BATTLE CREEK, Mich –
Mischelle O’Neal bade farewell to her role as lead production operations specialist for the Defense Logistics Agency’s Disposition Services - Document Services office at the White House, marking the conclusion of an illustrious career in December.
It’s federal retirement number two for O’Neal, who previously retired from the Air Force, where she began as an electrician, went into production control, and ended up in the Air Force band as a vocalist.
After her uniformed service ended, O’Neal began a new chapter with Document Automation and Production Service, the precursor to DLA Document Services, in Okinawa, Japan. She led a team at the local DAPS plant for two years before her husband’s military orders led them to the Japanese mainland, where she worked for a Morale, Welfare and Recreation graphics and marketing department.
Upon moving to Norfolk, O’Neal rejoined DLA Document Services, eventually settling in Washington, D.C., where she concluded her career in DLA’s White House Executive Printshop.
“As a supervisor or manager in Document Services, there are a few things that are typically always at the forefront of your mind,” said Nicholas Janik, director of operations for DLA Document Services. “You want to your employees to have a safe working environment for sure, but you also want to provide excellent customer service.”
Janik said that customer service is a difficult skill to teach and that there is no way to train someone to go the extra mile. It must be part of their core. He said that with O’Neal, providing exceptional customer service came as naturally as breathing.
O’Neal’s print shop at the White House is the busiest across the entire enterprise, Janik said, and there isn’t another shop consistently catering to such routinely high-visibility requests.
“For years, Mischelle has adroitly navigated the deadlines, personalities and uniqueness of this particular shop with nary a hiccup,” Janik said. “I never once had to worry about this shop. I never once had to remind Mischelle about the importance of the location in which she worked. She quietly, and with great skill, operated a shop where errors and mistakes simply aren’t allowed, earning praise and accolades from our customer on a regular basis. Mischelle set a pretty high bar and while she has earned her retirement, she will certainly be missed.”
O’Neal’s tenure at the White House spanned three administrations—Presidents Obama, Trump, and Biden. Reflecting on her experience, she noted, “It's really cool to see the difference between each administration and what's important to them and what's not, as far as the printing.”
Her team’s work included presidential proclamations, executive orders, and State of the Union addresses. The products have left an indelible mark on U.S. affairs, often featured on television, at events, and preserved at the Library of Congress as part of the nation’s history.
Recently, DLA Director Navy Vice Adm. Michelle Skubic visited O’Neal at her shop, presenting her with a challenge coin, a symbolic honor recognizing O’Neal’s positive impact and noteworthy contributions throughout her career.
O’Neal expressed uncertainty about her next endeavor but said she was determined to “find the next thing where I can make a difference.”