. Dusty took the opportunity of using his business as a venue to repay society for his good fortune. In parallel, he was a professor with The University of Alabama in Huntsville. The countless employees, students of all levels, interns, customers, & friends that Dusty has taught, mentored and employed are testaments to his commitment of opportunity and success. We often hear that the United States is the land of opportunity and there is no greater example of this than Dusty. In 1974, Dusty arrived in the US with only the shirt on his back and the dream of a better life. Later he passed his US citizenship test which he held in highest esteem. He was still extremely poor and living in survival mode, but excited at the possibilities this new world offered he and his family. Passing his US citizenship exam was always something that he was very proud of. His eyes sparkled with pride when he spoke of being an American. I was amazed at how much more history Dusty knew than the average American born into the privileges of this great country. His citizenship plaque hung in his office right in the middle of many other awards and plaques demonstrating his many years of accomplishments. Even today, almost 40 years later, this plaque is proudly displayed in his home with a US Flag taped to the side. It is a humble reminder that without this simple accomplishment, the rest would not have been possible. It is always interesting to me that Dusty’s love of the United States flag never fades. As an example, he spends hundreds of dollars annually purchasing US Flag paraphernalia as gifts to friends which further demonstrates his allegiance, respect and love of this country. As an Entrepreneur, Dusty was self-made and transitioned from a passive immigrant to a CEO recruiting some of the most brilliant minds in the defense industry to join his company.


Dusty was born with the gift to teach. He never quit teaching, mentoring, and giving back those opportunities that he never took for granted. His list of students & employees is endless and ranges from those with minimal education to the highly accomplished PhD’s. Dusty’s only requirement was that the individual have an open mind, a good heart and be willing to work. Dusty obviously had a brilliant mind but even as he himself had achieved the highest level of formal education as a gifted PhD, he did not discriminate and felt that the fundamental qualities of Love, Care, Peace & Happiness within an individual trumped all of these accolades. Even though Dusty was an accomplished CEO & teacher, he possesses a trait that I believe is one of the major contributors to his lifelong success, which is to continue learning himself. Dusty’s love of books, listening to others and open mindedness to learning new things at almost 70 years old is astounding. This strong desire to learn and continuing to modernize his brain has been an asset and a big part of his overall success.


I have worked closely with Dusty on his burial plan over the past few years. I realized that this was just another way for Dusty to demonstrate his love & appreciation of the United States as symbolized through his tombstone. He spent the first half of his life Thai & his 2nd half as an American. Dusty is more appreciative of the American dream & privileges than most of us who were born here. He reminds us all of the advantages and blessings of being born an American. His last and final wish to be buried on American soil will be granted upon his final departure from this world. This is his way of showing his Love & Gratitude to the United States of America for a wonderful life.


If there is one word that describes the Dust I have known it is ~ LOVE. Who and what does he love? People (everyone from the angels to the jerks), animals (all from the sweet pets to the bees that will sting you), music, good food, sports, beaches, beautiful women, children, a good nap, an inspirational book, teaching, learning, praying, giving, and most all loving and praying for those in need.


Who is the Dust I have known? A smart, caring, loving and generous man who changed my life along with a long list of others. He can still stop and find the beauty in something as simple as a rose. His humility is a breath of fresh air and he still reminds me to be thankful that we are healthy, happy & alive. I am blessed that I have had the privilege of meeting Dusty on the path of life. It has been 17 years since I first met Dusty and let me just reiterate that this man was a “game changer” to all who know him. His legacy is Love & Peace for all man-kind and he has lived his life accordingly.


With Love & appreciation for my Dust,
Terry