Willie H. Smith

Senior Procurement Executive

In October 2010, Willie H. Smith officially assumed the responsibilities of Senior Procurement Executive for the United States Department of Transportation (DOT). He is the official responsible for the management direction of all DOT procurement systems and programs. His responsibilities encompass implementation of the full range of procurement policies, regulations, and standards applicable to the Department.

Experience

Prior to this assignment, Willie served as Director, Office of Acquisition Management for the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA).  He was responsible for overseeing the full range of greater than one billion dollars of annual procurement services performed by the Office of Acquisition Management, including the development of FHWA procurement policy, planning and procurement programs, the recruitment and development of potential contracting sources, and the provision of the supply items required for the daily operation of the FHWA technical offices.

Before assuming the above assignment, Willie served as a Senior Program Analyst in the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics.  In this capacity, he provided acquisition management oversight for Major Defense Acquisition Programs for the Departments of Air Force, Army, and Navy.  He facilitated policy development and ensured the successful planning and integration of cost, schedule, and technical aspects of acquisition programs by promoting coordination, integration and mutual understanding within the Department of Defense (DoD), between Defense agencies and other Federal Agencies, and with International Cooperative Programs and Allied Nations.

Just prior to his position with the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense, Willie served as Assistant to the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Air Programs.  He provided recommendations and guidance in the evaluation of the politics, institutions, and actors involved in the agenda-setting, formulation, and implementation of Navy and DoD acquisition, procurement policy, and budget.

In addition to the aforementioned, Willie has served in an assortment of other leadership capacities within the Navy including Deputy Program Manager for the Navy's Defense Suppressions Systems Program office, Acquisition Deputy to the Program Executive Officer for Tactical Aircraft programs,  Operations Officer for the F/A-18 E/F program, and Program Manager for the $3 billion Finland F/A-18 Foreign Military Sales program.

Background

Willie is a graduate of Fayetteville State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration and Management.  He holds two Masters degrees; a Master  of Public Administration degree with concentrations in Financial Management and Government Contracting; and a Master  of Science degree in National Resource Strategy.  Willie also holds a Doctorate of Management and Organizational Leadership.

He has received numerous performance and honor awards including the FHWA Administrator's Award for Superior Achievement, the Navy's Civilian Meritorious Service award, the Secretary of the Navy's Acquisition Reform award, and the Department of Defense Acquisition Excellence Award.