Mentoring Moments: Building Your Network

Ms. Lisa P. Smith, a member of the Senior Executive Service, is the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Product Support and serves as the principal advisor to the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) leadership on policies, procedures, and actions related to the readiness and sustainability of major weapon systems. She is responsible for the development and implementation of acquisition and sustainment strategies and processes providing the Warfighter with cost-effective weapon system readiness across the life cycle. In addition, Ms. Smith coordinates and synchronizes ASD(S) international and partner engagements. She also manages the logistics and acquisition workforce for the Department of Defense.  She assumed her current position in April 2021. 

Kathy L. Watern, a member of the Senior Executive Service, is the Director of the Manpower, Personnel and Services Directorate, Headquarters Air Force Materiel Command, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. She serves as the senior civilian official in the force development, management, and sustainment of the Command’s nearly 80,000 military and civilian professionals. Ms. Watern began her career in private industry and entered federal civil service in 1984. She has served in a variety of financial management and acquisition assignments at Wright-Patterson AFB in the F-15, F-22 and Air Combat System Program Offices as well as the Acquisition Cost Division. She was appointed to the Senior Executive Service in 2010.  Prior to her current assignment, she was Executive Director, Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio.

Mr. Berkof has served in the United States Navy in multiple capacities for over 15 years and was selected to the Senior Executive Service in June 2023. 

He currently serves as the Director for Production, Deployment, and Fleet Readiness within the Program Executive Office for Integrated Warfare Systems (PEO IWS). Mr. Berkof is responsible for integrated production and fielding requirements and resources for sensors, weapons, combat systems, and associated elements. 

Prior to joining PEO IWS, Mr. Berkof served as the Deputy Program Manager for the ACAT I Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) Program Office (PMS 501) within the Program Executive Office for Unmanned and Small Combatants (USC), overseeing the funding, construction, testing, and delivery of the two different variants of the LCS class. Mr. Berkof spent 13 years working the acquisition of unmanned maritime systems, served as Deputy Program Manager for the Unmanned Maritime Systems Program Office (PMS 406), and as Deputy Program Manager and Principal Assistant Program Manager for the ACAT I Remote Minehunting System Program Office (PMS 403). He holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Pennsylvania State University and an MBA from Harvard Business School.

Dr. Nelson Williams serves as Director for Business Operations, Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Materiel Readiness. In his 35+ year career as a logistician he’s held several leadership positions including Deputy to the Commander, Materiel Support Command – Korea; the principal civilian executive technical and administrative officer for the 19th Expeditionary Sustainment Command; and the Headquarters Department of the Army G-4 proponent for the Army Materiel Maintenance Policy (Field and Sustainment [Depot/Organic Industrial Base] Maintenance). As Chief, Field Maintenance Division and Sustainment Maintenance Division, HQDA G-4, he served as the senior civilian supervisor responsible for supervising and directing Army-wide policies and related programming, fleet readiness and budgeting functions for the maintenance functional area. Dr. Williams holds a BS in Business Management and is a Doctor of Divinity. He’s also the author of five published books and a recipient of the Secretary of Defense Spirit of Service Award, Superior Civilian Service Medal, and the President of United States' Lifetime Achievement Award.