About Me

His professional procurement skills come from a strong operational background of twenty years of contracting experience in the US Air Force.  Ed completed seven years of his military career overseas in Diego Garcia, Korea and Belgium.  Personally, he has been sent to over 40 countries to perform contracting duties.  An expert on contingency procurement, he was assigned as the lead planner and responsible for deploying contracting personnel worldwide from the Pentagon.  Ed’s final assignment in NATO at SHAPE HQ in Belgium was as chief, strategic sourcing and contingency operations section, purchasing and contracting branch.  He provided acquisition advice to senior leaders on contract development for supplies, services, and construction valued at more than 500 million euros annually.  He also monitored contract development, performance and cost of contracts supporting all crisis response operations for NATO in the Balkans, Afghanistan, Iraq and the Sudan.

Ed’s previous contracting assignments have been as a contracting officer and staff positions for operational, contingency and logistics support.  During Desert Storm, he performed contracting actions for the 4300th Provisional Bombardment Wing at Diego Garcia, British Indian Ocean Territory.  Ed was selected for the Air Force logistics career broadening program and completed his rotations at the Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center.  He served on the joint staff at U.S. Forces Korea coordinating armistice and contingency contracting operations for exercises and real world deployments.  Ed also commanded the 97th Contracting Squadron at Altus AFB, where his unit recorded eight validated Air Force Best Practices and was selected 2003 Best Contracting Squadron in Air Education and Training Command.

An author of two articles in Contract Management magazine on acquisition topics, Ed has guest lectured over 10 years for the Air Force Institute of Technology, Air Force Staff Judge Advocate School and Defense Acquisition University on various topics including risk management, negotiations, contingency contracting, international acquisitions, service contracts, and quality assurance.

Ed has been designated a Fellow, by the National Contract Management Association (NCMA).  His professional certifications include:  Professional Designation in Contract Management, Certified Professional Contracts Manager, and the Acquisition Professional Development Program Level III, Contracting.

As a boy, he obtained Eagle Scout in the Boy Scouts of America.  Three years he served on Boy Scout Summer Camps at the Muskingum Valley Scout Reservation and Camp Lazarus.  Twice, 1979 and 1985, he hiked in the vast wilderness of PhilmontScoutRanch in New Mexico, the largest youth camp in the world.  As an adult, Ed volunteered in various positions as time allowed:  including Scoutmaster and District Chairman.  As Scoutmaster of Troop 97, Blytheville, Arkansas, he had eight boys obtain Eagle Scout.  He lead many one-time events as the overall chairman:  Eagle Scout Recognition Dinners, Altus AFB Scout Open House Weekend, District Award Dinners, and Section Conclaves.

In the Order of the Arrow (OA), Ed was selected for the Vigil Honor as a member of Netawatwees Lodge #424.  Serving as Chapter Chief, and 2 years each as Lodge Chief and EC-6A Section Chief.  Later as an adult, he was Chapter Adviser in Oklahoma and served as SR-3A Section Adviser.  As a youth and adult, he served on staff for several National Leadership Seminars, on the training staff at several National OA Conferences and staff of the 1985 OA Philmont Trek.  He was the first youth recipient in his lodge of the Founder‘sAward and in 1998 was selected for the OA’s national award, DistinguishedServiceAward.