RICHARD F. MACHAMER

Newport News, VA 23602

richardfmachamer@gmail.com

r_machamer@yahoo.com

OBJECTIVE: Project Manager / Strategic Communications Manager

EXPERIENCE SUMMARY:

• 25+ years, US Army (Colonel, Honorably Retired)
• 20 years, Executive and Leadership Management
• 16 years, Public Relations Liaison & Communications Director (Project Manager/Program Manager)
• 5 years, Editor, Writer, Communications
• 5 years, Contract and Business Development Manager
• 2 years, Instructor
• 5 years, Army Inspector General

CLEARANCE:                         DOD, Top Secret (last adjudicated: 08/12, expires: 08/16)

EXPERIENCE PORTFOLIO:

05/14 – 09/14, Project Manager

Engility Corporation, Military Health Systems Communications, Arlington, VA

• Provided contract project management support for developing and executing a worldwide communications program supporting a multi-billion dollar healthcare enterprise affecting >9.6 million beneficiaries
• Managed > 20 public affairs specialists responsible for communications plans and operations, media relations, newsroom operations, strategic outreach, social media and web content
• Ensured the quality and timeliness of all required deliverables and reports
• Coordinated / liaised communications between client and contractor team leads increasing speed of delivery and quality assurance; e.g., newsroom published four news articles daily with fewer revisions
• Developed a report for senior government leaders to showcase weekly accomplishments of Office of Strategic Communications, resulting in increased support for strategic goals
• Created a work environment enabling contractor work force to provide increased responsive to client’s deliverables through leadership and management techniques

01/13 – 04/14, Strategic Communications Manager

Program Office for Defense Health Management Systems (DHMS); (formerly Department of Defense / Veterans Affairs Interagency Program Office)

Axiom-RM, Rosslyn, VA

• Produced and executed a Strategic Communications Plan to communicate success and garner support for the development of the Integrated Electronic Health Record, a 2009 Presidential directive to create single electronic health records for beneficiaries
• Coordinated DHMS first-time participation in Military Health Systems outreach to military and veteran organizations, including: Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), Military Officers Association of America (MOAA), Disabled American Veterans (DAV), and Association of the United States Army (AUSA)
• Participated in Department of Health and Medical Services (DHMS) communication coordination meetings weekly with military health public affairs offices in Capital Region
• Developed briefings for >10 presentations by Director, Interagency Program Office to health care organizations (e.g., Health and Information and Management Systems [HIMMS] and Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association [AFCEA])
• Developed responses to >10 news media queries per health IT and integrated electronic health record(s) systems; tracked media coverage; provided media analysis reports to senior leaders In coordination with DoD press office

08/09 – 10/12, Project Manager

BAE Systems, Tidewater Office, Hampton, VA

• Managed a $3M contract supporting multi-national Forces in Iraq with military and Iraqi civilian advisors for period of performance of 18 months
• Conducted business development, capture management, and proposal development for Joint, Navy and Stability Operations and Army Program directorates
• Wrote/administered quality control plans for three U.S. Army contracts valued at ~$900M+
• Developed formats and reporting procedures for monthly status reports, monthly plan of action reports, and trip reports required by each of 30+ sub-contractors
• Provided technical writing expertise for 14 proposals; for RFQ/RFPs valued at ~$1.07B
• Supported capture of business opportunities (2), results: contract awards valued at approximately $10M

06/05 – 08/09, Strategic Communications Team Leader, Public Relations (PR)

U.S. Joint Forces Command, BAE Systems, Suffolk, VA

• Managed PR for Joint Concept Development and Experimentation Directorate (J9)
• Responsible for development/execution of public affairs plans for several major experiments and concept developments to support Department of Defense transformation objectives, including Concept for Joint Operations, Multinational Experiment 6, Noble Resolve, and Unified Action
• Managed public affairs, supervising three staff members including two writers, a graphic artist, as well as a commercial printer, for J9 activities including: production of marketing tools (three books/six brochures) and publications such as a dozen Spotlights and 20 Fact Sheets; display design; media outreach; press briefings; news interviews; media training for designated spokespeople; and speech writing
• Responsible for reaching the following target audiences: general public, Department of Defense stakeholders in joint concept development / experimentation activities, select Congressional committees
• Managed public affairs support to national and international conferences and seminars, including: Annual Joint Warfighting Conference in Norfolk, VA; Annual Inter-Service/Industry Training, Simulation and Education Conference in Orlando, FL; and Annual Multinational Concept Development and Experimentation Conferences in various NATO countries

