New Year Brings New Leadership: Conrad Whyne Accepts Position as CMA Director

By Greg MahallJanuary 25, 2008

ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, Md. - The U.S. Army Chemical Materials Agency (CMA) is kicking off the new year with a major change in leadership. Conrad Whyne will officially replace Dale Ormond as the new director of CMA on Jan. 25.

Mr. Ormond has served as Acting CMA Director since January 2007. Throughout this time, CMA has achieved many milestones - commencement of Newport, Ind., hydrolysate shipments to Port Arthur, Texas; reaching the Chemical Weapons Convention's 45 percent agent destruction milestone; and the elimination of binary chemical weapons in the United States.

"I am proud of the CMA work force and their commitment to safe and efficient disposal over the past year," said Mr. Ormond. "Without the dedication of our government and contractor employees, my job-as well as daily CMA operations-would not have gone as smoothly. Mr. Whyne brings more than 20 years of experience and leadership to this position and I am confident that he will succeed in leading CMA through many more crucial milestones."

As the incoming director of CMA, Mr. Whyne will ensure continued secure storage and safe destruction of chemical weapons materiel, manage the closure of the demilitarization facilities, oversee Chemical Stockpile Emergency Preparedness programs and plan for Base Realignment and Closure requirements.

Mr. Whyne joined CMA in June 1984 as a project engineer while still a captain in the U.S. Army. In May 1989, he became the lead engineer for the Pine Bluff Chemical Agent Disposal Facility where he oversaw the facility's design, planning and budgeting. From August 1994 to April 1999, Mr. Whyne served as lead engineer and associate project manager for the Anniston Chemical Agent Disposal Facility (ANCDF). From February 1996 through January 1997, he also served as the Acting Site Project Manager for the ANCDF field office that opened in 1996. In March 2000, he became the Deputy Project Manager for Chemical Stockpile Disposal - now known as the Chemical Stockpile Elimination Project. He was promoted to Deputy Director of CMA on April 17, 2007.

Accepting his new position, Mr. Whyne said, "I am honored to lead the committed men and women of CMA. In my 24 years working for CMA, I have witnessed the unfailing dedication of these individuals to safely storing and ultimately eliminating our former chemical warfare program. I look forward to upholding CMA's remarkable safety and environmental standards."

To view Mr. Whyne's official biography please click the following:

http://www.cma.army.mil/Whyne.aspx

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