ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, Md. -- Joseph Wienand, director of the U.S. Army Edgewood Chemical Biological Center, retired from government service Oct. 2.
Wienand served at ECBC for 15 years and in various other positions in the federal government since 1979.
As director, Wienand led the expansion of ECBC's mission from primarily military applications to homeland defense, and the development of engineering needs beyond chemical and biological defense.
"Over the past decade, we've worked very hard at ECBC to ensure that we are not only meeting the needs of our Army customers but also addressing the increasing demand for support from our joint service customers as well," Wienand said.
"I am proud that the men and women of ECBC are so often acknowledged by our government, academic, industry and international partners as the best in the industry at what we do."
Wienand's motto has always been, "Start small and think big," which aptly describes his career.
Beginning as an active duty Chemical Corps officer in 1979, his first stint at ECBC was from 1986 to 1990 when it was called the Chemical Research Development & Engineering Center. During that time he worked his way up from staff chemical engineer to acting director of the Smoke Division.
He left the Center in 1990 for a series of positions at the Department of Energy where he helped lead the radiological and hazardous waste cleanup of Rocky Flats Plant in Colorado. He returned to ECBC in 2003 as special assistant to the Engineering Director, becoming the Engineering Director himself in 2004, associate director of ECBC in 2005, director of Program Integration in 2008, technical director of the Center in May 2010, culminating in his becoming director in June 2010.
"Joe has really transformed ECBC in his time as our leader. He has been quick to promote innovation and has motivated our engineers and scientists to pursue good ideas that can quickly become real-world solutions," said Joseph Corriveau, now the acting director of ECBC and previously the director of research and technology.
Recent examples of this innovation, according to Corriveau, are the Colorimetric Reconnaissance Explosive Squad Screening kit which provides Soldiers with the capability to screen for suspected homemade explosive devices in the field.
The innovation Wienand's name will be most closely associated with is the Field Deployable Hydrolysis System, which was deployed last August to destroy Syria's declared stockpile of chemical weapons on board a ship in international waters.
Wienand stood up a team of scientists and engineers that conceived, designed, fabricated, and systemized the FDHS in just six months, producing a capability that had never before existed and provided the answer to a thorny diplomatic need to find a way to avoid having to destroy the chemical agents on any one nation's sovereign soil.
Wienand will also be remembered by his staff for his everyday leadership style.
"He created a productive working environment, leading by example," said Stacey Broomall, Wienand's executive officer from October 2013 to April 2014.
"This resonated throughout everyday business as well as our personal lives, always encouraging us to get our exercise (while he was walking on his treadmill desk). His favorite part of having an executive officer was taking us each through a self-reflective career guidance process then experiencing our 'Ah-ha' moment with us."
Wienand appointed ECBC's first female director, Suzanne S. Milchling, as director of Program Integration.
"I was fortunate to be able to work closely with Joe Wienand when he was Program Integration Director here, and he quickly earned a reputation as an innovative leader who recognized and rewarded ability above all else," Milchling said.
"He has always been committed to mentoring the next generation of leaders here and, through his efforts, we are well positioned for success in the challenging years ahead."
At the retirement ceremony, Wienand received several awards, including the Exceptional Civilian Service award, the Outstanding Service in the Army Senior Executive Service Award, the Department of the Army Commander's Award for Public Service, a Department of the Army Certificate of Appreciation and retirement certificate.
Wienand has also been recognized outside of ECBC. His awards include the Federal Institute Director's Award for increasing government efficiencies across a broad cross-section of management responsibilities, and the Laboratory Director of the Year Award, which he won last May for his support of technology transfer, industry involvement and community service.
Earlier in his career, he received the Superior Civilian Service Award and the "On the Spot" Reinventing Government Award from the Vice President's Office.
In retirement, Wienand plans to pursue a quieter life teaching and consulting in Colorado with his wife, Susan.
Asked about his choice of Colorado, he said, "I asked Susan, 'Of all the assignments I've had, where was I the happiest?' She said it was my time in Colorado, working for the Department of Energy. So I said, 'Okay, then that's where we go.' We can both do some consulting there and spend time enjoying the outdoors.'"
After a career that started out small but ended up big, he can return to living smaller with his family, happy in the knowledge that he contributed big to ECBC and his country.
-------------
The Edgewood Chemical Biological Center is part of the U.S. Army Research, Development and Engineering Command, which has the mission to develop technology and engineering solutions for America's Soldiers.
RDECOM is a major subordinate command of the U.S. Army Materiel Command. AMC is the Army's premier provider of materiel readiness -- technology, acquisition support, materiel development, logistics power projection, and sustainment -- to the total force, across the spectrum of joint military operations. If a Soldier shoots it, drives it, flies it, wears it, eats it or communicates with it, AMC provides it.
Social Sharing