Commanding General, Army Futures Command

General Murray was commissioned as an Infantry officer in the U.S. Army upon graduation from the Ohio State University in 1982. Throughout his career, General Murray has served in leadership positions and commanded from Company through Division, with various staff assignments at the highest levels of the Army.

General Murray has held numerous command positions. His command assignments include: Commanding General Joint Task Force-3; Deputy Commanding General – Support for U.S. Forces Afghanistan; Commander Bagram Airfield; Commanding General 3rd Infantry Division at Fort Stewart, Georgia; Commander, 3rd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, at Fort Hood, Texas while serving in Operation IRAQI FREEDOM; Commander, 1st Battalion, 18th Infantry, 1st Infantry Division, United States Army Europe and Seventh Army, Germany; Commander, C Company, 1-12th Infantry Battalion, 4th Infantry Division (Mechanized), Fort Carson, Colorado.

Previously, he was the Deputy Chief of Staff, G-8, in the Pentagon; Director, Force Management, the Pentagon; Assistant Deputy Director for Joint Training, J-7, Joint Staff, Suffolk, Virginia; Director, Joint Center for Operational Analysis, United States Joint Forces Command, Suffolk, Virginia; Deputy Commanding General (Maneuver), 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas; Deputy Commanding General (Maneuver), Multi-National Division-Baghdad OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM, Iraq; G-3 (Operations), III Corps, Fort Hood, Texas; Chief of Staff, III Corps and Fort Hood, Fort Hood, Texas; C-3, Multi-National Corps-Iraq, OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM, Iraq; G-3 (Operations), 1st Infantry Division, United States Army Europe and Seventh Army, Germany; Chief, Space Control Protection Section, J-33, United States Space Command, Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado; S- 3(Operations), later Executive Officer, 1st Battalion, 5th Cavalry, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas; Chief, Plans, G-1, III Corps and Fort Hood, Fort Hood, Texas.

General Murray’s awards and decorations include: the Distinguished Service Medal w/ Oak Leaf Cluster, the Defense Superior Service Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, the Legion of Merit with two Oak Leaf Clusters, the Bronze Star Medal with three Oak Leaf Clusters, the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters, the Army Commendation Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, the Joint Service Achievement Medal, the Army Achievement Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, the Ranger Tab, the Combat Infantryman Badge, the Expert Infantryman Badge, the Parachutist Badge, the Air Assault Badge, the Joint Chiefs of Staff Identification Badge and the Army Staff Identification Badge.

General Murray hails from Kenton, Ohio. He and his wife, Jane, have three lovely daughters and seven grandchildren.

Acting Assistant Secretary of the Army

Acquistion, Logistics, and Technology

Ms. Steffanie B. Easter currently serves as the Acting Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics, and Technology following designation by President Barack Obama on November 16, 2016. In this role, Ms. Easter leads the execution of the Army’s acquisition function and the acquisition management system. Her responsibilities include providing oversight for the total life cycle management and sustainment of Army weapons systems and equipment from research and development through test and evaluation, acquisition, logistics, fielding, and disposition. Previously, Ms. Easter served as the Principal Deputy to the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics, and Technology.

Prior to coming to the Army, she served as the Executive Director for the F-35 Lightning II Joint Program Office, Arlington, VA. The F-35 Lightning II Program is the Department of Defense’s initiative for defining affordable and sustainable fifth-generation strike aircraft. She has also served as the Assistant Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Manpower, Personnel, Training and Education, where she was the civilian executive advisor for the planning and programming of all manpower, personnel, training, and education resources, budgeting for Navy personnel and for developing the information systems and tools to effectively manage the Navy Total Force.

Ms. Easter is a 1985 graduate of North Carolina State University with a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering. She holds a master’s degree in engineering management from the Catholic University of America and is a graduate of both the Defense Systems Management College (DSMC) and the NAVAIR Senior Executive Management Development Program. Ms. Easter was appointed to the Senior Executive Service in December 2002, has over 30 years of Federal Service. She was awarded the Navy Meritorious Civilian Service Award in 2007, the Navy Superior Civilian Service Award in 2009, and the Navy Distinguished Civilian Service Award in 2013. She is also the recipient of the 2009 National Women of Color Award for Managerial Leadership, and the 2010 recipient of the Black Engineer of the Year Award for Professional Achievement.

Ms. Easter previously served as the Assistant Commander for Acquisition for Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) and executed acquisition responsibilities and management accountability for six program management offices and served as the leader of the NAVAIR Acquisition/ Program Management Competency, managing approximately 720 civilian and military personnel.

