Voorhees Alumna Receives Army Civilian Award
Post Office Box 678 Denmark, SC 29042 The Official Affairs of the Alumni Newsletter
“The ROAR” VOLUME ONE September 2020
FEATURES: Alumna Receives Civilian Award Remembering the Fallen Tigers
A Message from the President Introducing the Division of Institutional Advancement and Development National Alumni Officers Save the Dates Alumni Chapters
A Message from the Director of Alumni Affairs Voorhees College 2019—2020 Year-In-Review VC Alumni Spotlight Stephanie Rivers-Kluttz, Editor-in-Chief Megan Freeman, Contributor Xan Jennings, Contributing Editor Tammy Williams, Contributing Editor Yvonne Singleton, Contributing Editor Lugenia Rochelle, Contributing Editor
Voorhees College alumna Audrey Smith recently received a United States Army Civilian Award. The U.S. Department of Army awards individuals a variety of awards to honor and recognize the contribution and efforts of its civilian workforce. Robin Swan, director of the Army Office of Business Transformation, nominated Smith for the award. “The leadership characteristics that make Ms. Smith’s contributions stand out are mastery of communication in a complex environment, balancing change under strict timelines, and supervising and mentoring military and civilians,” Swan wrote in Smith’s award nomination letter. Smith entered federal government service in 2007 and served as the family programs chief for the Eighth U.S. Army at U.S. Army Garrison Yongsan in Seoul, South Korea before she held leadership positions in the Defense Information Systems Agency’s Office of the Chief Information Officer. Currently, she serves as the chief of policy and governance for the Army Office of Business Transformation. Smith manages the Army’s Business Mission Area portfolio (BMA), overseeing the domains of acquisition, financial management, human resources management, installations, energy and environment, logistics, and training and readiness. In 2017, Army senior leaders asked Smith and her team to reduce the Army’s 706 defense business systems to divert $500 million toward readiness and modernization.
Smith also led the publication of the Army’s first Business Capability Acquisition Cycle. This measure increased efficiency and transparency of business systems while cutting costs of those programs across the Army in the areas of doctrine, organization, training, personnel, facilities, and policy. Additionally, she is the recipient of the 2020 Women of Color Joint Women’s Leadership Excellence Meritorious Service Award. Smith is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. and a life member of both the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars. Photo courtesy: Army News Service Audrey Smith