Belvoir hosts birth of new organization: Army Civilian Career Management Activity

By Paul Lara, Belvoir EagleOctober 7, 2020

From left: acting Garrison Command Sgt. Maj. Michel Fraser; Col. Josh SeGraves, Garrison comander; Carol Burton, Director, Civilan Human Resources Agency; Lt. Gen. Gary Brito, Deputy Chief of Staff, G-1; Dr. Todd Fore, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army (Civilian Personnel); Edward Emden, director, The Army Civilian Career Management Activity. ACCMA was created to modernize and broaden the 32 civilian career programs into 12 career fields.
1 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – From left: acting Garrison Command Sgt. Maj. Michel Fraser; Col. Josh SeGraves, Garrison comander; Carol Burton, Director, Civilan Human Resources Agency; Lt. Gen. Gary Brito, Deputy Chief of Staff, G-1; Dr. Todd Fore, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army (Civilian Personnel); Edward Emden, director, The Army Civilian Career Management Activity. ACCMA was created to modernize and broaden the 32 civilian career programs into 12 career fields. (Photo Credit: Paul Lara) VIEW ORIGINAL
Edward Emden, director, Army Civilian Career Management Activity (ACCMA), addresses the audience at the organiztion's ribbon cutting, Oct. 1. ACCMA will modernize and broaden the 32 civilian career programs into 12 career fields.
2 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Edward Emden, director, Army Civilian Career Management Activity (ACCMA), addresses the audience at the organiztion's ribbon cutting, Oct. 1. ACCMA will modernize and broaden the 32 civilian career programs into 12 career fields. (Photo Credit: Paul Lara) VIEW ORIGINAL

Last Thursday was both the first day of October, and the first day of a new Army organization.

In front of the offices of the Deputy Chief of Staff, G-1, a small gathering was on hand to cut the ribbon recognizing the creation of the Army Civilian Career Management Activity.

“A year ago, during AUSA, the Army released the People Strategy, and Dr. (E. Casey) Wardynski, (Assistant Secretary of the Army (Manpower and Reserve Affairs)), asked us to put together the Civilian Implementation Plan,” said Dr. Todd Fore, Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Army for Civilian Personnel. “Just seven months later, the Civilian Implementation Plan was signed by the M&RA and the G-1. There were over 250 people putting together what you now see as the Civilian Implementation Plan. It was incredible to see how much progress was made in such a short period of time, because we had the synergy and focus, and we had the Army People Strategy as the backbone.”

Fore said the task for ACCMA is to figure out ways that recruiting, retention and relocation programs will draw people to the occupations and the hard-to-fill locations that fulfill the Army mission.

“ACCMA will adjust the organizational construct to improve integration, defining the career field more broadly, and probably most important, creating efficiencies through centralization. Under ACCMA, those 12 career fields will enable the Army to build multi-functional leaders, capable of leading large and complex organizations in the enterprise,” Fore said.

This program is designed to enhance the effectiveness of civilian career programs, according to Carol Burton, Director, Civilian Human Resources Agency. Burton said 32 career programs will transition into 12 career fields, offering a much broader construct.

“ACCMA will adjust the organizational construct to improve integration, defining the career field more broadly, and probably most important, creating efficiencies through centralization. Under ACCMA, those 12 career fields will enable the Army to build multi-functional leaders, capable of leading large and complex organizations in the enterprise,” Burton said, which will allow career fields to collaborate with each other.

“Career fields such as military personnel and civilian personnel, which operate completely separately, will share functional expertise, enabling civilians to plan their careers and receive developmental opportunities across the broader career field,” said Burton.

“This is really about making sure we provide the right opportunities for our civilians, to develop them, and importantly, that we have the right civilians in the right places to ensure we have that readiness for the Soldiers,” Burton said.

This story originally ran in the Belvoir Eagle on October 7, 2020.