Starting as a Subcontract Administrator, Dena quickly expanded her responsibilities, supporting contracts across Siemens businesses and taking on increasingly complex work. Nearly two decades later, she has effectively managed more than 200 task orders from cradle to grave in support of critical Army Corps of Engineers projects around the world.
Dena's career with SGT has evolved over time, all centered on earning the trust of customers, peers, and partners alike. She served for five years as SGT's Small Business Liaison Officer, building relationships with suppliers and vendors, expanding the company's pool of qualified subcontractors. In 2012, she moved into contract management, where she found a role that was both challenging and rewarding. "Every day is always different and challenging to say the least," she says. "I value that I am a trusted partner with the SGT project managers."
Over the course of her career, she has made many contributions to the business, including a key role as a superuser in developing SGT's automated contract approval process in Salesforce, helping establish a centralized system for contracts and task order data, streamlining approvals for contract awards and modifications. Her contributions haven't gone unnoticed; she has been recognized multiple times as a category finalist and winner at the company's annual awards program.
For Dena, the impact of her work is closely tied to both mission success and responsible contract execution. Her role helps ensure that customer requirements are understood, contracts are structured effectively, and potential risks are addressed before they become problems.
Throughout her career, Dena has been shaped by mentors, leaders, contracting officers, and colleagues who have shared their knowledge and made themselves available when challenges arise. She credits those relationships, along with the subject-matter expertise across SGT, as a major reason she has continued to grow. She has graciously reciprocated the mentorship received by mentoring interns and others across the organization who want to learn more about federal contracting.
She has also seen the organization evolve through greater process automation, access to more contract vehicles served by the Siemens advanced technology portfolio, and increased collaboration overall. Perhaps one of the biggest changes has been SGT's embrace of remote work and work-life balance, which she believes has opened the door to a broader national talent pool.
"Knowing that you are helping the mission is very rewarding."
As SGT looks ahead, Dena is excited by opportunities to expand self-performance capabilities and take on more cleared work. She sees significant room for both organizational and employee growth. For those who will carry the mission forward, her advice is straightforward: "Don't be afraid of taking on a new challenge, ask questions." At SGT, she says, employees are surrounded by people willing to help them succeed.
After 19 years with the organization, being recognized as a History Maker is meaningful because Dena believes her contributions have helped make SGT stronger and more effective. "I believe my contributions have made a difference," she says, while looking ahead to the teammates who will continue improving the company's contracting capabilities. For Dena, the legacy is not only what she has accomplished, but also what she has helped others learn, build, and carry forward.
