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# Employee Spotlight: Melissa Lowe

DLA Aviation Public Affairs Office

                RICHMOND, Va.  –              
*Employee spotlight regularly features outstanding non-supervisory personnel from throughout the Defense Logistics Agency Aviation and other DLA employees on Defense Supply Center Richmond, Virginia. Organizational directors may submit names of employees they wish to feature in this column to DLA Aviation Public Affairs.*

**Name:** Melissa Lowe

**Organization/Directorate/Division:** DLA Aviation’s Supplier Operations Commodities Directorate’s Contract Administration Division (Customer Facing).

**How long have you worked for DLA:** 2 Years

**What is your job title**: Contract specialist

**Describe your job in a sentence or two**: I manage post award contracts providing any modifications needed to assist the vendor in getting the material to the warfighter.

**What do you like most about your job and why?** Every day is different and there’s always something new to learn. There’s always requests for different part numbers or changes to materials or the revisions, outlining requirements. Sometimes its fixing mistakes or others to add new aspects to the purchase order. Its exciting to see ways to do things that I hadn’t learned before and to see the types of changes being made.

**What aspect(s) of your current job gives you the most personal satisfaction and why?** I like seeing things through completion, as well as how they are going to impact the warfighter. Having been in the Army, I am used to being on the requesting and receiving end of sustainment operations, but now it’s different. I’m getting to see how materials are being acquired to send to the warfighter.

**What do you see as your biggest challenge right now?** The biggest challenge I see right now is the global logistics challenges lingering from the pandemic. Even though few vendors are still facing shutdowns due to Covid, they are still having difficulty getting parts and raw materials to fulfill the contracts and delivery orders that we manage. The delays they are facing is causing delays in getting needed materials to the warfighter.

**What are some of your passions outside of work?** I enjoy reading and artsy stuff like drawing, cross stitch, and embroidery.

**Who is the most influential person in your life...past or present and why?** When I was part of the Army Reserve Officers' Training Corps at Bowling Green State University, Ohio, I had a professor of Military Science who always believed in me, even when I didn’t believe in myself. He helped an awkward, self-conscious kid become a confident officer and a budding contract specialist, ready to build a career in logistics and sustainment operations.

**What is your favorite military aircraft and why?** My favorite military aircraft is the Air Force C-5 Galaxy. First, its huge and I am amazed that we can get that much weight in the air. Secondly, the aircraft provides many options for logisticians to move a lot of cargo, be it moving vehicles or pallets. The roll-on roll-off capability is also pretty cool.

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DLA AviationSupplier Operations Commodities DirectorateDefense Supply Center RichmondEmployee SpotlightPeople and Culture