Katharine Kelley
Katharine Kelley | |
|---|---|
_(cropped).jpg) Official portrait of Katharine Kelley | |
| Deputy Chief of Space Operations for Human Capital | |
| In office July 2022 – present | |
| Personal details | |
| Alma mater | Villanova University (BA) University of Oklahoma (MA) U.S. Naval War College (MA) |
| Military service | |
| Branch/service | United States Space Force |
Katharine Kelley is the Deputy Chief of Space Operations for Human Capital in the United States Space Force, and works as a civilian executive.[1]
In her current role, Kelley is responsible for procurement and management of both military and civilian personnel at 175 locations worldwide.[1] She is notable for her central role in implementing the Space Force Personnel Management Act, passed as part of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024. This legislation created a new hybrid full-time and part-time service model for members of Space Force (a.k.a Guardians).[2]
Prior to joining the Space Force, she was the first female Superintendent of Arlington National Cemetery[3] and served as Chief Human Capital Officer of Army Futures Command.
Career
Military service
After receiving her commission in 1999, Kelley served as a Logistics officer in the United States European Command J4 directorate and with the 1st Infantry Division in Stuttgart, Germany, through 2003.[1]
Civilian career in the Department of the Army
Following her military service, Kelley transitioned to the Department of the Army as a civilian. From 2004 to 2007, she worked as a Business Process Associate at Booz Allen Hamilton in Washington, D.C.[1] She then served as a strategic planner at Army Materiel Command, Fort Belvoir, Virginia (2007–2008), before leading the command's Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) division from 2008 to 2011.[1]
In 2012, she returned to Arlington National Cemetery as chief of standards and evaluation.[1] She subsequently served as Director of Enterprise Management at the Information Technology Agency at the Pentagon (2013–2014), and as Chief of Staff for Headquarters Services in the Office of the Administrative Assistant to the Secretary of the Army (2014–2016).[1]
Superintendent of Arlington National Cemetery
In 2016, Kelley was appointed the 24th Superintendent of Arlington National Cemetery, becoming the first woman to hold the position.[3] In this role she was responsible for the cemetery's strategic direction and all operational support for its burial and visitation missions. At the time, the cemetery encompassed 624 acres, received approximately 4 million annual visitors, recorded more than 7,000 annual burials, and had a $71 million operating budget.[3] She held the position until 2019.
Army Futures Command
From 2019 to 2022, Kelley served as the Chief Human Capital Officer of Army Futures Command (AFC) in Austin, Texas. She was part of the original team that established the command's headquarters and served as the senior advisor on all aspects of human resources.[1] At AFC, she started the Army's first software-focused training program for soldiers and civilians, and worked on workforce modernization. One of the efforts was the AFC Modernization Demonstration Project, to create a more flexible and competitive personnel management framework for civilian employees.[4]
United States Space Force
In July 2022, Kelley started her current position as Deputy Chief of Space Operations for Human Capital (SF/S1) in the United States Space Force. Katharine Kelley currently holds this role.[1]
Awards and honors
Kelley is the recipient of the following awards:
| Award |
|---|
| Distinguished Civilian Service Medal |
| Meritorious Civilian Service Award |
| Superior Civilian Service Award |
| Naval War College James D. Forrestal Award for Excellence in Force Planning |
| Meritorious Service Medal |
| Army Commendation Medal |
| Army Achievement Medal |
| Joint Service Medal |
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "Katharine Kelley". United States Space Force. February 2024. Retrieved June 21, 2026.
- ↑ "Manning the Space Force: A New Model". Air & Space Forces Association. September 18, 2024. Retrieved June 21, 2026.
- 1 2 3 "Biography: Katharine Kelley, Superintendent, Arlington National Cemetery" (PDF). United States House of Representatives. March 8, 2018. Retrieved June 21, 2026.
- ↑ "Modernizing Talent Management: Futures Command embraces flexibility in human capital processes". United States Army. March 17, 2022. Retrieved June 21, 2026.