EDUCATION

University of Maryland, Heidelberg, Germany
B.S. Major: Business and Management - Minor: Psychology

Systems Performance was one of my final classes in college while I was in Europe. Our final class project was to write a paper evaluating operations or systems that were failing, and in turn, we were to offer recommendations to keep these operations from failing. Based on my research and recommendations, this project had a tremendously positive effect on the remainder of my military career.

At the time I was a Quality Assurance Branch Supervisor in charge of military finance offices in three cities in Europe. I used the Systems Performance approach to identify how Quality Assurance Branches worldwide were failing in their objectives. I identified Thirty-Seven areas that could be changed or improved within Quality Assurance Branches, Military Finance Offices, Military Battalions and Companies, as well as the Support and Services Divisions within military communities. All Thirty-Seven recommendations were approved, to include every Military Unit and Service Company within the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment.

After my class project, US Army Finance and Accounting Center Inspectors evaluated our finance offices as the Most Superior Financial Operation in Europe, and I also received an A on my final project for my Systems Performance class. I was originally on orders to transfer to California when I departed from Europe, but my orders were changed. My class project got so much positive exposure due to our financial operation receiving a Superior rating, that I was assigned to the United States Army Finance and Accounting Headquarters in Indianapolis, Indiana. There I served as a Staff Writer in a Pentagon level position for the Assistant Comptroller of the Army for Disbursing, Banking and Contract Policy Division, and then served as Congressional Liaison for the US Army Finance Center.