Chakakhon Lea serves as the Field Consultant for the Office of Veterans Experience (North Atlantic District) in Maryland as part of VA’s MyVA- Office Veteran Experience team commissioned to transform the culture of VA by helping build trusted, lifelong relationships with Veterans and their families. Prior to joining the Veteran Experience Office, Ms. Lea served as the Program Analyst in the Office of Information Technology (OI&T) in Durham VAMC, North Carolina. In that role, she performed as the IT Project Lead where she was an integral part of the successful, newly constructed Greenville Health Care Center (HCC) and Durham VAMC Emergency Room Renovation. Ms. Lea is a proud Army Veteran who has a true passion for program effectiveness, process improvement and improving the lives of Veterans and their families. Ms. Lea has a diverse career background. Prior to joining the Department of Veterans Affairs in the Office of Quality and Performance in 2003; she held positions in project management and program improvement for the National Institute of Health, the State of Georgia, ATL Construction (Government Contracts/Services), and American Express. In 2006, Ms. Lea received a Bachelor of Science in Business Management from East Carolina University in Greenville, North Carolina. She received her FAC-PM certification from the VA Acquisitions Academy in 2013. In 2015, Ms. Lea received a Master of Science in Management/Project Management from the University of Maryland (UC). She is also a Ph.D candidate pursuing a Doctoral in Organizational Leadership. In 1993, Ms. Lea began serving her country in the United States Army as an Automated Logistics Specialist. After training in Fort Jackson, South Carolina and Fort Lee, Virginia, she served at Yongsan Garrison and K16 Air Base, Korea and at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. While at Fort Bragg, she was selected to serve as Special Assistant to the Commanding General. She is a North Carolina native, currently residing in Maryland. Ms. Lea’s hobbies include sports, real estate exploration and swimming. She also appreciates different cultures by traveling abroad. She spends her leisure time enjoying family, friends, and taking long walks with her dog Sadie.