COLUMBUS, Ohio –
Defense Logistics Agency Director Army Lt. Gen. Darrell K. Williams presented the Strategic Goals Award – Strong Partnerships for the final quarter of fiscal 2018 to the Enterprise Small Business Team, including DLA Land and Maritime’s Office of Small Business Programs, for their efforts in exceeding the agency’s goals over the fiscal year.
DLA Land and Maritime Office of Small Business Programs members recognized included Coleen McCormick, Jim Secrist, Joshua Anderson, Donna Brino-Blackwell, Shalisa Dunn, Jon Ferguson, Matthew Elliott, Earl Madison, Kevin Scoles and Ryan Snyder.
“The team demonstrated exceptional management and execution, which resulted in DLA surpassing small business goals during the period July 1, 2018 through Sept. 20, 2018, as well as achieving record-breaking small business spend,” read the nomination signed by DLA Chief of Staff Kristin French.
In fiscal 2018, DLA contracts with small businesses were worth an estimated $14.8 billion, nearly $4.3 billion higher than the previous fiscal year. DLA exceeded the small business goal set by the Office of the Secretary of Defense, with an estimated achievement of 38.5 percent of DLA contracts going to small businesses.
Small Businesses achievements and strong industry relationships were credited with generating innovative and efficient solutions. Programs like DLA Land and Maritime’s Training, Knowledge and Opportunities seminars helped old and new small businesses learn best practices for working with the federal government. These free sessions were offered several times throughout the year and demonstrated the small business team’s commitment to building strong partnerships.
“Through industry partnerships and public engagement, the Small Business Team [helped] generate new suppliers, resulting in a stronger industrial base, greater competition and higher quality goods at lower cost for the taxpayer,” a portion of the nomination packet read. “The work that the DLA Enterprise Small Business Team [accomplished] through establishing strong partnerships remains vitally important to ensure necessary innovation and creativity continue within the small business community, and most importantly, that lethality and readiness remain paramount in Warfighter support.”