Tawanda R. Rooney, a member of the Defense Intelligence Senior Executive Service, is the Deputy Director, Competitive Activities, Headquarters Department of the Air Force, Arlington, Va. Ms. Rooney assists and advises the Director, Competitive Activities in the formulation, review, and execution of plans and assessments; and synchronization, integration and oversight of sensitive activities and special access programs to increase the Department’s competitive posture.
Ms. Rooney began her federal career with the Air Force’s Summer Hire program at the Pentagon in 1984. She transitioned to a permanent assignment with the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Directorate of Space Programs, providing budget analysis for space and space-related programs. Ms. Rooney continued her career progression, holding numerous positions ranging from Project Manager in a test and evaluation field activity to a Program Manager for an intelligence activity organization gaining 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 became the Deputy Director for an information engineering and assessment laboratory, where she oversaw 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 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; Director, Office of Special Technology, Naval Intelligence; Director, Diversity and Inclusion, Secretary of the Air Force, and Deputy Director, Concepts, Development and Management Office.
Prior to her current assignment, Ms. Rooney served as the Director, Concepts, Development and Management Office to the Secretary of the Air Force, Administrative Assistant, leading and implementing highly complex problem sets at the intersection of the Department of Defense and the Intelligence Community.
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, 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.
2022 Executive Leadership Program in Managing for Inclusion for USAF
2024 Leading Data and AI-Enabled Organizations
2024 Advanced Senior Leader Development Program
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, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
2. 1988–1993, Budget and Program Analyst, Management Support Office, Directorate of Space Programs, Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
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, Director, Diversity and Inclusion, Department of the Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
10. 2021–2024, Deputy Director, Concepts, Development and Management Office, Secretary of Air Force, Fort Washington, Md.
11. 2024–2024, Director, Concepts, Development and Management Office, Secretary of Air Force, Fort Washington, Md.
12. 2024–present, Deputy Director, Competitive Activities, Headquarters Department of the Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
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 December 2024)