BATTLE CREEK, Mich. –
Tina Maier
DLA Disposition Services Europe & Africa Regional Director
Kaiserslautern, Germany
Tell us about yourself? I grew up in a very small town in Michigan, the youngest of three daughters. My dad was a farmer, and my mom was a housewife. All I ever wanted to do was escape from that small town, earn enough money to support myself, and to travel as much as possible. I was blessed to have friends at Kellogg Community College who dragged me with them to take the Civil Service Test. Two months later I was offered a job at the Federal Center as a General Schedule-2 clerk typist making $4.84 per hour, which seemed like a lot of money at the time. I was thrilled to accept the job as I had only ever made minimum wage, which was $3.35 per hour. I took the job. Over the past 36 years I have been blessed to work with many awesome people and to have some really fun and challenging work. I have been blessed to visit many of our field locations. I am now serving in Germany, which was on my bucket list! Living overseas is a wonderful opportunity that I highly recommend. It’s been challenging, enlightening, exciting and rewarding. I feel truly blessed to have had the opportunity to work with the Defense Logistics Agency team in Europe & Africa.
Describe your job in a sentence or two: Responsible for leading and taking care of our team members, customers, and operations at ten DLA Disposition Services sites located in the Europe & Africa region
How long have you worked for the federal government including military service? 36 years, all of which have been at DLA Disposition Services.
What is your favorite thing about your line of work? Working with our dedicated team members to ensure our customers’ needs are met.
What is the best piece of advice someone has given you? The only limits are those that you set for yourself. Don’t sell yourself short!
Which awards/recognition have you received that meant the most to you? 2014 DLA Leader of the Year and 2006 DRMS Employee of the Year
What is one characteristic that you believe every leader should possess? Caring for others. Nothing is more important than letting people you know that you care about them and not just what they can do for the organization.
What is your leadership philosophy and how does that tie into your line of work? It’s my job to help others be successful. It’s not about me – it’s about the team working together that accomplishes great things.
How would you describe your leadership style and why has it worked so well for you? I believe in delegating and assisting my team as needed to help them grow and be successful. It’s a team effort!
What keeps you motivated. I have always been self-motivated. It helps that I love my job and the work that we do. I wake up excited to go to work most every day. Everyone has an off day now and then – just don’t let it become a pattern.
What do you look for when evaluating top talent? Attitude is everything! You can teach people how to do a job, but their attitude makes all the difference to their success.
What do you see as your biggest challenge right now? COVID fatigue. We are all tired of dealing with the challenges it brings at work and in our personal lives. It’s tough to stay motivated and to try to motivate others as the pandemic drags on. We all must continue to look for the positives and to remember the reason we are working – to meet our customers’ needs. We need to do those things while we also care for ourselves, our families and each other.
What was your first job? I worked in my high school library.
What is your best memory of working here? The Halloween parties we had in J4 and at DSD Europe & Africa. I love Halloween and how creative some of the team members were in coming up with costumes. It’s great to laugh and have fun with the team.
If you could choose to do anything for a day, what would it be? It would definitely be a day at the beach! There is nothing more peaceful to me then hearing the waves come in and walking in the sand.
What is your favorite quote? The best things in life are the people you love, the places you’ve seen, and the memories you’ve made along the way!
Employee and leadership spotlight regularly features outstanding personnel from throughout the Defense Logistics Agency Disposition Services and other DLA organizations located at the Hart-Dole-Inouye Federal Center in Battle Creek, Michigan. Organizational directors may submit feature request to DLA Disposition Services Public Affairs.