PACER Spotlight: Jordan Whitaker

BATTLE CREEK, Mich. -

Jordan Whitaker is a current member of Defense Logistics Agency Disposition Services Pathways to Career Excellence Program Group 46, which began in 2023. For his second year in the PACE Program, Whitaker will be placed at the DLA Disposition Services Fort Mead, Maryland, site.

Why did you first apply to the PACE Program and what was your previous position with DLA?

The PACE Program sparked my interest in wanting to see the full spectrum of DLA Disposition Services. My previous position in DLA was a control property verifier and local stock number verifier at Fort Cavazos, Texas. I have been with DLA for approximately 2 years.

What is your professional background?

I have a logistics background that started with the Defense Department, working in a cold storage facility warehouse in Ramstein, Germany. I moved to Fort Eisenhower, Georgia, where I was responsible for medical logistics at Dwight D. Eisenhower Army Medical Center.

What have been your favorite parts of the PACE Program?

My favorite part of the program is receiving overviews from each branch of Disposition Services.

Do you have a favorite memory from your time in the program?

One of my favorite memories was witnessing the relief and satisfaction on the faces of PACE Group 46 after our successful first In-Progress Review brief to DLA Disposition Services Director Mike Cannon and senior leadership.

If you could change one aspect of your experience in the PACE Program, what would it be?

One thing that I would have liked was everyone having the same start date and on-boarding at the same time.

What would you say is the most important quality to succeed in the PACE Program?

The most important quality that I see for future PACERs is to be organized. Being organized will help with all the tasks that are set for you like documenting your Quarterly Progress Review, In-Progress Review, keeping your PACE checklist up to date, and doing pulse checks with gaining leadership.

In your own words, how would you describe the PACE Program, and what can you gain from it?

The PACE Program for me is a wonderful opportunity to gain all the knowledge you need from every aspect of Disposition Services. After completion of the program, you can find the department that sparked your interest the most and pursue that pathway.

You are assigned to Fort Meade for your second year of the PACE Program. Was it your top choice?

Fort Meade is a great fit for my family because my wife is active-duty Army and is stationed in Washington, D.C.

What your plans for your future in the agency?

My plan with the agency is to absorb as much information possible while in the headquarters location in Battle Creek, Michigan, and bring it to the field sites. I have not chosen a particular pathway yet; I am still learning all my options.

Editorial Note: The Pathways to Career Excellence Program for DLA Disposition Services is a two-year program that takes PACERs through all of Disposition Services and its processes to learn as much as possible about the directorate. The first year takes place at DLA Disposition Services Headquarters in Battle Creek, Michigan, and the second year either takes place in Battle Creek for Contracting PACERs or at an assigned field site for Property Disposal PACERs. PACERs begin as general schedule 7s, move to GS-9s at the end of their first year, and graduate the program as GS-11s. There are multiple pathways to becoming a PACER, including being hired internally, as a recent graduate, or from military service.

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