Ms. Kathleen Gleason serves as DLA Research and Development’s strategic planning analyst with expertise in the planning, programming, budgeting, and execution (PPBE) process and related activities to execute R&D technical portfolio and program support requirements. As the R&D strategic planner, she employs detailed knowledge of the DLA's ongoing R&D program and the PPBE process to help identify new, disruptive technologies, evaluate their utility, and secure funding needed to move them from R&D into useful agency capabilities.
The DLA Research and Development program annual President’s Budget is approximately $60M/year across three program elements: Manufacturing Technology focused on improving the industrial base, Logistics Technology Demonstration which addresses internal DLA processes to improve planning and operations and Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) which taps the innovations developed by small businesses. There are 14 distinct technical programs of record and dozens of smaller SBIR projects that execute the R&D warfighter support mission. Programs identified through the strategic planning efforts include establishing the Additive Manufacturing, Acquisition Modernization Research Technology, and Strategic Materials programs. These programs cover the full spectrum of internal processes and industrial base capabilities needed to address agency modernization.
Ms. Gleason has led as acting R&D program director, where she implemented standard, repeatable, auditable processes to successfully plan and manage technical research efforts.
Ms. Gleason also coordinates all R&D contract management to ensure the R&D technical portfolio and program support requirements comply with funding, acquisition and audit readiness requirements while meeting comptroller metrics for funding execution.
Prior to this position, she pioneered and led the DLA Logistics Operations Directorate’s (J3) Total Obligation Authority Integration initiative to provide senior J3 leaders the first holistic approach to optimizing the organization's diverse $350M/year program portfolio.