DLA’s PaCERs connect with senior leaders, peers during orientation

FORT BELVOIR, Va. -

Entering into its second year, the Defense Logistics Agency expanded its Pathways to Career Excellence Program orientation across the enterprise, affording more than 25 contracting specialists and technical and quality professionals the opportunity to learn about the agency and grow their network.

Participants in the Pathways to Career Excellence Program, often referred to as "PaCERs," from DLA Aviation suggested last year to organizers from the DLA Human Resource Acquisition Workforce Development directorate that a group of them come to the headquarters.

The goal of the gathering was to expose PaCERs to the organization, give them access to the senior leaders and subject matter experts to network, and allow them to engage with their peers across varying functional areas and the enterprise, DLA Acquisition Workforce Development Procurement Analyst Tiara Crawley said.

The orientation program was made available to current and recent PaCER program graduates, an opportunity that many employees don't receive until later in their careers, she said.

LaMarr Daniels, a management and program analyst with DLA Human Resources said the orientation will continue to have a positive impact on the careers of the PaCERs in several ways, to include affording everyone the opportunity to be more "human" and connect with others.

"You really don't have a lot of opportunity for the PaCERs to interact with senior leaders … to help them understand who we are, where they fit, and opportunities to receive mentorship and become a mentor as well," Daniels said, noting that the opportunity opens them up to understand the organization and culture of DLA.

Each year, the agency welcomes participants in the program from all walks of life and backgrounds, ranging from recent college graduates, military veterans and career pivoters to internal candidates. Participants enter the program in grade of GS-7 and are targeted for advancement to GS-11 over the next two years as they engage in on-the-job training, rotational assignments and formal training.

Courtney Minor, a sole source contracting specialist and recent PaCE program graduate at DLA Aviation, began her DLA career as a college intern during her junior and senior years at Virginia Commonwealth University.

"I found the DLA internship program to be both challenging and rewarding because it was something that I had never done before, but I really enjoyed the job, so it kept me moving towards joining the PaCE program," Minor said.

Minor said she was eager to attend the orientation event after graduating from the PaCE program last month, since this opportunity was not available when she joined the program two years ago.

"You build a lot of connections as you go through the program with people who are dispersed through different divisions and sections throughout the organization," she said. "If there is something that I do not know, being able to call on and connect with other PaCERs when you have questions or completing unfamiliar tasks is proven to be very beneficial and just awesome."

Annalise Henzler, a contracting specialist, joined DLA Energy last year as an intern through the Department of Defense College Acquisition Internship Program during her senior year at James Madison University. Last month, she became a PaCER on the same team where she interned.

"The orientation helped me see the full picture of what 'Warfighter First, Warfighter Always,' means because everyone's job is vital to helping the warfighter, and there are so many different teams putting in all of this effort to make sure things work," she said.

Alontae Uptegrow, a contrast specialist at DLA Energy, interned in the DLA Energy Acquisition Workforce Development office during his senior year at Salisbury University but sought employment with the agency after graduation. Although he did not return to the office where he interned, he earned his current role through job shadowing.

"I wanted to do contracting from cradle to grave," he said. "I felt like the PaCE program was very extensive and good at what it does in training people to make sure you understand everything and obtain the best training around."

Uptegrow said his biggest takeaways from the orientation was hearing the advice of senior leaders and meeting peers from the different MSCs. He also said he valued getting the opportunity to learn about the Enterprise Rotation Program (DLA Common Access Card required) to take on roles of greater responsibility as he advances his career.

For more information on the program, visit DLA Pathways to Career Excellence (PaCE) Program.

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