NEW CUMBERLAND, Pennsylvania –
In appreciation of more than three decades of federal service, John Kurtz was honored with the DLA Meritorious Civilian Service Award at a March 24 retirement ceremony.
Kurtz retired as DLA Distribution comptroller, a position he served from June 2006 until March 2016.
Throughout his years with the organization, Kurtz worked in a myriad of jobs in the financial arena with ever-increasing responsibility. He worked for several years as a staff analyst on the planning and transition teams in support of Defense Management Review Decision 902 and the consolidation of distribution center operations under the Defense Logistics Agency. He also worked as a cost accountant in support of the A-76 competition process from 1985 through 1989.
He continuously positioned himself to make an impact, working on projects such as the Depot Support Team from 1992 to 1993, the Special Projects Team from 1994 to 1995, and the Financial Planning Team from 1995 to1998. He held the position of chief, Financial Management Division, from 1998 to 2002, and then as DLA Distribution’s deputy comptroller from 2002 to 2006.
According to the multitude of speakers at the ceremony, which included Senior Executive Service members Tony Poleo, DLA Chief Financial Officer, and Simone Reba, DLA Finance deputy director, Kurtz consistently displayed a strong work ethic and his accomplishments were many and indicative of his sense of selfless service, focus on people, and the mission. He was always committed to continuous process improvement by frequently sharing ideas, suggesting improvements, and being proactive in developing solutions which were technically accurate, cost effective and creative. He and his staff routinely received unsolicited positive comments from customers.
In his retirement, Kurtz has plans to travel with his wife, Denise Kurtz, former DLA Distribution Future Operations Material Accountability chief.