04/99 – 05/05, Special Assistant for International Media

U.S. Department of State, Washington, DC

• Advised directors of the State Department’s three Foreign Press Centers on Department of Defense public affairs strategies / plans concerning U.S. foreign policy activities from the Department of Defense
• Advised Secretaries of Defense for Public Affairs Ken Bacon and Torie Clarke (with military public affairs officers) on US-based foreign media organizations, reporters, coverage of U.S. national security policies
• Developed communication strategies for national security policies and operations to accurately portray U.S. positions and objectives to international media
• Conducted 20+ reporting tours for foreign reporters (10-12 per group) providing direct access to military bases/exercises, including Fort Polk, LA; West Point, NY; Fort Bragg, NC; the Pentagon rebuilding project following 9-11; aboard the carrier Harry S. Truman during deployment; Central Command headquarters, Tampa, FL; and NATO headquarters in Norfolk
• Provided press support at major events such as the 50^th anniversary NATO-summit; the Israel-Palestine peace talks at Camp David; the Israel-Syria peace talks in Shepherdstown, VA; and the 40^th anniversary of D-Day at Normandy
• Arranged and moderated circa 30 annually foreign media interviews and briefings for foreign correspondents with senior officials including Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld, Deputy Secretary Wolfowitz, Secretary of State Powell, Deputy Secretary Armitage, Generals Myers and Pace (Chairmen Joint Chiefs of Staff), General Tom Franks, commander during the Iraq War. Briefings covered current issues including Operations Enduring Freedom, Iraqi Freedom, the war on terrorism, missile defense, NATO, and U.S. peacekeeping missions
• Advised the Office of Assistant to the Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs (OASDPA) on identifying/assigning foreign reporters to military units during Iraq War
• Supported hundreds of media requests and answered queries from U.S-based and visiting foreign journalists from almost every country in the world, including Europe, Japan, and the Middle East

08/98 – 04/99, Director for the Center for the Professional Military Ethic (CPME)

US Military Academy, West Point, NY

• Assigned as the first director of the CPME; responsible for building the center; organized / budgeted an office with a 7-member staff of Army officers and non-commissioned officers, plus administrative support
• Identified long-term needs for Academy’s contribution to cadets’ character development; crafted center’s mission, goals, and vision, widely accepted by the Academy, its graduates, and external supporters

02/98 – 08/98, Chief of Public Information, Public Affairs Advisor/Spokesperson

North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Forces, Bosnia

• Responsible for public affairs for General Eric Shinseki, the Commanding General of the 37,000-member NATO Stabilization Force (SFOR) in Bosnia
• Directed a 50-person, multinational Coalition Press Information Center in Sarajevo
• Conducted daily (for 6-months) press conferences for international and Bosnian press with a follow-up daily media analysis report delivered to the SFOR commanders and primary staff members
• Supervised media operations for the three multi-national divisions (MND) assigned to SFOR: MND-North (U.S.); MND-South (French); and MND-West (British)
• Developed and executed public relations strategies to promote SFOR presence in Bosnia and implementation of the Dayton Peace Accords

06/96 – 02/98, Director of Public Affairs (Advisor/Spokesperson)

United States Military Academy, West Point, NY

• Managed a 29-person staff responsible for media relations, community relations, sports information, and internal communications through television and base newspaper, within an annual budget of $900K; reported to Superintendent of the United States Military Academy
• Directed operations of West Point Visitor Center servicing circa 2M tourists annually
• Marketed the academy to TV news/entertainment media for national exposure worth millions at no additional cost to budget, including a New York Times Magazine cover story, a two-hour television documentary, and a CBS one-hour pilot episode
• Developed and executed three crisis communication strategies for events under intense national media scrutiny, including the first rape trial in Academy history and dismissal of a faculty department head
• Developed a recruiting strategy for African-American cadets including personal consultations with members of the Congressional Black Caucus

