2009 Honorees
Verona McLeod
Bellwood Service
1976 - 2006
Verona McLeod retired in 2006 as director of financial operations after more than 30 years of service. Her dedication to mission effectiveness and program management served as a model for all. Ms. McLeod began her career with the federal government in 1965.
Her distinguished accomplishments while at Defense Logistics Agency included serving as the project officer for the implementation of the Appropriated Accounting System. That integrated accounting system was used for all operational funds. The implementation was successful and Ms. McLeod’s oversight, training and follow-up were commendable.
Ms. McLeod also established the Supply Chain Management Office, which served as the center’s focal point for external customers, Headquarters and internal customers for supply chain management support. The office became a model within the Defense Logistics Agency. Her leadership was instrumental in the development of the Premium Pricing System for the Emergency Supply Operations Center. The system was finalized and significantly improved service to customers. By streamlining data call processes, budgetary staffs across center benefited tremendously from a productivity standpoint.
Ms. McLeod received many awards and honors for her service to Defense Logistics Agency and Defense Supply Center Richmond. She received the Defense Logistics Agency Meritorious Civilian Service Award and the Distinguished Career Service Award. Ms. McLeod was a talented, dedicated, leader who led by example. Her selfless service to the work force, customers and the agency are her legacy.

Brenda Longest
Bellwood Service
1961 - 2007
Brenda Longest retired in September 2007 as the pillar lead for 2005 Base Realignment and Closure supply, storage and distribution management reconfiguration after 45 years of federal service with Defense Supply Center Richmond.
During her career, she led many logistics programs resulting in innovative and successful advancements for Defense Logistics Agency.
She played a key role in the transition of Defense Supply Center Richmond through the age of automation, beginning with the depot Mechanization of Warehouse and Shipping Procedures system to the Defense Logistics Agency supply center Standard Automated Material Management System, and ultimately, she also spearheaded implementation of the Enterprise Business System applications.
One of Ms. Longest’s best known roles was as chief marketing officer in the 1990s, during which she helped increase sales for Defense Supply Center Richmond product lines and services. She was instrumental in educating customers and suppliers worldwide on Defense Logistics Agency capabilities. Ms. Longest was directly responsible for the center’s increased sales of energy efficient lighting products, while saving DoD and other federal agencies millions of dollars in energy costs.
Ms. Longest served as acting deputy commander of Defense Supply Center Richmond in 2000, and later as the supply lead for the supply, storage, and distribution reconfiguration pillar of the Base Realignment and Closure Implementation Team. As director of customer operations, Ms. Longest led the establishment of legacy customer teams in 2002. The teams prepared the organization for systems and process changes that shifted from a commodity-based supply chain orientation to a customer-facing demand chain approach. Her customer support organization extended outside Defense Supply Center Richmond boundaries to Defense Logistics Agency Europe, Defense Logistics Agency Pacific, and key customer sites.
In her last career assignment, from October 2005 through August 2006, Ms. Longest worked an aggressive schedule to establish an execution plan for Defense Logistics Agency to assume management of military service distribution operations. During her tenure, Ms. Longest facilitated multiple Defense Logistics Agency data sharing arrangements with the military services. She pioneered use of war rooms in customer team operations to drill down to specific critical requirements of military customers.
Ms. Longest is best known for is her superb mentorship and leadership abilities. She always made extraordinary efforts to ensure communication flowed to all employees. Her outstanding achievements as a leader made her the ultimate role model. She also helped advance the role of women in the executive ranks and cultivated diversity within the workplace.

Richard J. (Jim) Bailey
Bellwood Service
1986 - 2007
Richard J. (Jim) Bailey retired in July 2007 as deputy commander of Defense Supply Center Richmond. He came to Defense Supply Center Richmond in 1986, to serve as the chief of the Requirements Systems Management Branch of the Supply Operations Directorate.
As deputy commander, he provided oversight for the aviation supply and demand chain that managed more than 25 percent of Defense Logistics Agency’s four million consumable items. He provided leadership to more than 2,900 civilian and military personnel at 11 locations, performing logistics support management for more than 1.25 million national stock numbers. This translated to greater than $3.3 billion in annual sales and the processing of more than 4.4 million requisitions annually.
One of Mr. Bailey’s noteworthy accomplishments was as a “plank-owner” of the Business Systems Modernization transformation initiative. His efforts throughout its implementation were continually recognized both in and outside of the agency. Mr. Bailey was a critical sponsor for the successful transition to Business Systems Modernization, transferring approximately 900,000 items of supply from legacy systems, with a demand value of $2.73 billion. Mr. Bailey continually led the charge to increase business relationships with small vendors, with awards to small business firms exceeding $1 billion. Under his leadership, Defense Supply Center Richmond successfully implemented the Service Disabled Veteran owned Small Business Program, with awards increasing from $8 million in fiscal 2004 to $26 million in 2006.
Focusing on process improvements, Mr. Bailey was instrumental in the initiation of the Defense Supply Center Richmond Lean-Six Sigma office in 2005. This resulted in Defense Supply Center Richmond having the highest number of black belts and green belts in Defense Logistics Agency. His focus on growing the business with industry partners was highly successful. He championed 25 new partnering agreements with commercial aerospace industries, increasing sales by more than $30 million.
Mr. Bailey also demonstrated exceptional environment stewardship. Under his guidance, Defense Supply Center Richmond received International Organization for Standardization 14001 accreditation in the environmental management system, was accepted into the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s National Performance Track Program and was recognized by the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality as an Extraordinary Environmental Enterprise participant in the Virginia Environmental Excellence Program.

Pat James
Bellwood Service
1993 - 2006
Pat James retired in September 2006 as director of the Richmond Land and Maritime Detachment after 37 years of federal service. He served three years in the Marine Corps, and 35 years as a federal civil servant, 13 of them were at DSCR.
Early in his career at Defense Supply Center Richmond, he was chief of the Operations Division. He administered and directed implementation of plans, objectives and programs for Industrial Plant Equipment field services. With the operating site in Pennsylvania, Mr. James maintained close communications and coordination of all policies, procedures and guidance. Due to his exceptional knowledge of the Industrial Plant Equipment world, Mr. James was made deputy leader of Product Center 8, and was responsible for the activities of three branches: Customer Requirements; Production Scheduling; and Commodity Management. He represented DLA on a Joint Service Depot Maintenance Group, providing workload breakdowns and performance metrics reporting for all services.
He was also property program manager for all Department of Defense and federal agencies regarding Industrial Plant Equipment.. As Product Center Leader for three Defense Supply Center Richmond product centers, Mr. James directed, planned, coordinated, and organized complex professional and administrative functional areas to meet customer expectations. He was tasked with merging two product centers to consolidate resources and freed up supervisory and manager positions for a new business model. As a testament to his leadership skills and capabilities, he was temporarily promoted to deputy of Business Operations at Defense Supply Center Richmond. During that time, he served as joint chair on the Material Obligations Committee and Resource Management, controlling and setting guidance on material expenditures.
In November 2004, the Land and Maritime Detachment was established at Defense Supply Center Richmond with Mr. James as the director. The reorganization established integrated supplier teams supporting two distinct supply chains. Every employee affected was faced with uncertainty, and in most cases, wholesale changes in their daily work. In addition, the Land Division assumed management of the high-visibility, high-dollar battery population from the U.S Army. In the first year, the division reduced backorders transferred by 99 percent. Mr. James met all these challenges and excelled.
Mr. James was a professional logistics manager, respected for his knowledge, experience, dedication, and enthusiastic approach to work. His many contributions as a leader and business manager were invaluable to Defense Logistics Agency and Defense Supply Center Richmond.