Liz Chimienti is the Program Activity Lead for Diversification and Realignment. In this role, she works with state and local government officials to respond to the anticipated or actual impacts of DoD decisions on communities, workers, and businesses.  She also maintains and analyzes Base Realignment and Closure property disposal data and compiles “lessons learned” from base redevelopment communities for the Office of the Secretary of Defense. Since 2015, she has coordinated the development of the Defense Spending by State report and other technical assistance products for OLDCC customers. Liz has worked with applicants in over a dozen states to develop programs of assistance for communities responding to base closure, or reductions in Defense personnel or procurement. She is a graduate of Cornell University’s School of Industrial and Labor Relations, holds a Master of City Planning degree from MIT, and is an alumna of the 2010 Presidential Management Fellowship.

Michael Mullins is the Director of the North Carolina Defense Industry Diversification Initiative (NCDIDI) at Industry Expansion Solutions (IES), NC State University.  Michael is a former Marine Infantryman and Retired Army Officer.  He has extensive experience executing and managing Department of Defense training contracts in Sub-Saharan Africa, Eastern Europe, the Caucasus, and Southeast Asia.  Michael has worked closely with the Department of State, various foreign ministries, non-governmental organizations, the United Nations and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.  Additionally, he served as an Assistant Professor of Military Science at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Vanderbilt University.  Michael has a comprehensive understanding of the processes and procedures North Carolina businesses face in the acquisition and execution of U.S. government contracts. In Fayetteville, he served as an International Operations Program Manager with General Dynamics Information Technology, Project Manager of foreign military training programs with American Systems Corporation and Operations Manager with a Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business (SDVOSB).  Michael has a B.S. in Political Science and an M.S. in International Relations. 

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