# Employee Spotlight: Constance Carney

/ Published Nov. 3, 2016
Richmond, Virginia, 
*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. For more information, call (804) 279-3139.______________________________________________________________________________*

**Employee Spotlight:**Constance ‘Connie’ Carney

**Organization:** Strategic Acquisition Programs Directorate

Defense Logistics Agency Aviation 

**Years of service:**a little over two years.

**What is your job, specifically?** Contract Price/Cost Analyst

**How does your work impact the overall mission of the DLA Aviation team?**I negotiate fair and reasonable prices for efforts over $750,000 and provide the procuring contracting officer a price negotiation memo to document prices.The PCO uses my recommendations on a price to make timely contract awards.

**What knowledge, advice or suggestion can you offer to benefit those in your field, or even the entire workforce?**Learn your job and do it to the best of your ability.If you need help, ask for it, or get additional training.Know what you are pricing. Be proactive; don’t wait until there is a problem.Become involved early in the effort and anticipate what challenges are ahead by researching the items and asking questions.Be creative and develop viable work-arounds and always be a team player.

**What does the future hold for you as a DLA employee?**I plan to stay with DLA until I retire.

**Where do you see yourself in five years?**I would like to provide pricing training/teaching in addition to pricing cases.

**What do you like most about your job?** Getting into the details of a contractor’s proposal and performing a thorough cost analysis by cost element.

**What is your favorite work activity?**Reviewing a new case.

**If you could speak directly to the warfighters you support, what would you say?**I won’t let you down.I’ll find a way to get a reasonable price to the best of my ability so that you can get what you need on time.

**What is your favorite military aircraft?Why?**The F-15.I was a price analyst in the Air Force before coming to DLA and have priced many major weapons systems, services, and parts for several models of the F-15, including foreign military sales country-specific models.It is an amazing aircraft with many capabilities.

**If you could start your life over again, what would you do differently?**I would have started my professional career much sooner.

**Do you take outside lessons or classes of any kind?**No, but I exercise/workout on a regular basis.

**If you had to pick a personal motto, what would it be?**Keep moving forward.

**What are you usually doing when not at work?**Spending time at home with my two teenage sons.

**What is your proudest accomplishment?**Completing my master’s degree in 2012 at age 51 and Air Command and Staff College a year later.

**Who is the most important person in your life?**My children - sons and my daughter-in-law. 

**Who are your heroes?Why?**My sons. All three of them are kind, respectful, and walk with God no matter what adversities they’ve encountered.They don’t quit!

**How do you define excellence?**Work to the best of your ability whether anyone is watching or not.Know your job and perform at the highest level on a consistent basis.

**How do you define happiness?**A good work-home balance, and no laundry.

**How has mentoring enriched your career?**Mentoring helped me see the need to get the education necessary to position myself for promotion.

**What has been the highlight of your career so far?**I knew that a certain major defense contractor had a history of underrunning proposed costs on one of their programs.During negotiations, I required them to support their proposal at the cost element before agreeing to upward movement.They weren’t able to do it, and actually called the PCO and said “call her off.”The PCO knew that meant I was doing my job by not agreeing to a higher price and supported me.After negotiations, they later contended that I “forced” them to agree to a price they didn’t want to accept and requested that the PCO rescind the negotiations.The PCO refused, and was very pleased with the outcome; achieving a one-third reduction off the proposed price.The program manager also called to thank me for saving his program so much money.

**What five things could you absolutely not live without?**My Bible, my sons, my church, my extended family, and my friends.

**What are your favorite books?**Books based on historical facts.

**What are your favorite television shows?**College football, history-based shows such as Mysteries at the Museum and Mysteries at the Castle.Anything history related.

**What are your favorite movies?**The original version movies with John Wayne, **‘**True Grit,’ and ‘McClintock.’ I also like ‘National Treasure’ movies and ‘Indiana Jones’ movies.

**What type of music do you most enjoy?** Praise music.

**Who is the most famous person you have met, or know personally?**Rick Dale star of ‘American Restorations.’ 

**Where is your favorite place to vacation?**Anywhere with mountains.

**What is the most surprising/unexpected thing others don't know about you?**I play the guitar, the drums, and a little cello. I’m also enjoy home repairs. I have experience in roofing, heat/air installation, ceramic tile, laminate flooring, carpentry, cabinetry, very basic plumbing (toilet installation, minor leaks) and electrical (ceiling fan and hot water heater installations).I can fix just about anything, or find a way to get it fixed.