ROCK ISLAND ARSENAL, Ill. -- JoEtta I. Fisher was promoted to a Senior Executive Service leader position, at the Joint Munitions Command Headquarters, during an official ceremony held here, Jan 22.
Brig. Gen. Michelle M. T. Letcher, JMC Commander, served as official promotion ceremony host.
With this SES promotion, the rank which very few achieve in the federal service, Fisher will serve as the JMC Deputy to the Commander as well as the Executive Director for Ammunition. In these roles, she is responsible for providing joint conventional munitions acquisition sustainment, readiness, and logistics direction for all U.S. military services. She also will serve as the Ammunition Management Career Program Manager.
Brig. Gen. Letcher noted that we honored Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and his legacy and service this week. He makes us think about "selfless-service and what it means to give back to a Nation. I think, JoEtta, that's what you're doing here today as well. What many of you do each and every day. I think it's really a great week in which we can recognize you and honor your service."
"Today is an important day," noted Letcher. "Becoming a member of the Senior Executive Service is the equivalent of becoming a General Officer in the military. There are approximately 718,000 Civilian employees within the Department of Defense, about 1,200 are Senior Executive Service members. I know you feel an enhanced sense of personal responsibility and pride in about what's going to happen today."
The SES is a position classification in the civil service of the United States government, which is the equivalent to a general officer in the United States Armed Forces. It was created in 1979 when the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978 went into effect.
"Members of the Senior Executive Service work in key positions, just below the top Presidential appointees," added Letcher. "Senior Executive Service members are the major link between political appointees and civilian service members. They operate and oversee nearly every government activity in approximately 75 federal agencies. These leaders possess well-honed executive skills and share a broad perspective on government functioning and a public service commitment that is grounded in the Constitution."
"The Office of Personnel Management has identified five core qualifications required for entry into the Senior Executive Service," Letcher said. "They are: leading change, leading people, being results driven, having business acumen, and building coalitions. Throughout her almost-32-year career, JoEtta has proven time and time again that she can fulfill these qualifications."
"In order to improve ammunition readiness, JoEtta has led numerous strategic initiatives for JMC," noted Letcher. "She championed many efforts to include a black belt project, to improve JMC's field support to Combatant Commanders. She fully embraced and championed the Transformation and Synchronization efforts, serving as a key member, developing communication plans, cultural pillars and a management system."
"In addition, JoEtta uses her business acumen to promote efforts to maintain and adapt a viable organic industrial base by influencing acquisition strategies to sustain critical capabilities and to protect surge capabilities for the Army and the Joint Forces," concluded Letcher. "She is respected throughout the Army and DoD for her expertise, and she provides expert advice to commanders, senior leaders and ammunition professionals around the world."
Prior to her current assignment, Fisher previously served as the deputy to the Executive Director for Ammunition for the Munitions and Logistics Readiness Center. Previously, from February 2014 to December 2015, she served as the Director of Supply Planning, a directorate that consists of approximately 60 personnel responsible for developing a consolidated and integrated supply plan for all JMC products and services to include production, logistics, financial integration, and demilitarization missions. She coordinated the Command Organic Industrial Base Reviews and Sales and Operations Planning Initiatives and championed the Enterprise Integrated Logistics Strategy.
Fisher's previous assignments also include: the Deputy Chief of Staff for MLRC; Chief, Readiness Assessment Division; and team leader, Logistics Integration Planning and Execution Division. She also held various inventory and logistics management positions within the Joint Munitions Command.
During her remarks, Fisher thanked Brig. Gen. Letcher for hosting the ceremony and for the many distinguished visitors and retirees who were in attendance to celebrate. In particular, Fisher wanted to recognize Trish Huber, who served as the first SES level Executive Director for Ammunition and Rhonda VanDeCasteele, former Deputy to the Commander, who both supported her during her career with mentorship and friendship. In addition, she thanked her husband, Jeff, her children, parents, other Family members and close friends who also supported her.
"It is truly an honor to accept this position as the Executive Director for Ammunition and to serve as the Deputy to the Commander for JMC," said Fisher. "To the outstanding people in the Joint Munitions Command. Thank you for all you do every day to provide the right ammunition, at the right time and right place to support our Joint Warfighters."
Fisher noted she started her federal government career when she was 17 as a summer hire clerk typist. She quickly learned the importance of providing ammunition to support our Armed Forces to train, fight and win our Nation's wars.
"It was then that it struck me how important our mission was," she added. "That job inspired me to go through the Ammunition Management Intern Program and enabled me to get where I am today. I am proud to be an ammunition manager and a logistician."
"What we do here at Rock Island, at JMC, is critical to the Department of Defense," concluded Fisher. "So thank you to the smart, hard-working and talented people of this command. You are a great team and I'm honored to be part of it!"
Fisher is a native of Moline, Illinois and a graduate of Truman State University, Kirksville, Missouri, with a bachelor's in business management. She completed the Ammunition Management Internship from the Defense Ammunition Center.
Fisher is Level III certified in Acquisition Life Cycle Logistics and Lean Six Sigma Green Belt. She has been awarded the Ordnance Order of Samuel Sharpe, Superior Civilian Service Award, Commander's Award for Civilian Service, and the Achievement Medal for Civilian Service.
Joint Munitions Command produces small-, medium- and large-caliber ammunition items for the Department of Defense. JMC is the logistics integrator for life-cycle management of ammunition and provides a global presence of technical support to U.S. combat units wherever they are stationed or deployed.
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