Tawanda R. Rooney is the Deputy Director, Concepts, Development and Management Office (CDM), Secretary of the Air Force. As a member of the Defense Intelligence Senior Executive Service, Ms. Rooney manage resources and provide oversight of assigned organizations, programs, and developmental activities, totally over $5 billion in support of national security and operational priorities.
Prior to this assignment, Ms. Rooney was appointed by the Secretary of the Air Force as the Acting Director, Diversity and Inclusion for Department of the Air Force (DAF). In this role, Ms. Rooney was responsible for establishing the new office in accordance with the National Defense Authorization Act; advising the Secretary of the Air Force on DAF’s diversity and inclusion program, policies, and initiatives; and aligning the DAF diversity and inclusion strategy with its mission, to attract, recruit, develop and retain a high-quality, diverse Total Force, ensuring a culture of inclusion.
From 2015 to 2021, Ms. Rooney led, directed, and managed, organizational resources to meet national security missions.
Prior to this assignment, Ms. Rooney served as the Director, Intelligence Systems Support Office (ISSO) leading technology development and methodology efforts that provided specialized and innovative approaches to rapidly address the DoD strategic, operational, and tactical requirements.
Ms. Rooney’s civilian federal career in the DoD began in the Air Force’s summer-hire program at the Pentagon in 1984. In 1988, Ms. Rooney joined the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Directorate of Space Programs, where she provided budget analysis for space and space related programs.
From 1993 to 1999, Ms. Rooney held a number of positions ranging from project manager in a test and evaluation field activity to a program manager for an Intelligence Activity Organization gaining program, acquisition, test-and-evaluation and intelligence experience.
In 1999, Ms. Rooney was assigned to the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Program Analysis and Evaluation as a staff officer, responsible for policy formulation, resource planning, and program assessment and evaluation. She later moved on to become the Deputy Director for an information engineering and assessment laboratory with the ISSO, where she was responsible for the development of information management technologies that addressed critical intelligence priorities. In 2006, Ms. Rooney was promoted into the Defense Intelligence Senior Executive Service. Her executive assignments include the Director, Information Engineering and Assessment Laboratory, Office of the Under Secretary of Defense, Intelligence; Director, Intelligence Systems Support Office, Office of the Under Secretary of Defense, Intelligence; and Director, Office of Special Technology, Naval Intelligence.
Ms. Rooney has received numerous superior performance, special act, and service awards, to include the 2010 Meritorious Presidential Rank Award.
EDUCATION
1988 Bachelor of Science, Business Administration, Virginia State University, Petersburg, Va.
1993 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
1996 Master of Business Administration, minor in Management Information Systems, University of Maryland, University College, College Park, Md.
2001 Women's Leadership Program, Office of Personnel Management, Management Development Center, Aurora, Colo.
2007 Senior Executive Service Air and Space Seminar, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2010 Senior Executive Service APEX Program, Washington, D.C.
2010 Senior Managers Government Course, Harvard Kennedy School, Cambridge, Mass.
2013 Air Force-Senior Joint Information Applications Course, Air University, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2016 China and East Asia Seminar, Washington, D,C.
2017 Africa Seminar, Washington, D.C.
2018 National and International Security Leadership Seminar, Washington, D.C.
CAREER CHRONOLOGY
1. 1984-1988, Air Force Summer-hire Program, Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Plans and Operations, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
2. 1988-1993, Budget and Program Analyst, Management Support Office, Directorate of Space Programs, Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Washington, D.C.
3. 1993-1997, Project Manager, Defense Evaluation Support Activity, Falls Church, Va.
4. 1997-1999, Deputy Program Manager, Intelligence Systems Support Office, Arlington, Va.
5. 1999-2001, Staff Officer, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Program Analysis and Evaluation, Washington, D.C.
6. 2001-2006, Deputy Director, Information Engineering and Assessment Laboratory, Intelligence Systems Support Office, Fort Washington, Md.
7. 2006–2007, Director, Information Engineering and Assessment Laboratory, Intelligence Systems Support Office, Fort Washington, Md.
7. 2007–2015, Director, Intelligence Systems Support Office and Director, Office of Special Technology, Fort Washington, Md.
8. 2015–2021, Deputy Director/Director, Business Operations, Concepts, Development and Management Office, Secretary of Air Force, Fort Washington, Md.
9. 2021–2021, Acting Director, Diversity and Inclusion, Department of the Air Force, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
10. 2021–present, Deputy Director, Concepts, Development and Management Office, Secretary of Air Force, Fort Washington, Md.
AWARDS AND HONORS
1991 SAF/AQ Civilian of the Quarter Award
2000 Special Act Award
2004 and 2005 Air Force Special Act and Service Award
2010 Meritorious Executive Presidential Rank Award
2019 Meritorious Civilian Service Award
PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATIONS
Program Management Acquisition, Level II
(Current as of February 2022)