MISSION DELIVERY E
GWENDOLYN ‘GWENDI’ MILLER
COMMAND/ORGANIZATION: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Kansas City District
TITLE: District chief of contracting
YEARS OF SERVICE IN WORKFORCE: 17
DAWIA CERTIFICATIONS: Level III in contracting
EDUCATION: B.A. in political science, University of Central Arkansas
very spouse knows that marriage can be difficult. Army spouses have it a little harder than most, especially when it comes to career develop- ment. “It is sometimes challenging to build a career while also moving all over the country every few years to support your spouse’s commit-
ment to the nation,” said Gwendolyn “Gwendi” Miller. “I’m extremely blessed that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers [USACE] and the contracting profession have allowed me to do just that.”
Now district chief of contracting for the USACE Kansas City District, Miller has been with USACE for nearly 14 years. “Once you start looking for that Corps castle, you might discover that our presence is around you more than you real- ize,” she said. USACE’s work includes flood risk mitigation, hydropower program administration, and a hazardous, toxic and radioactive waste removal program.
“Te work we do makes a significant difference in quality of life and positively impacts our world,” said Miller, “and our programs require a significant amount of acquisition support to deliver the mission.”
Miller leads a team of more than 70 contracting professionals who execute mili- tary, civil, environmental and mega-programs—large, big-budget, high-visibility programs with a considerable degree of complexity and requiring close coordi- nation with higher headquarters. In fiscal year 2019, the Contracting Division executed more than 1,500 actions valued at more than $1.028 billion, including a new hospital at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, valued at approximately $300 million; and a new headquarters for the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, in St. Louis, valued at roughly $712 million. “We executed this very large and dynamic program while fighting two major flood events on the Missouri River that required fast action from contracting for emergency response efforts,” Miller said.
Miller also works on projects to improve recruitment in the region. USACE part- nered with Harris-Stowe State University in St. Louis to revamp the district’s marketing and branding and to generate career interest among college students.
“We found there were a lot of people who didn’t really understand what USACE does,” she said. “A lot of people think it’s all hard hats and construction sites; that image doesn’t really appeal to students at business school, nor is it accurate. In look- ing to fill contracting positions, what we’re really looking for is business advisers.”
HONORS RECEIVED
Col. Douglas B. Guttormsen, former district commander, presents Miller with a certificate of appreciation in March 2019 to mark Women’s History Month. (Photo by Rusty Wallace, USACE Kansas City District)
22 Army AL&T Magazine Spring 2020
Miller is part of a team that visits colleges and universities around the country to talk about USACE, the contracting profession and opportunities within the orga- nization and the Army Acquisition Workforce. “We’re seeing some returns on our work, in the form of new internships and lots of interest in the work we do. But this is a long game, not a short one; what we’re trying to do is build our pipeline and impress on people that the Corps has opportunities to be part of an organi- zation that has a big impact on the region and the country.”
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104
