I now manage the Professional Development Division for the Department of Energy. My move from FAI shifted my focus from broad sweeping government consensus building to a deep dive into the implementation of a certification program for Federal Project Directors at DOE. Within eighteen months my role expanded to Team Lead for the program. Again in 2011 I was given an advanced opportunity to serve as the Division Director for the professional development and certification of the acquisition workforce. At DOE this includes contracting officers, contracting officer representatives, purchasing agents, personal property managers, financial assistance specialists, technical project officers, and a cast of professionals responsible for mission support from inception to decommissioning. The Professional Development Division at DOE collaborates with human capital, Program Offices, and Site Contacts to establish certification standards and manage not only certifications but the development of that targeted workforce. My staff is an instrumental component in building a high performing and skilled acquisition workforce at DOE.

I led interagency working groups that developed certification standards for AWF and advanced and promoted careers in Acquisition for the Federal work force. I ran a college recruiting program, and led the Human Capital initiatives group at the Institute.

As a consultant to FAI, I ran Human Capital initiatives including leading federal interagency working groups that established certification standards for Federal government certifications in contracting, contracting officer representatives and project and program management. I then joined the government team at FAI to implement the certifications at the agency level and advance other human capital initiatives. I led the team that established the recruitment efforts to attract college graduates to careers in contracting and conducted the first competency assessment for the GS-1102s.

I was the Program Manager for Federal Acquisition Institute providing full support services to this Federal government organization. I was in charge of workforce development for the Institute. I led interagency working groups that let to the establishment of Federal Acquisition Certifications for Contracting Officers, Contracting Officer Representatives, and Program and Project Managers.

Coolest job ever! I mentored a staff of Saudi women responsible for data center management for the teaching hospitals in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. For 18 months I taught these women how to support the King Saud Hospital in Riyadh with solid data center management. We documented processes and did extensive workflow analysis. In my down time, I struggled to gain facility in Arabic (never mastered it), became knowledgeable about Oriental rugs, traveled extensively throughout the Middle East and Africa with our children in tow. This was such an amazing opportunity to stretch and learn about skills I did not realize I possessed.