PRACTICAL LIFE LESSONS M MUMBI THANDE-KAMIRU
COMMAND/ORGANIZATION: Deputy Undersecretary of the Army for Test and Evaluation
TITLE: Program analyst YEARS OF SERVICE IN WORKFORCE: 13
AAW/DAWIA CERTIFICATIONS: Level III in test and evaluation
EDUCATION: B.S. in environmental science with an emphasis in marine biology AWARDS: Commander’s Award, 2018
umbi Tande-Kamiru knows how to tell a story. Like, when her parents moved the family from the District of Columbia to Kenya and started a farm. Or when she taught GED classes in Maryland. Or when she participated in Model United Nations debates in the
actual General Assembly hall at the United Nations Office at Nairobi, the UN's headquarters in Africa. Or when her dad sent her around the neighborhood sell- ing vegetables, to teach her a new skill. She has a fascinating background, which is just what her parents intended.
“My parents were kind of nomads,” she laughed. “Tey were very invested in us understanding as many potential walks of life as possible.” And she took that lesson to heart, studying environmental science in college and focusing on classes that were both interesting and useful. “I’ve always been interested in the practi- cality of knowledge, like, it doesn’t make sense to know all these things if there’s no practical application.” So, no Underwater Basket Weaving 101 for her.
Today, Tande-Kamiru works as a program analyst for the Deputy Undersecre- tary of the Army for Test and Evaluation (DUSA T&E). “I assist DUSA T&E in providing oversight to the T&E portfolio for the Army,” she said. “I am tasked with understanding the sustainment and real property needs of the T&E enter- prise.” It doesn’t get much more practical than that.
So, how did she end up there? “After college, I was working for the Frederick County Health Department in Maryland, inspecting schools, food service facil- ities and other buildings, ensuring sanitation and safety.” When a family friend started talking about his work with the Army’s Test and Evaluation Command (ATEC), she was intrigued. “I thought, oh, that sounds really interesting.” She applied and was accepted to the Federal Career Intern Program, and she’s never looked back. “When I started with the Army, I was in my early 20s,” she said. “I had some very strong opinions about life. Working for the Army is really where I matured and where I understood the value of hard work.” She learned the impor- tance of trying and failing and trying again, of being a trusted teammate and of helping to guide others. “I’ve really appreciated the growth I’ve had profession- ally and personally, in regards to how I relate to people, and how I’ve learned to be more analytical, as well,” she said. “I have worked with very smart people and was consistently challenged to learn more in terms of statistical analysis and test methodology, in addition to learning how to efficiently communicate key infor- mation to decision makers.”
She recently completed the fiscal year 2020 Inspiring and Developing Excellence in Acquisition Leaders (IDEAL) program, which is sponsored by the Office of the Director of Acquisition Career Management. Targeted to midcareer Army Acquisition Workforce civilians at GS-12 through GS-14, the program prepares participants for future leadership positions. Tande-Kamiru said the experience
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Army AL&T Magazine Winter 2021
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