Dr. Marilyn C. Croach, a member of the Senior Executive Service, is Deputy Director, Air Force Civil Engineer Center, Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland AFB, Texas. In this position, she assists the director in leading a more than 1,900-person primary subordinate unit, assigned to Air Force Materiel Command and attached to the Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center, responsible for providing responsive, flexible full-spectrum installation engineering services. AFCEC missions include facility investment planning, design and construction, operations support, real property management, energy support, environmental compliance and restoration, and readiness and emergency management. The unit conducts its operations at more than 75 locations worldwide.
Dr. Croach has extensive experience in state and federal governments, academia, and in the private sector. She has testified before congressional committees about measures and appropriations for the Department of Defense, Department of Commerce, Office of Personnel Management, and the Department of Veterans Affairs. She has consulted in the private sector in a variety of areas including collaborative partnership building; strategic planning; governmental and legislative relations; public policy analysis; crisis communication; and post-Base Realignment and Closure community economic development. She participated in thesis committees at the Naval Postgraduate School, served as a guest lecturer in the Political Science Department at the U.S. Air Force Academy, and volunteers as a coach of students enrolled in doctoral programs.
While serving at the Department of Justice, Dr. Croach championed successful interface and trust-building initiatives among federal executive and legislative branch officials, as well as state and local officials concerning initiatives, priorities, and budgets for public safety, science and technology, and research and development. While serving with at the Department of Homeland Security, she led collaborative DHS-wide strategic planning and analysis staff activities to promulgate a congressionally mandated integrative plan to consolidate research, development, demonstration, test and evaluation activities. Dr. Croach served in these federal assignments as a loaned scholar from the University of Texas at Austin in the Federal Intergovernmental Personnel Act Mobility Program. Prior to her current assignment, Dr. Croach served as Domestic Policy Advisor for North American Aerospace Defense Command and U.S. Northern Command, where she provided strategic advice and created and executed strategies to establish collaborative engagements and partnerships. She was appointed to the Senior Executive Service in 2010.
EDUCATION
1977 Bachelor of Science degree, University of Alabama
1989 Master of Science degree in administration, Central Michigan University
1999 Legislative Studies Certificate, Georgetown University, Washington, D.C.
2004 Doctor of Philosophy degree, Capella University
CAREER CHRONOLOGY
1. January 1982 - March 1986, Reagan and Bush Administration political appointee as Special Assistant (Legislative Affairs) and Special Assistant (Public Affairs) to the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Manpower, Reserve Affairs and Logistics (later titled Manpower, Installations and Logistics; and Force Management and Personnel), Washington, D.C.
2. September 1989 - February 1995, Director of Operations, Defense Transition Services, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Fla.
3. April 1995 - February 1997, Associate, Community Development Services, BRW/Dames & Moore/URS, Washington, D.C.
4. February 1997 - January 2000, Director, Federal Relations, University of Central Florida, Orlando
5. January 2000 - October 2003, Director, Strategic Technology Initiatives, Department of Justice, National Institute of Justice, Washington, D.C.
6. October 2003 - July 2005, Special Assistant for Program Integration (Plans, Policy and Budget) to the Under Secretary for Science and Technology, Department of Homeland Security, Washington, D.C.
7. August 2005 - September 2006, Futures Group and Domestic Initiatives Team Member, Interagency Coordination Directorate, North American Aerospace Defense Command and U.S. Northern Command, Peterson AFB, Colo.
8. September 2006 - July 2010, Senior Adviser to the Commander, NORAD and USNORTHCOM, Peterson AFB, Colo.
9. July 2010 - August 2013, Domestic Policy Adviser, NORAD and USNORTHCOM, Peterson AFB, Colo.
10. August 2013 - present, Deputy Director, Air Force Civil Engineer Center, Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas
AWARDS AND HONORS
1986 Secretary of Defense Meritorious Civilian Service Award
1993 Air Force Association Award: Assistance to nearly 3,000 military members and families in transition to civilian status
2009 NORAD Deputy Commander Commendation for "Exceptional counsel and assistance to Canadian forces personnel in NORAD"
2011 Joint Meritorious Unit Award, NORAD and USNORTHCOM
2012 Joint Meritorious Unit Award, NORAD and USNORTHCOM
2013 Joint Civilian Service Commendation Award
OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS
- Presidential recognition as Department of Defense Representative to U.S. Postal Service project to issue the "Hispanic Medal of Honor" stamp
- Committee on Women in the NATO Forces recognition for planning and participation in U.S.-hosted NATO meetings
- American Women in Radio and Television recognition as DOD Representative for "We All Came Home," a broadcast film of on-camera interviews with U.S. Army and Navy nurse POWs in Bataan and Corregidor during WWII
- Gubernatorial appointments as Director of Defense Programs, Enterprise, Fla.; and Florida Defense Transition and Conversion Commission
- U.S. Senate, U.S. Navy and Florida Legislature recognition for conceptual development and intergovernmental relations for the "Partnership Building" national model project
- Gubernatorial recognition: State of Texas Plan for post-BRAC Economic Reinvestment; Establishing the Texas Office of Defense Affairs and the Texas Military Preparedness Commission
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS AND ASSOCIATIONS
Air Force Association
National Military Family Association
(Current as of May 2015)