Mentoring Moments: Change Management - Tips for Success

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. 

Marion Whicker assumed duties as the Executive Deputy to the Commanding General (EDCG) June 19, 2022. As EDCG, Ms. Whicker is responsible for materiel life cycle management, acquisition support, personnel and resource management, industrial base operations and enterprise integration for a globally reaching command with 175,000 military, civilian and contractor employees, impacting all 50 states and 152 countries.

She previously served as the Executive Director of the Integrated Logistics Support Center (ILSC), U.S. Army Tank-automotive and Armaments Command (TACOM). In this position, Ms. Whicker oversaw the readiness of the majority of Army maintenance, fielding, new equipment training, supply chain management and system readiness.

Ms. Karen M. Davis serves as the Executive Director for Industrial Operations, Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) where in addition to directorate executive leadership, her principal responsibilities include executive oversight and support of the four public naval shipyards encompassing more than 37,000 civilian and military personnel executing major maintenance and modernization availabilities on the Navy’s submarines, aircraft carriers, and supporting surface ship maintenance. She has executive oversight of the Navy’s four Supervisors of Shipbuilding and Repair organizations co-located with major shipbuilders as the Navy's on-site technical, contractual and business authority, partnered with private industry to ensure the highest quality ships are delivered to the fleet.

Maj. Gen. Troy E. Dunn is the Special Assistant/Senior Military Advisor with duties at the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, the Pentagon, Arlington, Virginia. He assists the inaugural Department of Defense Chief Talent Management Officer to develop and implement the Department of Defense Total Force talent acquisition and management strategy along with consulting and advising on military and civilian personnel programs for the Office of Force Resiliency and the Office for Military Community and Family Policy.

Maj. Gen. Dunn commissioned from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1993 with a degree in political science. He has held several leadership, staff and command positions at the base, major command, Air Staff and Joint Staff levels. Maj. Gen. Dunn served as an aide-de-camp to the Commanders of the U.S. Transportation Command and Air Mobility Command. He was selected as a Congressional Fellow in the Office of Senator Trent Lott and as a distinguished member of the National Security Team in the Office of the U.S. Senate Minority Whip. His command tours include squadron, group and the air base wing at the U.S Air Force Academy.

Mr. Kolleda has been the Deputy Director of the Futures and Concepts Center, Sustainment Capabilities Development and Integration Directorate at Fort Gregg-Adams, VA (formerly Ft Lee) since June 2019. He served as a career Army Transporter, Operational Planner, and Capability Developer for twenty-six years and retired from Active Duty in September 2008.

David is in his third assignment as a Department of the Army Civilian, first serving as the Deputy to the Army Chief of Transportation from 2010 to 2017, then as Defense Advisor to the Ukraine Deputy Minister of Defense and first Ukrainian Armed Forces J-4 from 2017 to 2019 and has since been assigned in his current position.