Sometimes It Takes a Village
When I first contacted the Pentagon public affairs office for an interview on the Better Buying Power initiative, I was willing to interview any subject matter expert they could line me up with. Shortly after I sent in my query, the government shut down, the public affairs source I was working with was furloughed and my query was going nowhere fast.
When I first contacted the Pentagon public affairs office for an interview on the Better Buying Power initiative ("Transforming Defense Acquisition From the Inside"), I was willing to interview any subject matter expert they could line me up with.
Shortly after I sent in my query, the government shut down, the public affairs source I was working with was furloughed and my query was going nowhere fast. Then a chance chat with an AFCEA executive led to the recommendation that I talk to Sue Payton, former assistant secretary of the Air Force for acquisition. The executive introduced me via email to Sue, who was extraordinarily generous with her time, knowledgeable, informative and just all-around great to work with.
Sue then suggested that I interview Katrina McFarland, assistant secretary of defense for acquisition. Sue introduced me, via email, to Katrina, who graciously agreed to take time out of her busy schedule for an interview.
And a story was born—a much more interesting and informative story (I hope) than I could have written without the time and goodwill of others.
Please take the time to let us know what you think—good, bad, ugly or neutral. We value your feedback.
Cheers,
George
