ASC Office of Small Business Civilians receive awards, SES coins

By Kelly Haertjens, ASC Public Affairs

ROCK ISLAND ARSENAL, Ill. – Two U.S. Army Sustainment Command employees have been honored for their outstanding contributions in the Office of Small Business Programs-Rock Island. Ryan Pierce and Wendy Streeter were both recognized during the Small Business Training Week in Baltimore, Maryland at the end of June .

Pierce received the “Beyond the Call of Duty” award while Streeter was awarded “Small Business Professional of the Year.”

The majority of Streeter’s career in small business has been with ASC. She has been part of the Office of Small Business since 2019, but completed a year-long developmental assignment with Headquarters, Department of the Army, Office of Small Business Programs in January 2023. She was recognized for her accomplishments in fiscal year 2022, which included enhancing efficiencies, improving effectiveness, and bolstering the Small Business Program.

Streeter’s gratification in supporting the Army Small Business Program lies in aiding contractors. She recounts an event focused on women-owned small businesses entering the federal marketplace.

“I received hugs and had contractors crying tears of joy in response to the guidance and assistance I provided them,” she says. “It is an amazing feeling to help contractors while also helping to grow the industrial base. A larger industrial base equates to increased competition. Increased competition results in the government receiving the best value which means we can do more with less money.”

Matchmaking, Streeter notes, is integral to her role.

“There are many small businesses who think it is easier to get into federal government contracting by being a subcontractor,” she explains. “Assisting interested vendors and current contractors with finding each other is a win-win-win experience. The government needs subcontractors as much as they need prime contractors.”

She says she feels many underestimate the support the Small Business Program can offer.

“The biggest hurdle that I try to jump every single day is convincing others of the importance of the Small Business Program,” she says. “Many people look at small business professionals as a simple signature they need to obtain and a box they need to check. In actuality, we’re here to help along every step of the acquisition process. The more we are involved throughout the process the more we can help rather than hinder or slow down the acquisition timeline.”

With a “data-driven” approach, Streeter identifies trends for more effective Small Business Program utilization. By combining data with shared contractor and contracting professional experiences, she works to bridge gaps in understanding.

She aspires to contribute to advanced market research, reducing the need for sole source awards.

“Sole source awards mean the government has a single point of failure putting at risk our national security, readiness, and the lethality of our Army,” she states. “All businesses start out as small. This is why the Small Business Program is critical to growing our industrial base.”

Beyond her dedication to small business, Streeter enjoys camping, kayaking, fishing, and cooking. She resides in Bettendorf, Iowa, with her husband, three children and a dog.

Meanwhile, Pierce, with just over a year in Small Business, previously spent 17 years in contracting, including 12 years as a contracting officer. His accolades stem from his achievements as a contracting professional temporarily assigned to the Office of Small Business Program. His contributions include enhancing effectiveness, driving change, and enthusiastically embracing new tasks and challenges. His passion prompted him to accept a permanent position on the team in November 2022.

“My favorite part about the Office of Small Business-Rock Island is the team,” Pierce says. “We work well together and are constantly looking for ways to improve internal processes to better meet the mission.”

Pierce says that his role in small business is a lot different than what he did in contracting.

“I’ve had to learn to become a subject matter expert in a specific area of responsibility versus being a jack of all trades,” he says. “In my previous roles, breadth of knowledge was the expectation. Now, the goal is to have a depth of knowledge in small business, so that was a big change initially.”

However, he says winning this award was “an extremely validating experience” and that he feels “blessed to have been recognized for my efforts.”

Pierce is enthusiastic about his future in small business.

“I intend to continue to advocate for small business participation in Department of Defense procurements to grow our Defense Industrial Base,” he says. “Despite the DoD meeting its small business prime contracting goal over the past eight years, the number of small businesses participating in the DIB has declined by more than 40 percent over the past decade. It’s important to have a robust DIB so the DoD has access to emerging technologies, ingenuity and unique capabilities offered by small businesses.”

He encourages individuals to step out of their comfort zones when considering ways to jumpstart their career.

“If you have been working in one area of expertise for a majority of your career, I highly recommend taking a chance and trying something different,” he says. “It’s a great way to broaden your experience, enhance your skills and abilities, meet new people, and see how things operate from another perspective.”

Pierce lives in Bettendorf, Iowa, with his spouse and three children. His interests include spending time with family, reading, constructing metal models, and enjoying a family-owned cottage in Galena, Illinois.

In addition to Streeter and Pierce’s awards, the U.S. Army Materiel Command Office of Small Business Programs earned three group awards for HUBZone Utilization, Women-Owned Small Business Utilization and Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business Utilization. These awards recognized contributions from all small business offices under the AMC umbrella, including the Office of Small Business Programs-Rock Island. Those honored in Rock Island include Pierce, Streeter, Todd Kowalke, Ben Martin, and Sylvia Just.