Susan Campbell This is Me

Education

 Web References

1. 1. Alabama Technology Today

   www.alatechtoday.com/archives_ - [Cached]

   Published on: 9/2/2004   Last Visited: 3/26/2006

   Susan Campbell
   ...
   Her original career plan didn't include a steady climb up the hi-tech ladder; nonetheless, Susan Campbell quickly ascended from one rung to the next before reaching one of the U.S. Army's highest civilian rankings. Campbell is currently the Chief Systems Engineer at the Joint Land Attack Cruise Missile Defense Elevated Netted Sensor System (JLENS) Project Office in Huntsville.
   
   The ambitious central Florida native started her college education at 16, studying chemistry at Polk Community College in Winter Haven. At 18, she got her first "real" job as an analytical lab technician with Mobil Chemical Company, also in Florida. When she was younger, Campbell wanted to be a medical doctor, but practicality prevailed and she decided she "wanted to make good money without the burden of big medical school loans." That philosophy led her to pursue an engineering degree, which she would complete at the University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH). She was inspired by the many engineers she encountered here. "They were encouraging," says Campbell. "It was clear how marketable an engineering degree was… how in demand engineers were."
   
   In 1987, six months after graduating, Campbell started her career with the Army, first with MICOM, the Army's missile command and later with the Ground-based Missile Defense (GMD) and Missile Defense Agency (MDA). Campbell went on to earn a Masters of Science in Engineering at UAH in 1993. By the late 1990s, she had already worked as a GS-13 for several years and had a professional revelation. "It became apparent that not only was I doing my job well, but I was also competent to do my boss's job." In 2003, she applied for a GS-15 Engineering Division Chief position at JLENS.
   
   Campbell got that job, a professional reality she couldn't have even fathomed 16 years earlier as she began her career with the Army. Now, she is responsible for 30 engineers in the 80 employee JLENS Product Office. The JLENS project is in the technical development phase of the acquisition process. Campbell's role includes managing a team of engineers, which she describes as the best and brightest. She provides the direction needed to accomplish the engineering mission, contributing to the ultimate success of JLENS. "I lead by serving," she explains. "My people have in-depth technical expertise and knowledge. I think it's important as a manager to know their strengths and weaknesses and to correlate their duties with their strengths."
   
   As for Campbell, she wants to continue in her current role, being part of such a high performance team. She says she enjoys being a technical manager and believes JLENS will play a crucial role in the nation's future. "I feel very fortunate to be here and to have been given the opportunity to work in this office." Campbell hopes the next generation of business women find similar satisfaction in their careers, hi-tech management or otherwise. "I encourage them to follow their dreams," she advises, "have self-confidence and go for what they want." A philosophy that worked wonders for Campbell herself.