BATTLE CREEK, Mich –
Equipment Management Solutions Director
New Cumberland, Pennsylvania
Can you tell us about yourself? I live in the central Pennsylvania area. I attended Shippensburg University where I obtained a business degree. I also went back to Shippensburg University to complete my master’s in business administration while I was working for DLA. I’m married to my high school sweetheart, and we have two boys, ages 7 and 10, who keep me on my toes. We have one dog, named Rocco.
Describe your job in a sentence or two. I oversee the worldwide Equipment Management Solutions Division. We are a value-added reseller of office print devices to the Defense Department. We save taxpayer funds and support the warfighter by using economies of scale and multi-functional devices to reduce costs.
How long have you worked for the federal government including military service? 18 years.
How long have you worked for DLA Disposition Services - Document Services? 18 years. I started with Document Services in the Student Career Experience Program the summer prior to my last year in college as an undergrad.
What is your favorite thing about your line of work? The ability to meet and work with people from so many different backgrounds (such as customers, vendors, teammates).
What is the best piece of advice someone has given you? If you make a mistake, admit your mistake and move on because we are all human.
Awards/Recognition: DLA Leader of the Year (2017)
Can you summarize what your division responsibilities/capabilities? We are a team of 100+ that engage with the customer to determine their optimal office print configuration, gather requirements, process orders, and work with vendors to provide office print devices throughout the DoD.
What would you like to accomplish as the Equipment Management Solutions Director? I have a long list but my top two items are:
- Automating our current cradle to grave processes. We are working with J6 [information technology] to develop a tool that automates our current manual processes. While a portion of our processes are automated with this tool now, I am excited for the day when all of our processes are incorporated into the tool.
- I would like for us to have our office print devices in all DoD workspaces. Thanks to the issuance of DoDI 5330.03 in May 2021, we were identified as the single manager for office print devices for the Defense Department and are getting closer to that goal.
What is your message to the DLA Disposition Services workforce? Thank you for welcoming us with open arms. We are excited to be a part of the Disposition Services team. Our Equipment Management Solutions offering services many of the same customers, so we fit right in with a common devotion to supporting the DoD.
How would you describe your leadership style and why has it worked so well for you? My leadership style has varied over the years as I’ve grown personally and professionally. At first, I was much more of a micro-manager thinking that I needed to be the expert on everything. Over the years, I’ve relaxed and realized that micro-managing is frustrating for all parties and prohibits efficiency. Over time, I’ve shifted more towards a participative leadership style and prioritizing team input prior to making decisions.
Tell us how you approach change. I wish I could admit that I approach change with open arms but that isn’t the case. I try to be self-aware that I am always apprehensive about change. Oftentimes change is good, and it helps to enter in to change with a positive mindset.
What keeps you motivated. I am motivated by the EMS team’s dedication to supporting the warfighter. With manual processes and vendor supply chain issues, it isn’t always an easy road, but the team comes together to help our customers, so they have the office print devices that they need to be successful in their mission. When there isn’t an easy answer to a specific problem, the team thinks outside of the box to try to come up with a solution.
What do you see as your biggest challenge right now? Within our division, we are resource constrained and are working to automate our current manual processes. We handle a lot of our processes via email and spreadsheets, which becomes overly time consuming and cumbersome.
What mistakes have you seen individuals make that prevent them from being successful? One of the biggest mistakes I have seen people make is not admitting when they are wrong. Early in my career, I had a mentor tell me that if you make a mistake, admit it and move on because we are all human. If we don’t admit we are wrong, then we can’t improve and grow.
What was your first job? I was a sales associate for The Limited, a women’s clothing store. I loved helping customers find outfits that made them feel great about themselves.
Who is your hero? My hero is my grandmother. She was a strong, independent woman who cared a lot about her family. She passed away recently, and I didn’t realize how many lives she touched until after her passing.
What are your hobbies? I enjoy going to concerts. I have a bucket list of bands that I have wanted to see over the years. I’ve seen many, to include Eric Clapton, The Rolling Stones (twice!), AC/DC, Black Sabbath, Kiss, Aerosmith, Joe Bonamassa, Megadeath, The Beach Boys, Charlie Daniels Band and many others. My husband and I had to take a break for a few years when our boys were young so our concerts consisted mainly of Mickey Mouse and Paw Patrol Live. As much as we enjoyed taking our boys to see those shows, Mickey Mouse just can’t hold a candle to Mick Jagger or Eric Clapton! Now that our boys are a little older, we are able to get back to the concerts we love, and even take our boys with us to many of them.