Taryn Gillison

Taryn Gillison is a native of New Jersey. She graduated Magna Cum Laude from Drexel University in 2000 with Bachelor of Science degrees in International Business, Marketing and Finance. She holds a Masters of Business Administration in Management Information Systems from Drexel University.

            Initially starting her defense career working for a non-profit at the National Bioterrorism Civilian Medical Response Center (CIMERC), Ms. Gillison was a project manager overseeing Department of Transportation, and Army contracts that were funded through Broad Agency Announcements. Subsequently, she managed International Programs where she coordinated programs in Mexico by leveraging global partnerships. In this role, Ms. Gillison demonstrated an aptitude for managing the cultural aspect of relationships as well as her skills in diplomacy.

            Ms. Gillison relocated to San Diego in 2008, and began her career as a defense contractor at Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC). Ms. Gillison quickly demonstrated her ability to provide superb program management expertise, as well as successfully leading bid and proposal efforts for the SAIC organization.

In 2010, Ms. Gillison joined the government at SPAWAR Systems Center Pacific as the Deputy Assistant Program Manager (APM) for the Joint Ultra High Frequency (UHF) Military Satellite Communications (MILSATCOM) Control System (JMINI CS). In this role, Ms. Gillison served as the senior point of contact for financial and contract execution. In addition to her involvement with space systems, from the satellite constellation to user and ground segments, Ms. Gillison served as a subject matter expert in discussions with foreign partners, including the North American Trade Organization (NATO) contingent. Having worked overseas in previous roles, Ms. Gillison can converse in French and has a keen knowledge of cultural variations in European and South American regions.

Subsequently, Ms. Gillison solved increasingly complex programs, such as bolstering the United States Naval Observatory (USNO) Precise Time and Astrometry (PTA) Network by implementing cybersecurity rigor to address emergent concerns. As the Shore and Expeditionary Integration Program Office (PMW 790) Acquisition Manager, Ms. Gillison provided her years of expertise in strategic thinking and problem solving to assist APMs throughout the PMW 790 portfolio and guide them towards effective solutions. Ms. Gillison currently leads the Distributed Common Ground System-Navy Increment II Acquisition Category (ACAT) 1AC program to provide next generation intelligence capabilities.

With experience serving the Department of Defense through not-for-profit, industry and governmental roles, Ms. Gillison’s experience provides a unique perspective to approach challenges that range from organizationally driven issues to process flaws. As a Lean Six Sigma Green belt, Ms. Gillison has participated in multiple Rapid Improvement Efforts to address cycle time for routing documents, streamlining contracting processes, and improving software licensing to save time and money.