ROCK ISLAND ARSENAL, Ill. -- The Army contracting center here is getting a new leader.
Melanie A. Johnson will become executive director of the Army Contracting Command-Rock Island on Sept. 8. She will also be appointed to the Senior Executive Service. As a member of the SES, Johnson will serve in a key position that falls immediately below top presidential appointees, and in a role that corresponds with the general officer level.
Johnson, a Quad Cities native, said she is very humbled and honored to be selected to lead ACC-RI.
"I am very pleased that I have been provided the opportunity to continue to work with the great staff at ACC-RI," said Johnson. "Contracting touches every facet of the Army and I am grateful that I can continue to serve as a contracting professional and support the war fighter."
Johnson currently serves as the ACC-RI director for Field Support Contracting, in which she oversees approximately 200 people in the Sustainment, Reachback, and Logistics Civil Augmentation Program contracting divisions, and the Enhanced Army Global Logistics Enterprise Contracting Office.
Prior to her current position, Johnson served as the chief of the EAGLE Contracting Office. Previous assignments include chief of the ACC-RI Installation Contracting Division; Army Sustainment Command executive officer; and varying roles in the ammunition, foreign military sales and non-standard ammunition areas.
Johnson believes her well-rounded background will enable her to help shape the workforce as contracting evolves from supporting an Army at war to sustainment.
"Over the last several years ACC-RI has been fortunate to have the ability to hire contracting interns in order to 'build the bench,' and it is crucial that they are well trained to step into the shoes of our senior staff who will be retiring over the next several years," she said.
Johnson said she is looking forward to fostering the abilities of a flexible and inventive workforce.
"We are facing challenging times in the Army and within the Department of Defense and we need to continue to develop innovative contracting solutions to ensure the best deals are achieved for the taxpayer and war fighter," she said.
Johnson is an Army Acquisition Corps member, Level III certified in contracting and Level I certified in program management. She is a graduate of the Brookings Institute Leadership Training program and the first ASC Journey to Leadership Tier III program. Johnson is also the recipient of the Ordnance Order of Samuel Sharpe award, and the Commander's Award for Civilian Service as an ACC Small Business Champion under the EAGLE Program.
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