COMMAND/ORGANIZATION: Project Manager for Precision Fires Rocket and Missile Systems, Program Executive Office for Missiles and Space
TITLE: Assistant product manager, field artillery launchers
YEARS OF SERVICE IN WORKFORCE: 7
YEARS OF MILITARY SERVICE: 5.5 years active duty, U.S. Air Force; 10 years, U.S. Air Force Reserve
DAWIA CERTIFICATIONS: Level III in program management
EDUCATION: B.S. in electrical engineering, Brigham Young University
AWARDS: Army Acquisition Executive’s Excellence in Leadership Award, Support Professional of the Year; Acquisition Hero Award from the Military Deputy to the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics and Technology
Relationships are key to his success
By Susan Follett
Assistant Product Manager Lawrence Nevins has been in one spot for the past several years. And that’s a good thing. Since late 2009, he’s been the assistant product manager for field artillery launchers in the Project Manager Precision Fires Rocket and Missile Systems, responsible for the M270A1 launcher fleet. Based on the Soldier feedback he’s heard, Nevins noted, “It’s a system that is well-liked and has proven to be extremely effective in executing its mission.”
Nevins is charged with supporting the product manager and project manager in budgeting and executing efforts that modernize the M270A1 weapon system and ensuring that it is a viable weapon platform for ongoing warfighter requirements. His seven years in the role “gives me a deep working knowledge of the weapon system and the people and processes needed to maintain its high performance in the field,” he said, “and my longevity in this position has helped the project office maintain a relatively constant course.”
Like many, the biggest challenge he faces in his work is shifting budgets. “We start a project with a certain budget, but that often gets cut, forcing us to re-plan midstream,” he said. “The solution to that is to prioritize, and we often end up getting rid of the lower-priority features. No one likes to hear it, but we are often forced to reduce capabilities.”
Lawrence Nevins stands before an M270A1 field artillery launcher. “It’s a system that is well-liked and has proven to be extremely effective in executing its mission,” he said. (U.S. Army photo by Lawrence Nevins)
Nevins’ roots in acquisition date back more than 20 years. He joined the Program Executive Office for Missiles and Space (PEO MS) after two decades of product management in the private sector, where he developed commercial products as well as U.S. and foreign military products for defense contractors and computer and telecommunication companies. Additionally, he has roughly 15 years of Air Force experience: five and a half years on active duty and the remainder as a reservist. “With the combination of prior military acquisition experience and knowledge of industry practices in product development, I am able to provide a balanced view to my team members, peers and senior management to help accomplish the organization’s goals effectively and efficiently,” he said.
He spelled out what he’s learned from his previous assignments. “My initial military acquisition background and subsequent industry experiences taught me the importance of genuinely valuing the people who work with you and for you. A team will accomplish much more when the team members know their leader values their opinion and effort.”
Several of his supervisors, military and civilian, understood how to delegate without micromanaging and how to encourage professional growth through new tasks, he noted. “I am grateful to them for challenging and coaching me,” he said. In his first assignment in acquisition, as a second lieutenant in the Air Force, Lt. Col. Michael Hurt “was a very good mentor. He was knowledgeable and shared that knowledge with those of us just beginning in acquisition. We were given responsibility and guidance, then allowed to execute the task at hand. His willingness to allow young officers to accomplish tasks without micromanaging enabled me to learn and grow my knowledge quickly. And on those few occasions when I made a mistake, he would use those as learning opportunities rather than disciplinary events.” Nevins also praised an industry supervisor, James Whatley, for his mentoring. “He demonstrated effective ways to direct effort while coaching his subordinates to success. I was challenged with new assignments that I hadn’t previously experienced, and he would be there as a resource, or coach, when I got to a point where I needed help.”
Nevins was one of two people to receive the 2016 Army Acquisition Executive’s Excellence in Leadership Awards in the Support Professional of the Year category. Nevins “demonstrated outstanding system engineering skills overseeing development and sustainment of the M270A1 launcher,” said Barry Pike, PEO MS, who nominated Nevins for the award, noting the benefits to Improved Armored Cab (IAC) and the Fire Control System Update (FCS-U) programs. “His superb leadership and dedication to the mission resulted in the successful design and production of new IAC and FCS-U prototypes for the Army.” Receiving the award “was very humbling,” said Nevins, “and at the same time, it’s very gratifying to see our efforts recognized.”
When he’s not at work, Nevins pursues his interest in portrait and landscape photography and provides career counseling services. He’s also active in a handful of projects at his church. “All of my activities, at work and away from work, are about building relationships,” he said. “Relationships are the key to achieving any goal.”
Looking to move along a path similar to Nevins? Slow down, he advised. “Don’t be in too much of a hurry to move up. Allow yourself time to thoroughly understand and execute your current assignment before moving to another.” He also recommended obtaining career field certifications—and holding on to the course materials. “The classes contain very good information, but it will be forgotten if you are not using it. Don’t forget to revisit the material when you begin a new phase of a program to refresh your knowledge.”
“Faces of the Force” is an online series highlighting members of the Army Acquisition Workforce through the power of individual stories. Profiles are produced by the U.S. Army Acquisition Support Center Communication and Support Branch, working closely with public affairs officers to feature Soldiers and civilians serving in various AL&T disciplines. For more information, or to nominate someone, please contact 703-664-5635.
This article is scheduled to be published in the July – September issue Army AL&T magazine.
Subscribe to Army AL&T News, the premier online news source for the Acquisition, Logistics, and Technology (AL&T) Workforce.