Ms. Easter served as the Deputy Program Executive Officer for Tactical Aircraft Programs (PEO-T) from December 2002 through January 2007. In this capacity, she was responsible for providing acquisition, engineering and technical services to the Navy for the F/A-18, EA-6B, EA-18G, E-2, C-2, Aircraft Protection Systems, Air Traffic Control Systems and Combat Identification programs.

Commanding General, Joint Modernization Command

Brigadier General Joel K. Tyler was commissioned in Armor from the University of Arkansas Army ROTC in 1988. He is currently assigned as a Deputy Commanding General (DCG) for the 1st Armored Division at Fort Bliss, Texas. BG Tyler served as the J-3 for Combined/Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve from September 2015-August 2016. His other assignments include service in the Federal Republic of Germany, Republic of Korea, and around the continental United States in both FORSCOM and TRADOC assignments. He has deployed to OPERATION DESERT SHIELD/STORM, OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM, and OPERATION SPARTAN SHIELD.

He is a graduate of the Scout Platoon Leader's Course, Armor Officer Basic and Advanced Courses, the Field Artillery Officer Advanced Course, Combined Arms and Services Staff School, the Command and General Staff College, and the United States Naval War College. He holds a B.A. in Political Science from the University of Arkansas, M.S. from Central Michigan University in Public Administration, and M.A. from the College of Naval Warfare in National Security and Strategic Studies.

BG Tyler’s awards include the Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Bronze Star Medal, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Army Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal, the Army Achievement Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary and Service Medals, Korean Service Medal, Saudi Arabian/Kuwait Liberation Medal, Kuwait Liberation Medal, Overseas Service Ribbon, Parachutist Badge, and the Army Staff Identification Badge.

EXECUTIVE DEPUTY TO THE COMMANDING GENERAL

Lisha Adams assumed duties as the Executive Deputy to the Commanding General (EDCG) effective August 9, 2015. As EDCG, Ms. Adams is responsible for materiel life cycle management, acquisition support, personnel and resource management, industrial base operations, enterprise integration, research and development, and science and technology for a globally reaching command with over 63,000 personnel with an impact or presence in 144 locations globally and all 50 states. She previously served as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Materiel Readiness, the principal advisor to the Office of the Secretary of Defense leadership on policies, procedures, and actions related to the materiel readiness of Department of Defense weapons and other materiel systems.

Ms. Adams has over 30 years of experience in government service supporting Army and Joint Service programs. A graduate of the Army Materiel Command Materiel Maintenance Management Intern Program, she has held various leadership positions in acquisition and sustainment, including Logistics Division Chief, Unmanned Vehicle Systems Project Office; Director of Logistics, PEO for Tactical Missiles; and Principal Deputy, G-3, U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command. Selected for the Senior Executive Service in January 2011, Ms. Adams served as the Executive Director, Integrated Materiel Management Center, U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command. In June 2011, Ms. Adams was assigned as the Assistant Deputy Chief of Staff, G-3/4 for Logistics Integration, responsible for sustaining the Joint Warfighter, through command and control of supply chain management, depot and National Maintenance Program operations, asset management and distribution, reset, and ammunition/chemical stockpile management.

Ms. Adams earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in economics from Birmingham-Southern College and received her Master of Business Administration degree from the Florida Institute of Technology.  Ms. Adams is Defense Acquisition Level III certified in Program Management and Lifecycle Logistics.

Ms. Adams' awards include the Department of the Army Decoration for Exceptional Civilian Service; DA Meritorious Civilian Service Award; DA Superior Civilian Service Award; DA Civilian of the Year; Redstone Chapter AUSA, 2010; DA Integrated Logistics Support Achievement of the Year Award for ILS Management; and the Commander's Award for Civilian Service.

President & CEO

Mitch Snyder was named Bell Helicopter’s president and chief executive officer in October 2015.

Mitch joined Bell Helicopter in 2004, and has held several leadership positions with the company. Most recently he served as executive vice president, Military Business, where he was responsible for the direction, management and performance for all government programs.

Throughout his career at Bell Helicopter, Mitch has led a number of the company’s most strategic initiatives, including overall direction of the V-22 Osprey program.

Mitch has more than 30 years' experience in the aerospace and defense industry. Prior to joining Bell Helicopter, Mitch held several leadership positions with Lockheed Martin, in engineering, business development, manufacturing, and program management. He also has more than a decade of working with customers internationally throughout Europe, Asia, and the Middle-East.

Mitch earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Electrical Engineering from Kansas State University, where he is an Alumni Fellow for the Kansas State University College of Engineering. He has also completed the Defense Institute for Security Assistance Management Executive Course.

When he is not engaging with employees and customers, Mitch enjoys biking, tennis and spending time with his wife, Molly, and his three children.