NABWIC Talks With Denita Patterson - 30 Yrs: Fed Gov't

I am currently the Director for Social Security Administrations's (SSA) Division of Eastern Regional Contracts. I have almost 30 years working for the Federal Government. I started my Federal career as a Student Engineer working for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Huntington WV District, Construction Division. One of the requirements at the University of Cincinnati, was for Engineering and Construction Management students to participate in the co-op program were we worked alternating quarters with a company in a field related to our major.

 

After graduating in the mid 1980's with my Bachelor of Science degree in Construction Management, I accepted a permanent position with the Huntington District where I was assigned as an Engineer/Inspector at the Yatesville Lake, KY dam site where we were building a new earth-filled dam and appurtenant bridges and roads. Other assignments in the early 1990's with the Corps of Engineers took me to Kuwait City Emergency Recovery Office's Construction Division to assist with the re-building of Kuwait City after the Gulf War and to our Miami Office after Hurricane Andrew hit southern Florida.

 

I transferred to the Baltimore District's Construction Division in 1995 where I remained as a contract administrator until January 2001. In January 2001, I switched careers to become a Contract Specialist with the Department of Housing and Urban Development in Washington, DC. I transferred to SSA in August 2004. I have been in my current position since September 2009.