RICHMOND, Va. –
Fifteen years after its formalization, a partnership model designed to strengthen relationships between the Defense Logistics Agency and its industry partners, continues to shape how DLA Weapons Support provides support to the warfighter.
Long before she became the acquisition executive for DLA Weapons Support, Cathy Contreras was an early leader in a supplier relationship initiative that remains active today.
In 2011, Contreras appeared in a LOGLINES article titled “Strong Ties,” which highlighted the growing Strategic Supplier Alliance program. At the time, she was a supplier relationship management team lead for what was then DLA Aviation and helped champion a concept centered on communication, collaboration and shared accountability between the agency and its suppliers.
As DLA Weapons Support celebrates the 15th anniversary of the Strategic Supplier Alliance program, the timing offers a chance to reflect on both the program’s evolution and the lasting influence of one of its earliest advocates.
Formalized in 2002, Strategic Supplier Alliances were created to establish stronger working relationships between DLA and major original equipment manufacturers. Just as they did then, the alliances today provide a structured forum for government and industry leaders to discuss challenges, identify opportunities, and align efforts to improve readiness, availability and supply chain performance.
“While it’s important to have positive relationships with all of our suppliers, I think there are certain key suppliers that we really need to work closely with because so much of taxpayers’ money is going to them,” Contreras said in the 2011 LOGLINES article.
The 2011 article described executive committees, supplier scorecards and improvement teams working to strengthen communication and address issues affecting both DLA and its suppliers. The goal was to move beyond individual transactions and focus on long-term outcomes that would ultimately benefit the warfighter.
Fifteen years later, many of the same principles remain in place, spearheaded by Janelle Allen, director of Strategic Acquisition and Programs, and Michelle Kneher, chief of the Supplier Relationship Management Division.
The alliance structure includes an executive committee, which conducts annual reviews of the SSA Strategic Roadmap and tactical improvement initiatives, and a Joint Steering Group, which meets throughout the year to maintain alignment on shared objectives with program oversight provided by the DLA Weapons Support Strategic Acquisition Directorate.
SSA performance-based metrics presented during a January 2026 Lockheed Martin Executive Committee meeting highlighted the alliance’s role in improving material availability, reducing customer wait times, lowering inventory levels and reducing overall costs while strengthening support to military customers. The presentation celebrated 15 years of partnership between DLA and Lockheed Martin, describing the alliance as a proven model for supply chain excellence.
“The strategic partnerships we’ve developed with our critical suppliers have a direct and consequential impact to the warfighter,” said Steve Kinskie, DLA Weapons Support deputy commander. “Cathy had a vision to fundamentally change our relationship with these critical suppliers, seeing beyond the day-to-day tactical situation of the day and seeing an improved future state relationship. A great example of her unique ability to manage day-to-day business operations while driving innovation and performance across the supply chain. The Strategic Supplier Alliance program built the partnerships we rely on today; this didn’t just happen, they were built through years of deliberate effort and relationship building with Cathy as the primary architect.”
The program’s longevity reflects a theme that appears throughout Contreras’ career.
Spanning more than two decades at DLA, she has held leadership positions in contracting, strategic sourcing, supplier relationship management and acquisition.
In her current role, she shares responsibility for acquisition operations supporting more than 4,300 major weapon systems and roughly 2.4 million national stock number items worldwide.
According to her Exceptional Civilian Service Award citation, which will be presented to her at her upcoming June 18 retirement ceremony, since the 2011 article, Contreras has led acquisition operations supporting annual sales exceeding $9.3 billion. She also played a key role in the establishment of DLA Weapons Support, which combined Class IX supply chains under a single major subordinate command.
The citation also credits her with guiding more than 4,400 employees through this transition while achieving 43 key objectives and reducing contract delinquencies by more than 15%.
The same award notes that more than $7 billion in sustainment obligations were executed in a single year, along with the addition of 22,000 items to long-term contracts and more than $185 million in savings generated through strategic acquisition initiatives. Performance-based logistics efforts launched under her leadership supported more than 53,000 items and achieved material availability rates exceeding 90%.
Innovation became a recurring theme throughout her career.
Another accomplishment noted in the award citation was the creation of the Department of Defense’s first contract for Used Serviceable Material, an initiative that reduced material prices by an average of 46% while shortening lead times from more than 360 days to approximately 90 days. She also championed the development of an Enterprise Procurement Dashboard, expanded automation efforts and supported workforce initiatives designed to improve acquisition effectiveness across the enterprise.
An example of this philosophy is the Mentor-Protégé Program partnership between Derco Aerospace, a Lockheed Martin company, and DISAN Engineering Corporation. Through this, DISAN achieved AS9100 certification, strengthening its ability to support aerospace and defense requirements and creating new opportunities in strategic programs, including the C-130 Hercules Weapons System Aviation Consumables Performance Based Logistics contract awarded in December 2025. This accomplishment shows how Strategic Supplier Alliances have evolved beyond supplier performance metrics and contract execution to support supplier development, industrial base resilience and long-term readiness.
The Strategic Supplier Alliance program was never intended to be a short-term initiative. Instead, it was designed to create stronger relationships, better communication and a shared commitment to supporting military readiness.
“When we started these alliances, we were focused on improving communication and building stronger relationships with our suppliers,” Contreras said. “Looking back, what I’m most proud of isn’t any single accomplishment. It’s seeing those relationships continue to grow and knowing the work is still helping support the warfighters who depend on this mission every day.”
“What makes SSAs unique is that they establish robust relationships long before challenges arise," said José Sánchez López, a supplier relationship manager at DLA Weapons Support. "When supply chain disruptions emerge, we are not starting from scratch. We already know our counterparts, understand how to collaborate, and share a clear vision of our objectives. I have witnessed this firsthand; these alliances consistently deliver tangible value to DLA, our industry partners, and, ultimately, the warfighter."
While colleagues often point to her acquisition accomplishments, Contreras credits early mentors with influencing her decision to remain in public service.
After graduating from James Madison University with a bachelor’s degree in business administration, she joined the Office of the Secretary of the Army intern program. The experience exposed her to multiple career fields before she ultimately chose contracting.
Initially, she expected government service to be temporary. That perspective changed through interactions with senior leaders whose commitment to mission left a lasting impression.
“Their dedication to mission truly shaped my thinking about government service and caused me to choose a life of service,” Contreras said.
Although Contreras is retiring, the mark she leaves on the agency through the partnerships she helped build will live on for years to come.
While the names around the table may have changed and will continue to change, the mission has not.