Smith named director of human resources
FORT LEE, Va. – Craig R. Smith, former director of IT corporate support for the Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA), has been named director of human resources for the Defense Commissary Agency (DeCA) effective March 12.
He fills the position previously held by Cynthia A. Craft who retired from government service July 31, 2022. Rebecca E. Haase, human resources supervisor and deputy HR, had served as acting director since Aug. 1, 2022.
“Mr. Smith has a proven track record in human resources, particularly in the Army where he served in various HR-related leadership roles at major command level,” said Michael J. Dowling, DeCA deputy director and COO. “We are confident he will lead our HR team as they take care of our employees so they can focus on serving our patrons.”
As the agency’s human resources director, Smith oversees the agency’s human resource management programs and operations, which includes the following: employee and labor relations, workers’ compensation, staffing and classification, training and development and personnel data systems management. DeCA operates nearly 240 commissaries and has more than 14,000 employees across 45 states and 13 countries.
Before DeCA, Smith had served since 2014 as the director for IT corporate support at DCMA. There, he was the principal advisor to the executive director of Information Technology and Chief Information Officer. Smith also developed policy and provided guidance and leadership on a wide range of human capital functions: staffing and recruitment plans, position classification, grievance prevention and resolution, certification and professional development programs, and resource management for a workforce spread across 80 business locations worldwide.
“I’ve spent a career taking care of soldiers, and I’m excited to do likewise as far as the human resources needs of our employees in the stores, central distribution centers and headquarters,” Smith said. “Commissaries have a direct and definite impact on the military’s quality of life and I’m honored to part of that team.”
Before joining civil service, Smith served in the U.S. Army for 28 years, retiring as a lieutenant colonel. From 2010 to 2014, he served as the deputy director, Operations at Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR), under Office of the Secretary of Defense (Personnel & Readiness). His roles at ESGR included representing OSD and the Department of Labor to business leaders and human resource professionals across the country to increase voluntary compliance with the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA).
Smith’s military career also included multiple roles at the U.S. Army Human Resources Command from 2007 to 2010: deputy director, Operations and Readiness Directorate; program manager of the Individual Ready Reserve muster program, and director of Personnel, Admin and Logistics. His service was highlighted with the creation of a groundbreaking Army Muster Program to proactively connect service members with post-military benefits, monitor medical and mental wellbeing, and enroll service members in Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) programs.
Additionally, Smith’s early military assignments included G3 (operations and training) plans officer at the 19th Theater Support Command, U.S. Army Garrison Daegu, Camp Henry, South Korea; Battalion S3, U.S. Army Recruiting Battalion-Des Moines, Des Moines, Iowa; commander, 471st Postal Company, Fort Dodge, Iowa; and multiple key assignments within the 1st of the 410th Infantry Battalion, Fort Snelling, Minnesota.
Smith’s awards and decorations include two Excellence in Government awards from the St. Louis Federal Executive Board. His military decorations include the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the Army Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters, the Army Commendation Medal with four oak leaf clusters, the Republic of Korea Service Medal and two superior unit awards.
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About DeCA: The Defense Commissary Agency operates a worldwide chain of commissaries providing groceries to military personnel, retirees and their families in a safe and secure shopping environment. Commissaries provide a military benefit, saving authorized patrons thousands of dollars annually on their purchases compared to similar products at commercial retailers. The discounted prices include a 5-percent surcharge, which covers the costs of building new commissaries and modernizing existing ones. A core military family support element, and a valued part of military pay and benefits, commissaries contribute to family readiness, enhance the quality of life for America’s military and their families, and help recruit and retain the best and brightest men and women to serve their country.