Ms. Amanda Gentry, a member of the Senior Executive Service, is the Director of the Sensors Directorate, Air Force Research Laboratory, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. The directorate ensures America's air, space, and cyber forces have superior Air Force intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, precision engagement, and electronic warfare systems capabilities by developing, demonstrating and transitioning advanced sensors and sensing technologies. The directorate’s primary areas of technology investment include radio frequency sensing; net-centric spectrum warfare; electro-optical sensors and countermeasures; automatic target recognition; performance-based sensing; and electronic devices. Ms. Gentry oversees an annual budget of more than $900 million, and directs the activities of approximately 1,200 scientists, engineers and support.
Ms. Gentry began her federal service career in 2001 as an associate materials engineer for the Air Force Research Laboratory. She has held a multitude of both management and technical positions within the Air Force Research Laboratory, the Joint Strike Fighter Program Office and Air Force Acquisition.
Prior to her current assignment, Ms. Gentry served as the Director of Engineering for the Architecture and Integration Directorate, Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio.
EDUCATION
2004 Bachelor of Science, Chemical Engineering, University of Toledo, Ohio
2007 Master of Science, Materials Engineering, University of Dayton, Ohio
2013 Master of Business Administration, Aerospace Defense, University of Tennessee-Knoxville
2016 Air War College, Air University, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala., by correspondence
2018 Key Executive Leadership Program, American University, Washington, D.C.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. May 2001–November 2005, Associate Materials Engineer, Materials Directorate, Air Force Research Laboratory, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio
2. November 2005–October 2008, Materials Engineer-Failure Analysis, Materials Directorate, AFRL, Wright- Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio
3. October 2008–July 2011, F-35 Materials Integrated Product Team Lead, Materials Directorate, AFRL, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio
4. May 2011–July 2016, F-35 Science and Technology Team Lead, Joint Strike Fighter Program Office, Arlington, Va.
5. July 2016–February 2019, Senior Systems Engineer, Secretary of the Air Force Science, Technology and Engineering (SAF/AQR), the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
6. February 2019–June 2021, Director of Engineering, Architecture and Integration Directorate, Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
7. July 2021–present, Director, Sensors Directorate, AFRL, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
2015 Small Business Administration Tibbetts Award
2015 U.S. Air Force Exemplary Civilian Service Award
2016 Office of the Secretary of Defense Exceptional Civilian Service Award
2017 Headquarters Air Force Civilian (Category III) of the Quarter
PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATIONS
DAWIA/APDP Certification in Engineering and Science & Technology Management, Level III
Executive Women in Government Mentoring Program, Protégé (2016), Mentor (2017)
Lean-Six Sigma Green Belt Certification
FAA Private Pilot Certificate
(Current as of July 2021)