GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. –
My DCMA showcases the Defense Contract Management Agency’s experienced and diverse workforce and highlights what being a part of the national defense team means to them. Today, Rick Weigel shares his story.
My name is Rick Weigel, and this is “My DCMA.”
I am a quality assurance supervisor with DCMA Detroit, but I am based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. My job duties include managing and mentoring a team of quality assurance specialists covering a geographical area of more than 20,000 miles. We have oversight of approximately 40 contractors who deliver diverse supplies. My team supports several major acquisition category programs.
I have been a part of the DCMA Detroit team for 15 years. I love working at DCMA. We have an important mission, good benefits, and so many opportunities for anyone wanting to make a difference and contribute to the agency’s success. I have had several challenging, but rewarding assignments within the quality assurance career field, from the deserts of Afghanistan and Iraq to the city life north of Detroit, to now the snow and lakes in West Michigan. DCMA has presented me with opportunities that I could not experience elsewhere.
Some of the great things about working at my location include being a part of a contract management office with resident and nonresident facilities, which offers many opportunities. We get exposure to different programs, buying commands, and products of all types. I have been blessed to work at my location.
DCMA has changed over the last 15 years. The agency was aligned by sectors. For example, I worked in the Ground Systems Sector, and our group had access to field service representatives and subject matter experts in every commodity.
DCMA is important to America’s warfighters because we are the first line of defense. It is our boots standing on production lines or meeting with stakeholders to uphold contractual requirements as the independent, impartial, and objective administrators. We take an oath, protecting both the government and the industrial base, but most importantly, ensuring quality products are shipped to our warfighters. We are not influenced by milestone decisions or concerned with profit margins, but we uphold the contractual requirements and validate the outputs.
It is exciting to know DCMA has been around for more than 20 years. I feel there will always be a need for DCMA’s presence in the contractor facilities to ensure that the warfighters’ needs are being met. I am excited to continue leading my team to support those needs, as well as encouraging and embracing innovation to enhance DCMA’s capabilities and impact. A goal for my team this year is for us to maintain our focus on the warfighters’ needs while transitioning into the new Product Data Reporting and Evaluation Program platform for surveillance.
My current professional goal is to improve my leadership competency while working with the Central Region on the Leadership Development Program pilot. My future career goals include continuing my leadership development as a supervisor and assisting the agency in our functional capabilities’ transformation. I feel empowered to influence change and improve our policies and tools by providing valuable feedback.
My favorite hobbies include riding my motorcycle, snowmobiling, and working in my yard. Something unique about me is that I prefer colder weather, and I enjoy the snow. I dislike extreme heat. A sunny day is great as long as it is below 70 degrees.