Katrina McFarland serves as assistant secretary for acquisition at the Defense Department, where she advises the defense undersecretary for acquisition, technology and logistics on acquisition-related matters.
She was previously the president of Defense Acquisition University, where she oversaw the development and expansion of acquisition curriculum for defense acquisition workforce.
McFarland helped DAU to address the changing requirements for defense acquisition under the Better Buying Power program and the new National Defense Authorization Act guidance.
She served as director for acquisition at the Missile Defense Agency since 2006, with responsibility in developing process activities and program policy for executing ballistic missile defense system research and setting the baseline execution review.
McFarland started her career with the public sector as a general engineer at Headquarters Marine Corps in 1986 before she moved to the Canadian Department of National Defense in Ottawa in 1990 as procurement head of electronics.
She returned to the Marine Corps in 1992 as head of acquisition for USMC aviation and ground command and control, radars/sensors, air defense, combat ID and cooperative engagement capability initiatives.
