DeCA selects Davis next agency deputy director, COO

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FORT GREGG-ADAMS, Va. - The Defense Commissary Agency (DeCA) announced that Karen M. Davis has been selected to be the agency's new deputy director and chief operating officer. Her selection is effective Oct. 20.

Davis fills the position previously held by Michael Dowling, who retired from government service in April of 2023. She was selected for the Senior Executive Service (SES) in 2014.

"It is with great pleasure that I announce Ms. Karen M. Davis as our new DeCA deputy director/chief operating officer," John Hall, DeCA CEO said. "Ms. Davis has demonstrated great leadership in many high-profile areas of responsibility with the Department of the Navy, and we are confident her management experience and expertise will serve this agency and our patrons very well."

Davis will be responsible for overseeing the agency's retail operations, safety and security, program management, strategic planning, commissary support functions and systems engineering in support of the day-to-day operations of DeCA's worldwide chain of 235 commissaries across 45 states and 13 countries.

"I've always seen the commissaries as a force multiplier, providing food security to the military community through significant patron savings," Davis said. "I've devoted a great deal of my federal career in support of the military, so I appreciate DeCA's impact on the quality of life of our service members and their families."

Davis comes to DeCA from the U.S. Navy's Naval Sea Systems Command, headquartered at the Washington Navy Yard, D.C., where she most recently served as the executive director of Industrial Operations and deputy commander for the Supervisors of Shipbuilding. There, she led a team of six SES members and numerous senior military personnel in strategic efforts for oversight of naval shipbuilding and depot-level maintenance.

Prior to that, Davis served from 2021-2022 as the executive director for aircraft carriers. She was the senior civilian overseeing acquisition, construction, product support and sustainment, and deactivation of aircraft carriers. As the executive director, Davis led efforts to develop and defend aircraft carrier funding and contracting strategies, set priorities, and introduced effective new business strategies, policies, and procedures for aircraft carrier construction and maintenance.

Her previous SES positions include the following assignments:

• A brief tour in the Pentagon as director for Surface Warfare, Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment, where she provided executive guidance to senior military and civilian personnel for major acquisition programs

• A joint tour as the executive director, Joint Special Operations Command, Fort Liberty (formerly Fort Bragg), North Carolina

• Executive director for Surface Warfare, NAVSEA and Director for Integrated Combat Systems, PEO for Integrated Warfare Systems - both located at the Washington Navy Yard, D.C.

Davis holds a bachelor's degree in computer engineering from Clemson University and a master's degree in engineering management from West Coast University in Los Angeles. Davis is a Defense Acquisition Professional certified in program management and engineering.

Her leadership development includes certification in Business and Professional Coaching from North Carolina State University; the Executive Program, University of Virginia Darden School of Business; several Navy and Industry Acquisition and Business Seminars, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill Keenan Flagler Business School; American University Key Executive Leadership Program; Department of Army Force Management School Force Integration Course for Senior Leaders; and the Department of Defense VANGUARD Senior Executive Leadership Program.

After college at Clemson, Davis joined Navy civilian service as an AEGIS weapon systems engineer at the Port Hueneme Division, Naval Surface Warfare Center. She led combat system ship qualification trials and other at-sea test events. As a naval engineer building and testing ships and systems, Davis was able to spend significant time at sea and in public and private industrial facilities.

-DeCA-

About DeCA:The Defense Commissary Agency operates a worldwide chain of commissaries providing groceries to military personnel, retirees, disabled veterans and other authorized patrons 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 supports the costs of building, modernizing and sustaining commissary facilities. A core military family support element and valued part of military pay and benefits, commissaries contribute to family readiness, enhance the quality of life for America's military services and their families, and help recruit and retain the best and brightest men and women to serve their country.