Elmer Roman

Mr. Elmer L. Roman currently serves as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of War for Acquisition Integration and Interoperability. In this position, he leads the Department's efforts to accelerate the delivery of integrated joint capabilities. He oversees Department-wide Capability Portfolio Management, executing Integrated Acquisition Portfolio Reviews to align acquisition strategies with critical operational gaps. Additionally, he drives new technology integration, enforces Modular Open Systems Architecture standards, and partners with the Mission Engineering and Integration Activity to bridge the "Valley of Death," ensuring the rapid fielding of interoperable, system-of-systems solutions for the Joint Force.

Previously, Mr. Roman served as the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Energy, Installations and Environment (EI&E). From July to December 2025, he also performed the duties of Assistant Secretary of the Navy for EI&E. In this role, he advised the Secretary of the Navy on policies for the Department of the Navy's energy, installations, and environmental programs while ensuring compliance with federal and Department of War policies. During this tenure, he oversaw Department-wide policies for Navy and Marine Corps infrastructure, energy resilience, contested logistics, environmental stewardship, and safety programs.

Additionally, he held key leadership roles within the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering. As Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Mission Integration, he co-led the development of the Department's Capability Portfolio Management framework and established the Mission Engineering discipline now used to reform weapons acquisition across the Joint Force. He previously served as Director of the Joint Capabilities Demonstration Program, where he fielded operational capabilities to meet urgent theater requirements.

From 2019 to 2020, he served the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico in several confirmed senior executive roles, including Acting Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State, and Secretary of Public Safety. His earlier civil service career included technical and leadership assignments at the Joint Warfare Analysis Center, the Naval Surface Warfare Center, and the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations (N3/N5). This culminated in a diplomatic post as Director for the Office of Naval Research Global at the U.S. Embassy in Santiago, Chile.

Before his civil service career, Mr. Roman served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1991 to 1997 in reconnaissance and landing support. He later transitioned to the Navy Reserve as an Engineering Duty Officer, leading heavy-lift salvage support missions worldwide, including the recovery operations for the destroyers USS John S. McCain (DDG 56) and USS Fitzgerald (DDG 62) after their respective collisions in 2017. Additionally, he served in Operation Iraqi Freedom. Currently, he serves as a Captain in the U.S. Navy Reserve.

His awards include the Department of War Meritorious Civilian Service Medal, U.S. Navy Meritorious Civilian Service Medals (two awards), U.S. Navy Meritorious Service Medals (two awards), and the Chilean Armed Forces Military Star. He is a recipient of the U.S. Navy League's Rear Admiral William S. Parsons Award for Scientific and Technical Progress, the General Carl A. Spaatz Award, the STEM Hispanic Engineer National Achievement Luminary Award, the Department of State Meritorious Honor Award, and a NASA Technical Achievement Commendation.

Mr. Roman holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez, and an M.S. in Systems Engineering from the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.