09/94 – 06/96, Editor In Chief, Soldiers Magazine, Fort Belvoir, VA

02/92 – 09/94, Director, Army News Operations, The Pentagon

01/92 – 09/92, Deputy Director, Community Relations, Army Public Affairs, Pentagon

06/91 – 08/91, Editorial Writer, Manhattan Mercury, Manhattan, KS

07/89 – 12/90, Executive Officer, US Army, 4^th Battalion, 37^th Armor, Fort Riley, KS

07/86 – 06/88, Chief of Video Support, US Army, National Training Center (NTC), Fort Irwin, CA

06/84 – 03/86, Chief, Assistance & Investigations, US Army, Inspector General Office, Ansbach, Germany

11/82 – 06/84, Company Commander, US Army, 1^st Battalion, 37^th Armor, Katterbach, Germany

03/79 – 03/82, Instructor & Branch Chief, US Army, Platoon Tactics Branch, Fort Knox, KY

06/78– 03/79, Battalion Maintenance Officer, US Army, 1^st Battalion, 68^th Armor, Baumholder, Germany

11/77– 06/78, Company Executive Officer, US Army, 1^st Battalion, 68^th Armor, Baumholder, Germany

03/76 – 11/77, Platoon Leader, US Army, 1^st Battalion, 68^th Armor, Baumholder, Germany

FORMAL EDUCATION:       

• 1990, Masters of Science, Journalism & Mass Communication, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS
• 1975, Bachelor of Science, Applied Science & Engineering, US Military Academy, West Point, NY

TRAINING / CERTIFICATIONS:

• 2009, Master’s Certificate, Government Contracting, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA
• 1999, Defense Strategy Course, US Army
• 1989, Command and General Staff College, US Army
• 1985, Public Affairs Officer Course, US Army
• 1984, Inspector General Course, US Army
• 1982, Armor Advanced Course, US Army
• 1976, Armor Motor Officer Course, US Army
• 1975, Armor Basic Course, US Army
• 1973, Army Airborne School, US Army

PUBLICATIONS / EDITORIALS:

• Machamer, R.F. (1993, Apr.). Avoiding a military-media war in the next armed conflict. Military Review LXXIII(4), 43.
• Machamer, R.F. (1993, Mar.). Uncertainty, INSCOM, 16(2), 1.
• Machamer, R.F. (1991, Jun. 23). 1^st played vital role in routing Iraqis. The Manhattan Mercury, 113, C6.

AWARDS / SPECIAL RECOGNITIONS:

• Legion of Merit
• Army Meritorious Service Medals (8)
• Department of State, Meritorious Honor
• Humanitarian Service Medal
• NATO Medal

VOLUNTEER / MEMBERSHIP / COMMUNITY:

• 1997 – present, Member, International Rotary Club, Hampton, VA
• 1975 – present, Association of Graduates, United States Military Academy
• 2012 – present, Peninsula Dream Center, Newport News, VA

KEY SKILL WORDS: academy, administration, Advisor, AFCEA, Airborne, analysis, Armed Forces, Armor, Army, AUSA, battalion, beneficiaries, briefing, budget, Capstone, capture, Command, communication, Congress, contractor, Coordinate, correspondent, CPME, DAV, deliverables, DHMS, directive, directorates, documentary, Editor, Electronics, enterprise, faculty, headquarters (HQ), Health Services, HIMMS, Inspect, Interagency, investigation, J9, Joint Staff , Journalist, leadership, liaison, management, marketing, media, Medical Management, Military, mission, MND, MOAA, NATO, Navy, News, newsroom, NTC, OASDPA, Officer, operations, organization, outreach, Pentagon, platoon, policies, press, proposal, prototype, Public Relations (PR), published, Quality Assurance (QA), reports, RFQ/RFP, security, SFOR, Simulation, specialists, speech, spokesperson, strategic planning, terrorism, training, transformation, Veterans, VFW, video, Warfighting