Contracting’s Terry Hester is a go-getter! Because of his dedication to his profession and taking initiative, he earned Procurement Analyst of the Year for USACE for Fiscal Year 2017. A U.S. Air Force veteran who worked as a crew chief and cross trained into contracting, he enjoys what he does and is always looking for ways to improve himself and his profession.
How did you earn Procurement Analyst of the Year for USACE?
I was commended for my “outstanding efforts in meeting the needs of the Commander and employees of the Wilmington District.” I like to be proactive in identifying obstacles and formulating solutions to problems which is what made me stand out when compared to my peers. Through capturing contracting lessons learned and building on past successes, I developed and used comprehensive, streamlined processes for contract establishment and contract execution that maximized existing organic human resources and limited fiscal resources. I was also cited for setting the standard for all Installation Level Procurement Analysts across the Department of the Army. Being a Veteran, I follow Army Values, and believe that customer service-focused attitude has been critical to the District's continued standing as a “first among equals.”
What is it about contracting that you like? Is it complex at times?
I really enjoy working with the amazing group of professionals in this career field. As a procurement analyst I don’t get into government contracting the same way as I would if I were a contracting officer or contract specialist. My job is more policy interpretation and analysis. This allows me to support the team when questions or issues arise. Working through these questions or issues (usually daily) can become very complex and really keeps Contracting interesting.
You've deployed with the Air Force and USACE. Are there similarities in the type of work you've done for both?
My deployments in the Air Force were actually to support the Army in Afghanistan. Now that I have deployed with USACE in support of the recovery efforts from Hurricanes Irma and Maria in the U.S. Virgin Islands. I can tell you there are similarities with these deployments. In Afghanistan, I was the Construction Chief and my mission was to support the surge of troops that were projected to arrive. This meant I needed to contract to local Afghan contractors to build housing, and on a couple of occasions entire Combat Out Posts. The USVI mission, though, was slightly differently supported as the Contracting Officer for the Temporary Blue Roof, Debris Removal, and Critical Public Facilities (CPF) missions. These missions were contingency and they offered a lot of stress.
What are your future goals as a contracting representative?
I have recently completed a couple goals that I set out to accomplish almost five years ago. I received my Defense Acquisitions Workforce Improvement Act (DAWIA) Level III Certification (March 2018) which is the highest level of certification you can obtain. I completed my Masters of Science in Leadership (Oct 2017). I enjoy the Wilmington District and reaching for much more would take me away. So I guess my goals are work related in that I will to continue to look for efficiencies in the contracting process to better support our customer in meeting the District’s mission.