Mission Area
September 13, 2018
Project Manager, Defense Communications and Army Transmission Systems (PM DCATS) Col. Enrique Costas presided over the Land Mobile Radio (LMR) Relinquishment of Charter ceremony on 30 August, 2018 at Fort Belvoir, Virginia. The ceremony official recognized the change in leadership from Ms. Kimberly Davidson to the Deputy Product Lead, Mr. Patrick Barnette.
Col. Costas pointed out the vital role LMR plays in supporting first responders, the reason the program was created. "Sometimes we learn by experiencing something tragic to change the way we do business,” he said. “People forget about the capability until bad things happen like 9/11, the Navy Yard attack, and the Fort Hood shooting." LMR is now a globally operated program comprised of 280 installations worldwide, fielding radio capability to disaster zones, and improving the time first responders have to react. Ms. Davidson’s leadership since 2011 has been essential to the success of the program.
Presenting Ms. Davidson with the Commander’s Award for Civilian Service, Col. Costas thanked her for superb leadership. "Ultimately, everything we do each day is in support of the Soldier. Kimberly, you have done a lot towards ensuring his and her safety,” he said. “The team, the quiet professional...has a significant impact for the Soldier forward deployed and in contact [with the enemy]. LMR is a trusted element of the formation because of Kimberly Davidson and the team behind her.”
The ceremony had an emotional and meaningful tone. "It's a bittersweet day, closing a chapter 14 years long, Ms. Davidson said.” I owe my deepest thanks to my team and industry partners. In seven years, we awarded 25 contracts and delivered 30,000 subscriber units. We changed the face of LMR from stand-alone systems to theater-wide enterprise systems." Ms. Davidson also thanked her husband and children for their love and support.
As the Acting Product Lead, Mr. Barnette accepts responsibility for the LMR program, "It's a great honor, the LMR team is a great team, and I have very big shoes to fill as Kimberly departs, he said."
Ms. Kimberly Davidson joined Team LMR in 2004 and was promoted to Product Lead in 2011. She now joins PM Soldier Sensors and Lasers as the Senior Acquisition Advisor to the 0-6 Project Manager.