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# 2023 DLA Hall of Fame inductee: Alma Charles

By Nancy Benecki

                FORT BELVOIR, Va.  –              
*Editor’s Note: This is one of six stories featuring 2023 DLA Hall of Fame inductees. An induction ceremony will be held 2 p.m. May 18 at the McNamara Headquarters Complex auditorium at Fort Belvoir, Virginia. The ceremony is open to all DLA employees; invitations are not needed.*

Alma Charles, the former division chief of DLA Aviation’s Aviation Commodities Division, is a member of the 2023 DLA Hall of Fame.

She started her 40-year career in 1972 as an inventory management specialist at the Defense General Supply Center. Her career showcased her leadership skills, supply expertise, foresight, operational experience and dedication to the agency’s mission, according to her nomination.

Charles was an essential part in sustaining about 1.5 million national item identification numbers supporting 1,800 weapons systems. She helped introduce the automated inventory management system and the first online requisition processing system, both of which evolved into systemic processes that are still in use today.

As the enterprise transitioned to Business Systems Modernization in 2004, Charles became the supplier operations chief for the Aviation Commodities Division. She led her team through the transition by implementing training plans and moving most of the transferred employees into new roles.

Charles twice served as the temporary deputy director of supplier operations, where she was responsible for 800 acquisition workforce professionals who executed over 30,000 monthly contracting actions. During one of her tenures in the role, Charles was asked to address workforce reshaping issues due to organizational structure changes. She ensured the workload was distributed and skill gaps were covered by updating and improving training and career development programs.

Charles supported her employees and understood how their actions were critical to weapons system sustainment, according to the nomination. She also championed change, diversity, inclusion and equality.

“She encouraged employees to reach their highest potential, which was reflected in their personal performance as well as the consistent high level of success within all functional areas within the division. Charles’s leadership, mentorship and professional guidance have influenced a variety of current DLA Aviation leaders to include supervisors, division chiefs, directors and deputy chief of staff,” Charles’ nomination said.

Charles earned numerous honors and awards including the Distinguished Career Service Award, the federal government’s highest honor for civilian employees.

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