Female IT professionals converge on DeCA headquarters for DOD … – DVIDS

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FORT GREGG-ADAMS, Va. – More than 50 female information technology professionals in the Defense Department converged on the Defense Commissary Agency (DeCA) headquarters on Fort Lee, Virginia, April 26, the day before the post was renamed Fort Gregg-Adams.

The DOD Women in IT Summit, themed “The Power of Mentorship and Professional Connections,” featured distinguished speakers addressing key topics influencing information technology and the federal government.

The event was the brainchild of Dr. Theon Danet, executive director of DeCA’s IT Group and chief information officer (CIO), and as of April 28, is also the agency’s acting deputy director and chief operating officer. Danet had discussed the summit with the DOD CIO, John B. Sherman, and with the Department’s partnership, hopes this will be an annual event.

“I had no idea [this summit] would be as emotional, insightful and invigorating,” Danet said. “We plan to do this again. We wanted to test the waters, and I think the water is good.”

Sherman, who delivered the keynote address on “The Importance of Diversity in DOD IT,” spoke about the significance of the summit occurring the day before history was made with the renaming of Fort Lee to Fort Gregg-Adams. He specifically mentioned the late Army Lt. Col. Charity Adams, who as a major, commanded the all-black 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, affectionately known as the “Six Triple Eight,” during World War II. The unit was sent to England and later France to fix massive issues with processing mail in the European Theater of Operations.

“I have no higher duty and honor than to make sure that the playing field is as level as can be, that opportunities are equally provided, institutional barriers are gone,” Sherman said. “We are not in 1945, where Colonel Adams is putting up with blatant racism and sexism – I know it still exists today in far too many corners … we all have a duty to get after this.”

To help erase systemic barriers in IT, Sherman said DOD recently launched the Defense Cyber Workforce Strategy (DCWF). He also talked about the vast number of priorities in DOD CIO, the importance of migrating data to the cloud, cyber security, modernizing command and control from an IT standpoint, and recruiting the best talent.

In addition to Sherman, the summit featured the following speakers at the Senior Executive Service (SES) level who later joined a panel to answer questions:

• Distinguished speaker, Lily Zeleke, deputy DOD CIO, Information Enterprise, spoke on “Career Experiences and Top DOD Initiatives

• Danet spoke on “Mentorship and Making Connections”

• Jinyoung Englund, acting deputy chief digital and artificial intelligence officer, Directorate for Digital Services, Office of Secretary of Defense, talked about “Recruiting and Retaining Women in IT

• Karen Schultheis, CIO, Defense Contract Management Agency, spoke about “Balancing Family and Work”

• Vernita Harris, director, Electromagnetic Spectrum Enterprise Policy & Programs, DOD CIO, talked about “IT Career Path”

During Zeleke’s presentation, she spoke about how her family immigrated from Ethiopia, and her journey as a young student in a new country.

“It is imperative for [women] to take our place in this technology equation – it is driving everything we do today and in the future,” she said. “I can tell you that, based on my personal experience, when you are true to yourself, and operate with passion and conviction, integrity and grace, someone will notice. Someone will see you for exactly who you are and what you can bring to the table, and they will want you in their corner, on their team, on their project to serve missions greater than yourself.”

For Englund, visiting DeCA was a bit of déjà vu. She recalled how more than 20 years ago, her first invitation to speak in a formal setting was given by DeCA while she was in high school. The occasion? Accepting her grant from the Scholarships for Military Children program.

“I did not go and give that speech because I was terrified. DeCA still gave me the money, so thank you.” Her father, a veteran of the Korean, Vietnam and Gulf wars, went in her place. He passed in 2018, and she dedicated her appearance at the summit to him.

Danet said the summit gave IT women in DOD a “valuable opportunity” to experience the importance of mentorship and professional connections, and they need to pass that knowledge forward.

“I hope and pray you take away something that will enhance your career, but more importantly you enhance someone else’s career,” Danet said. “I’d like to thank the panel of speakers. This has been the best panel of speakers I have heard in many years because it was real – we all felt it.”

-DeCA-

About DeCA: The Defense Commissary Agency operates a worldwide chain of commissaries providing groceries to military personnel, retirees and their families in a safe and secure shopping environment. Commissaries provide a military benefit, saving authorized patrons thousands of dollars annually on their purchases compared to similar products at commercial retailers. The discounted prices include a 5-percent surcharge, which covers the costs of building new commissaries and modernizing existing ones. A core military family support element, and a valued part of military pay and benefits, commissaries contribute to family readiness, enhance the quality of life for America’s military and their families, and help recruit and retain the best and brightest men and women to serve their country.