Hycentha Hodge

Hycentha Hodge has over 50 years of experience in the defense industry as a contract manager. Currently, she is an instructor and a retired Deputy Commander of the Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA) Western Regional Command. The Region’s workload consists of multiple Acquisition Category (ACAT) I, ll, and III Major Defense Acquisition Programs (MDAP) valued in excess of $510 billion. Her total contract count averaged 73,000 contracts. Her 2,300-member workforce consisted of contracts, quality, engineering, and manufacturing acquisition professionals and a host of administrative support personnel. Prior DCMA positions include serving as DCMA’s Director of Contracts Planning and Performance Assessments where she was responsible for ensuring DCMA contracting workforce had the tools and resources needed for successful execution of pre-award and post award contracting requirements. This included direct interface with DoD Defense Procurement Acquisition Policy Office, the Defense Acquisition University and the Strategic Sourcing Working Group. She served as Deputy Director at two Contract Management Offices (CMOs), DCMA Lathrop and DCMA Manassas. Both CMOs workloads included a variety of contract types for major ACAT programs and sustainment supplies and services. She provided leadership and technical guidance to a workforce of more than 350 acquisition professionals and administrative support staff. While at DCMA Lathrop, she also served as the CMO Director. Hycentha began her federal gov’t career as an intern with the Army Aviation and Missile Command at Redstone Arsenal, AL. There she was a contracts specialist; responsible for the procurement requirements for an ACAT II MDAP. She later transitioned to DCMA Huntsville where she functioned as a Contract Administrator and an Administrative Contracting Office (ACO); holding an unlimited warrant. While at DCMA Huntsville she progressed to the position of CMO Contracts Director and Officer in Charge (OIC) of the Birmingham Operations. Hycentha is a member of the DoD Acquisition Corp; is DAWIA III certified, Contracting; earned a BS Degree in Business Administration, Miles College, Birmingham, AL; and a Master of Business Administration Degree, Alabama A&M University, Normal, AL. She completed Democracy for a Democratic Society, FEI; the Senior Executive Fellows Program, Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University; and the DCMA Tomorrows Leaders Initiative. She is the recipient of numerous awards and recognitions to including a Career Service Awards, Superior Civilian Service Award, Commendable Service Award and Sustained Superior Performance recognitions. She is member of the National Contract Management Association (NCMA).