FORT BELVOIR, Va. –
Editor’s note: This is the last of nine stories featuring 2020 DLA Hall of Fame inductees. A video highlighting inductees’ contributions to the agency will be broadcast on DLA’s Facebook page June 23.
Susan L. Van Meter saw many technology transformations in her 41 years of federal service. Her accomplishments, visions and skills in the field earned her a position in the 2020 Defense Logistics Agency Hall of Fame.
Beginning her career as a clerk typist in 1977, Van Meter went on to serve as DLA Land and Maritime’s information operations director, managing human resources applications and overseeing the transition from the Standard Automated Materiel Management System to the Enterprise Business System.
“Susan’s attention to detail and gift for procedural excellence made her an often sought-after commodity in DLA Information Operations,” the directorate’s deputy director, Karyn Runstrom, wrote in the nomination. “Many of the processes and procedures that she developed were adopted for use throughout the entire J6.”
Van Meter became the lead for Business Systems Modernization sustainment in 2004. All of DLA’s business lines were migrated into BSM and kept running 24/7 under her management.
In 2006, Ms. VanMeter became the director of information operations for DLA Land and Maritime, where she led laptop/desktop support, the local area network, human resources systems and printing services. She was also responsible for the major subordinate command’s first successful Continuity of Operations failover, an IT term used to describe the protection of computer systems from failure by having standby equipment take over if the main system fails.
“Susan is recognized as a great individual and professional” throughout DLA’s IT workforce, Runstrom said. “She was a great leader and example for her staff, spending countless hours personally training and mentoring employees so that they could reach their greatest potential.”
Van Meter retired in 2018.
Editor's note: View VanMeter's segment of the 2020 DLA Hall of Fame ceremony video from June 23: