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Yolanda Felder

Ms. Yolanda B. Felder is the Director of US Space Force Small Business Programs, Department of the Air Force (DAF) Office of Small Business Programs. In this role, she serves as the principal advisor to the DAF Director of Small Business Programs on small business programs and is responsible for policy, advocacy, execution and advice pertaining to Space Force Small Business Programs. Further, Ms. Felder has been charged with strengthening government and private sector partnerships; and fostering opportunities to leverage small business as a strategic advantage for the benefit of our war fighters and strengthening the industrial base.


Ms. Felder entered the federal service in 1998 as an Air Force contracting intern at Warner Robins Air Logistics Center. She has served in a variety of roles including leading installation contracting support, aircraft systems acquisition, and headquarters staff activities. Prior to her current assignment, Ms. Felder served as the Chief, Installation, Sourcing, and Expeditionary Operations Division, Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary (Contracting), enabling non-weapon system installation contracting support which included an $11 billion annual operational contracting spend, category management, strategic sourcing, expeditionary contracting operations, AF Government Purchase Card program with $1.7B in spend, and reform and transformation initiatives.

EDUCATION
1997 Bachelor of Business Administration degree, Claflin University, Orangeburg, SC
2003 Master of Business Administration degree, Webster University, St. Louis, MO
2004 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, AL, via correspondence
2015 Air War College, via correspondence
2019 Master’s degree in National Resource and Strategy, Eisenhower School, National Defense University, Washington, DC
 

 CAREER CHRONOLOGY

  1. Sept 1998 – Nov 2000, intern, Copper Cap Contracting Intern Program, Warner Robins Air Logistics Center, Warner Robins, GA
  2. Nov 2000 – Jun 2001, intern, Copper Cap Contracting Intern Program, 437th Contracting Squadron, Charleston AFB, SC
  3. Jun 2001 – Sept 2003, Contract Specialist, 11th Contracting Squadron, Washington, DC
  4. Sept 2003 – Feb 2006 Contracting Officer/team leader, 1st Contracting Squadron, Langley AFB, VA
  5. Feb 2006 – Feb 2007, Logistics Management Specialist, Contracting Career Broadening Program, Logistics Contracting Division, Directorate of Contracting, Headquarters Air Force Materiel Command, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH
  6. Feb 2007 – Dec 2008, Procurement Analyst, Strategic Sourcing Division, Directorate of Contracting, Headquarters Air Force Materiel Command, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH
  7. Dec 2008 – Mar 2010, Procurement Analyst, Installation Acquisition Transformation Division, Directorate of Contracting, Headquarters Air Force Materiel Command, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH
  8. Mar 2010 – Mar 2012, Contracting Officer, Big Safari Special Projects Contracting Office, Wright- Patterson AFB OH
  9. Mar 2012 – Mar 2013, Chief, Big Safari Special Projects Contracting Office, Wright-Patterson AFB OH
  10. Mar 2013 – Jan 2014, Chief, Specialized Acquisition Division, Air Force Office of Scientific Research, Arlington VA
  11. Jan 2014 – July 2015, Contracting Officer, Special Projects Office, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Washington, DC
  12. July 2015 – July 2018, Deputy Director, Air Force District of Washington, Joint Base Andrews, MD
  13. August 2018 – June 2019, Student, Eisenhower School, National Defense University, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, DC
  14. June 2019 – August 2020, Contracting Operations Division, Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition (Contracting), Pentagon, Washington, DC
  15. Aug 2020 – Dec 2024, Installation, Sourcing, and Operations, Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition (Contracting), Pentagon, Washington, DC
  16. Dec 2024 – Present, Director, US Space Force Small Business Programs, Office of Small Business Programs, Department of the Air Force, Pentagon, Washington, DC

 

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS:
2021 Appointed member and Secretary, Charles County, MD Commission for Women

AWARDS AND HONORS
2009 Civilian Achievement Medal
2011 ASC/PK SAF Professionalism in Contracting (Non-Supervisor) Award
2014 Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office Civilian of the Quarter
2018 Meritorious Civilian Service Award
2021 Armed Forces Civilian Service Medal in Support of COVID-19

PROFESSIONAL TRAINING AND CERTIFICATIONS
Contracting, Level III, Acquisition Professional Development Program