FORT BELVOIR, Va. –
The Defense Logistics Agency welcomed five new inductees into its Hall of Fame during a ceremony at the agency’s headquarters May 7.
This year’s inductees are Anthony D’Ambrosio, Lillian Gardner, Sherry Low, Lee Oppenheim, and retired Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Wallace Robinson Jr., who was posthumously inducted into the legacy category.
These celebrations serve as a reminder that an agency’s strength is built by its people, and their dedication becomes the foundation for others to build upon, said DLA Director Army Lt. Gen. Mark Simerly, who served as the host of the event.
“The Hall of Fame ceremony reinforces our culture, connects generations of the workforce, and ensures the lessons and values of those who came before us are not lost to time,” Simerly said. “When we honor our inductees, we affirm who we are as an agency and who we aspire to be.”
Simerly thanked the inductees for their combined 157 years of service, and thanked their families, friends and former co-workers for standing by them throughout their professional journeys.
“When we choose to remember, when we lift up the men and women whose service shaped this agency, we reveal something essential about our values,” Simerly said. “We show that excellence, innovation, and dedication matter. We show that the professionals who built DLA’s reputation for readiness and reliability deserve to have their stories carried forward.”
This year’s class brings the total number of DLA Hall of Fame members to 158.
Anthony D’Ambrosio
Anthony D’Ambrosio’s career in the federal government began in 1985 as a procurement agent. He became an acquisition leader and retired in 2018 as the deputy director of the Construction and Equipment Supply Chain at DLA Troop Support.
Throughout his career, he was known as a leader in logistics supply, managing tailored vendor programs and spearheading contingency support during historic humanitarian events. He supported wartime construction needs in the U.S. Central and Pacific Command regions and directed DLA’s response to the Ebola outbreak in Liberia, as well as for Hurricanes Harvey and Maria.
He thanked his family and former co-workers, including William Kenny, the executive director for contracting and acquisition management at DLA Troop Support. He also noted the contributions of fellow inductee Gardner, with whom he worked at the same command.
“It was a great experience being part of an organization that provides support to military humanitarian efforts worldwide,” he said. “I took great pride in being an acquisition professional in such an innovative organization. I learned from so many dedicated professionals along the way. Even now, when I see world events in the news, I know that the DLA workforce provided exceptional support.”
Lillian Gardner
Lillian Gardner’s federal government career began in 1983 as an inventory management specialist. She later became the supplier operations chief for the Continental U.S. Subsistence Prime Vendor Program, director of supplier operations for Construction and Equipment in DLA Troop Support, and the director of the DLA Contracting Services Office in DLA Acquisition.
During her 39-year career, Gardner supported the growth of the Unified Tray Program, which provides warfighters with a comprehensive 14-day rotation of meals. In her role within the Construction and Equipment supply chain, she crafted acquisition strategies for items including marine lifesaving and diving equipment, tactical gear and firefighting equipment.
“All of these programs were fun, sometimes challenging, but business-changing for DLA,” she said. “They became successful because the people at DLA are a family. We worked together through many long hours, getting to know each other — and in later years, texting each other — to accomplish the job, and most importantly, to support our warfighters.”
Sherry Low
Sherry Low’s federal government career spanned more than 40 years. As head of the DLA Disposition Services Customer Support Division, she was responsible for the Reutilization, Transfer and Donation; Customer Relations; and the Law Enforcement Support Office programs.
Low initiated the first DLA/Army Industry Day to address demilitarization processes, which eventually resulted in a new procedure that reduced transportation costs by over $800,000. She also led an overhaul of LESO, which transfers excess military equipment to law enforcement agencies.
DLA Disposition Services Director Mike Cannon, who spoke on behalf of Low, said she left a lasting legacy that shaped both the mission and the people in the organization.
“I did not have a harder worker on the staff,” he said. “But one of her favorite quotes was, ‘It’s not work if you love what you do.’”
He also spoke about the effect Low had on the people she worked with.
“She made a significant impact on the workforce through her leadership and mentorship. I can attribute about 60% of what I know about disposal to three people, Sherry being one of them.”
She spent her entire career at DLA Disposition Services, starting as a clerk typist in Battle Creek, Michigan, and becoming a division chief.
“She was a full circle story,” Cannon said. “When she started her career, she had to get driven to work by her mom, and over four decades, she set the standard in Disposition Services for service, leadership and dedication.”
Lee Oppenheim
Lee Oppenheim’s federal government career began in 1976 as a chemist. Throughout his career, he was recognized as a technical expert in fuel quality assurance and resolving complex supply chain challenges.
He became a quality assurance representative stationed overseas to gain experience in the field before returning to the DLA Energy Quality Directorate on Fort Belvoir.
He represented the agency in external organizations, including the American Society of Testing and Materials International and the American Petroleum Institute. To build the next generation of quality assurance professionals, Oppenheim established a Quality Intern Program and served as an instructor for DLA Energy courses.
“To my Energy family, I thank you for enabling me over the years to achieve success,” he said. “You gave your time to answer my questions about the how the business worked and allowed me to see how quality and technical, or regional groups, fit into the overall scheme.”
He shared his keys to success, which included learning from a mentor, no matter an employee’s rank in an organization, and to propose solutions to issues that are bothersome, even if they don’t work on the first try.
Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Wallace H. Robinson Jr.
Marine Corps. Lt. Gen. Wallace H. Robinson Jr. led the Defense Supply Agency, DLA’s predecessor, as its fourth director from 1971 to 1975. He is the second person inducted into the agency’s Hall of Fame’s legacy category.
Robinson expanded the agency's global responsibilities by creating Defense Subsistence Regions in Europe and the Pacific. He also accepted worldwide responsibility for bulk petroleum and property disposal, establishing the Defense Property Disposal Services in Battle Creek, Michigan.
He later served as commissioner of the Federal Supply Service and led the National Defense Industrial Association.
His daughter, Christine Trapnell, shared memories of her father through a video played during the ceremony.
“If I had to describe my father, I would say love of family and duty to his country, especially the United States Marine Corps. He believed deeply in serving his country, and that belief guided him through his life,” she said.
“My father was an exceptional, self-effacing man who always sought to support his troops and to respect and to appreciate those with whom he worked,” Trapnell said.
Robinson died in 2013 at the age of 93.