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News | Aug. 30, 2017

Burkholder recognized for achievements as director of Jacksonville distribution center

By Brianne M. Bender DLA Distribution Public Affairs

Brian Burkholder has been awarded the DLA Superior Civilian Service Award for his achievements while serving as director, Defense Logistics Agency Distribution Jacksonville, Florida, from August 2014 to August 2017.

During his tenure as director, Burkholder consistently created an atmosphere of trust, teamwork and reliability that influenced and enabled employees to accomplish daily tasks with a high level of excellence, pride in accomplishment and success. 

With audit readiness at the forefront of all DLA employees’ minds, Burkholder specifically targeted the “one National Stock Number per location” goal by putting together a special projects team to evaluate and implement the transfer of over 11,000 multi-NSN locations to newly created locations within the warehouses.  This enabled the Jacksonville team to implement the Location Identification Program adopted by DLA.

After his six-year Army enlistment, Burkholder worked his way from warehouseman and driver to distribution operations specialist/manager for a leading beverage wholesaler.  He served in this capacity until he was selected as a material handler with DLA Distribution Europe located in Germersheim, Germany, in January 2002.

He says working at the distribution center was the highlight of his career.  “I was afforded the opportunity to be part of the team that developed the center into a world class distribution platform,” said Burkholder. “I enjoyed my beginnings as a material handler, picking and packing, to assisting the various commanders in leading the organization as the deputy commander with many rewarding and challenging jobs in between.”

He also served as Issue Division chief, overseeing the storage, issue, packaging and shipping of customer requisitions, and was DLA Distribution Europe’s operations officer for a little more than a year, where he was responsible for the overall effectiveness of distribution center operations.  Selected as the organization’s deputy commander in December 2008, he remained in this position until his departure in May 2013.

From DLA Distribution Europe, Burkholder became the director of the Eastern Supply Operations Center with the General Services Administration.  He then decided to return to his DLA roots and became the director of DLA Distribution Jacksonville, Fla., on Aug. 27, 2014.

“The Jacksonville team has been a model distribution center under Brian’s leadership,” said DLA Distribution commanding general, Army Brig. Gen. John S. Laskodi.  “His distinctive accomplishments and superior performance reflect great credit upon himself and are sincerely appreciated by this command and the Department of Defense.”

While he is leaving DLA Distribution, Burkholder is staying with the DLA enterprise. He has accepted a position with DLA Europe and Africa.