PBN Leaders & Achievers 2024 Awards
Mary Ann Gardner | Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division Newport | Production branch head, contracts department
FOR MOST OF HER CAREER, Mary Ann Gardner lived the life of a military spouse constantly moving from one spot to the next. While all the moves made it difficult for her to gain any traction in a career, the experiences did offer some benefits.
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Learn MoreGardner says going from one place to the next provided her a diverse and well-rounded background, working in multiple industries such as banking, construction and nonprofit.
In the early 1990s, Gardner started working in contract management and found she really liked the fast-paced nature of the work and that every day brought with it new challenges. Today, as production branch head in the contracts department at Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division Newport, Gardner is responsible for the delegation and efficient completion of contract actions for various Division Newport customers and other NAVSEA entities.
Managing and mentoring a group of nearly 20 employees, she oversees a complicated workload to ensure U.S. Navy customers receive the goods and services needed to fulfill their mission. During the 2023 fiscal year, Gardner’s branch executed more than 400 actions totaling about $300 million in obligations.
“On average, we have approximately 200 active actions at any given time,” Gardner said. “These range from simple actions such as adding funding on existing contracts to [the awarding] of new contracts in excess of $200 million each.”
One recent effort is the award of a follow-on contract for the Photonics Depot, which serves as a one-of-a-kind depot repair facility for the entire U.S. Navy to repair photonics masts for its submarine fleet. Another effort awarded a 10-year contract for parts and repairs for the antenna pedestal group for the Navy’s submarine high-data-rate antenna system.
Although Gardner finds great satisfaction professionally in awarding high-dollar, high-visibility contracts, her real reward is in seeing those she has mentored, trained and developed get promoted and grow into leaders.
“I have the distinct honor and privilege to lead an amazing group of people,” Gardner said, “people who understand the importance of what we do and the need to complete acquisitions quickly and efficiently while still maintaining regulatory compliance. How I impact and mentor the next generation of leaders is what I am most proud of.”