SAN ANTONIO, Texas –
Defense Logistics Agency Disposition Services recently concluded a successful Law Enforcement Support Office seminar in San Antonio, Texas. The conference drew state coordinators from 39 states and territories, underscoring the critical role of inter-agency collaboration and mandatory training in the effective management and accountability of excess military property.
The event opened with a keynote address by Nina Ekblad, director of business support at DLA Disposition Services. She welcomed the attendees and introduced Brienne Hallifax as the new LESO branch chief.
Ekblad highlighted the importance of LESO, and the training attendees would receive during the seminar. "The seminar is a testament to the partnerships between the states and the DLA team," she said.
Dave Lorencz, LESO’s Eastern Team lead who has been with the program since 2015, built on Ekblad’s opening remarks.
“Our task here is to train the trainer," he said. "We are training the state coordinators on our processes and what's required for them to disseminate that information to all their stakeholders.”Lorencz noted that most of the LESO team has been with the program for years and has built professional relationships with all the state coordinators.
“Having this time together helps reinforce that and make it stronger,” he added.
Janice Barns, California’s state point of contact for the LESO program, emphasized the value of informal discussions.
“The side conversations offer a lot of good insight. A lot of the other agencies' experiences help guide some of our policies and bring some answers to questions,” she said.
Gregory Weavil, state coordinator for North Carolina, agreed that networking with other state agencies was valuable. He looked forward to the seminar attendees’ visit to the DLA Disposition Services site at Fort Sam Houston.
Weavil recalled his experience with DLA’s previous iteration, the Defense Reutilization and Marketing Office when he was in the military.
“Then, I was turning in excess property. Now, as a civilian, my role is reversed,” he said. The tour of the Fort Sam Houston site will be his first as a state coordinator. “It will give me insight on what to tell my users to expect when they go to screen or pick up property. I will be better informed on guiding them through the process.”
Weavil said North Carolina has acquired close to $244 million in property through the program. He shared a success story from a smaller agency.
“The police department is one-third of a double-wide trailer, the clerk's office is another third, and the meeting hall is the final third,” he said. Through the LESO program, the department acquired equipment to improve its readiness, including a Humvee.
“The Humvee allows officers to respond to calls for help, leave the pavement, ford high water, and cross challenging terrain to better protect their citizens," Weavil said. "All that was provided by LESO and the taxpayers already paid for it.”