FORT BELVOIR, Va. –
Editor’s Note: Black History Month is an annual celebration of achievements by African Americans and a time for recognizing their central role in U.S. history. Also known as African American History Month, the event grew out of “Negro History Week,” the brainchild of noted historian Carter G. Woodson and other prominent African Americans. Since 1976, every U.S. president has officially designated the month of February as Black History Month.
The following is a commentary by Adam L. Morrison, Director of Defense Logistics Agency Energy Equal Employment Opportunity & Diversity Office
The observance of Black History Month was established by Public Law 99-244 and is celebrated in February to coincide with the birthdays of President Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass. The theme for this year’s observance is, “Inspiring Change.”
Within DLA Energy, we have our own rich heritage of African Americans who have “inspired change” and helped shape our agency. Of note are the impact and contributions of five significant DLA Energy leaders; Calvin Martin, Kathy Williams, Lula Manley, Regina Gray and Robbie Robinson. These trailblazers broke through the ceiling and helped pave the way for future Black leaders.
An Air Force veteran, Calvin J. Martin began his career at what was then the Defense Fuel Supply Center in August 1973. He ended his 23-year career as the DLA Energy director of Quality Assurance and Technical Operations. He served in multiple positions including environmental control officer and deputy director for the Business Integration Center. As the environmental control officer, Martin developed and managed an oil spill prevention program for more than 50 bulk petroleum and distribution terminals.
From 1981 to 1995, Martin led an initiative to convert military-specification jet fuel to the commercial equivalent product to increase cost savings for the government and reduce the reliance on military specification fuel.
Martin understood the importance of a close relationship with industry. He was chairman of American Society for Testing and Materials for several years and ensured DLA Energy was active in standardization governance bodies including membership in the American Petroleum Institute, Air Transportation Association Energy Committee Task Force on U.S. Conversion to Jet A, International ATA Fuel Task Force and North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
Martin retired in 1996 and was inducted into the DLA Energy Hall of Fame in 2017.
Martin mentored and helped pave the way for Regina Gray who became the first African American GS-15 woman in DLA Energy in 2003. Gray started her federal service in Dec. 1982 as a young GS-9 chemist in the Defense Fuel Supply Center’s Quality and Technical Directorate at Cameron Station, Virginia. From 2008 to 2013, Gray directed the Executive Agent Office for the Class II Bulk Petroleum Supply Chain, leading many initiatives that improved the efficiency and effectiveness of the supply chain.
In 2013, Gray stood up the DLA Energy Strategic Policy and Programs Directive where she had oversight of Class IIIB Executive Agency Program and DLA Energy Governance activities. Gray was part of the movement for advancing equity for Black women in the DLA Energy workforce and retired with 40 years of federal service December 2022.
Kathy Williams began her DLA Energy career in the Procurement Process Support Directorate in 1978 after working several years as a GS-3 clerk typist at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. She served DLA Energy for more than 33 years playing an integral role in building the DLA Energy Office of Small Business Programs into a highly respected support office.
Through Williams’ dedication and leadership, she sponsored the first service-disabled, veteran-owned small business conference and held numerous roundtables, pre-proposal contracting conferences and outreach programs to make significant contributions to the Small Business Office by increasing the number of participating small businesses that were in historically underutilized business zones, owned by service- disabled veterans and were disadvantaged, which included 8(a) businesses, as providers of energy products.
A tenacious and dedicated boss, Williams continually trained office personnel to help potential small businesses understand how to do business with DLA Energy. She mentored people and provided opportunities and training to those who didn’t have experience in procurement. Williams’ efforts built a foundation that strengthened DLA Energy’s commitment to mission support through the capabilities of small business and set the stage for other Black Energy employees to follow.
Williams retired in 2007 after a 33-year career in the Department of Defense and was inducted in to the 2019 DLA Energy Hall of Fame.
Standing on the shoulders of Williams, Lula Manley began her distinguished career with DLA Energy in 1984. Her 26-year career began initially as a supervisory contracting officer in the Direct Delivery Fuels Ground Fuels division, ending in 2010, as associate director of the Office of Small Business Programs.
As a supervisory contracting officer, she managed 10 complex overseas programs, was responsible for inventory management functions and reviewed complex and unique delivery, specification, and testing requirements. Manley trained and guided more than 15 mid-level managers and executives and has the distinct honor of training DLA Energy’s first member of the Senior Executive Service. That SES achieved great success, becoming the organization’s deputy commander, which certainly punctuated Manley’s legacy with DLA Energy.
Manley mentored as many people as she could, knowing that a strong bench was essential to mission success.
As a result of her mentoring skills and significant accomplishments, Manley was inducted into the 2020 DLA Energy Hall of Fame.
Lawrence P. “Robbie” Robinson grew up in Manassas and is a 6th generation grandson of Gentleman Jim Robinson who at the time of the Civil War owned part of what is now the historic Bull Run Battlefield. Robinson graduated as his high school valedictorian at 16 years old — and ended up bagging groceries at an Army commissary.
To Robinson, a formal education is important, but equally important is common sense. “I’ve been lucky. I only got a high school education and college was not even on my bucket list. I went to work.”
But Robinson made his way through the ranks from commissary bagger making $1.39 per hour to Deputy Commissary Officer before he went to the DLA where he retired in 2010 as Chief of Operations in the DLA Command Control Center, sometimes called the War Room.
In his earlier years, Robinson became a race car driver, building his own race cars and engines and winning almost 500 first place trophies. Robinson also received the Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of being the first African American to participate in organized drag racing on the East Coast.
There are many success stories like these within DLA. The agency’s legacy is built on many great leaders – like Martin, Williams, Manley, Gray and Robinson. Take time this month to celebrate and show awareness of the diversity of our cultures, traditions, and history of the American people of our nation.