2022 ARKANSAS REGIONAL INDUSTRY DAY
FORUM
Hilton Garden Inn Little Rock Downtowns Pinnacle Ballroom, 322 Rock St.
DECEMBER 6, 2007
UNITED STATES ARMY
Little Rock, AR 72202
0800 0805
1230 1235
0805 0815
1235 - 1245
0815 0825
1245 - 1255
0825 0835
1255 - 1305
0835 0840
1305 - 1310
0840 0910
1310 - 1340
0910 0930
1340 - 1400
0930 0950
1400 - 1420
0950 1010
1420 - 1440
1010 1030
1440 - 1500
1030 1050
1500 - 1520
1050 1110
1520 - 1540
Arkansas Regional Industry Forum 2022
December 6-7, 2022
Schedule of Events
Tuesday, December 6, 2022
(All times are listed in CST)
Welcome
Opening Remarks
US Small Business Administration
Arkansas Procurement Technical Assistance Center
SAME Little Rock Post
US Army Corps of Engineers Little Rock District
US Army Corps of Engineers Huntsville Center
US Army Corps of Engineers Mobile District
US Army Corps of Engineers Tulsa District
US Army Corps of Engineers Galveston District
US Army Corps of Engineers St Louis District
US Army Corps of Engineers Kansas City District
Mr. Jonathan Sawrie
COL Damon Knarr
Mr. Jerry Talbert
Ms. Melanie Berman
Mr. Gene Gephardt
Ms. Jan Hicks
Mr. Craig Pierce
Mr. Michael Norton
Ms. Kristina Mullins
Mr. Brian Brobson
Ms. Shamekia Chapman
Ms. Ashanti Griffin
Ms. Gwendolyn Miller
Wednesday, December 7, 2022
0800 -0810 Day 2 Instructions
0810 -1110 Capability Briefs All AGENCIES
1110 -1230 Lunch
1240 -1310 Capability Briefs All AGENCIES
Col. Kenneth N. Reed
Commander, Southwestern Division
Colonel Kenneth N. Reed is the Commander and Division Engineer of the Southwestern Division, U.S.
Army Corps of Engineers. The Division, which is headquartered in Dallas, is one of nine Corps of
Engineers regional commands. With four District Offices in Little Rock, Arkansas; Tulsa, Oklahoma; and
Galveston and Fort Worth, Texas, it encompasses all or part of six states, and covers some 2.3 million
acres of public land and water. As the SWD Commander and Division Engineer, Reed oversees hundreds
of water resources development and military design and construction projects that bring value to our
communities, our Nation, and our warfighters. Prior to coming to SWD, Reed served as the Commander
for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Fort Worth District in Texas and Transatlantic Expeditionary
District in Kuwait.
Reed held a variety of leadership and staff positions throughout his career at the tactical, operational, and strategic levels. His early
leadership assignments began with the 23rd and 16th Engineer Battalions in Germany, serving as a Sapper and Support Platoon
Leader, Company Executive Officer, and Battalion Maintenance Officer during Operation Joint Endeavor and Operation Joint Guard,
Bosnia. He joined the 4th Infantry Division at Fort Hood, Texas, serving in multiple staff and command positions culminating as
Company Commander during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Reed served as the Battalion Executive Officer Observer, Controller, and
Trainer for the 1st Battalion, 395th Regiment (EN). His field-grade leadership assignments began as a Military Transition Team Chief
for the 9th Brigade, 3rd Iraqi Army Division in Al Kisik, Iraq, followed by key developmental assignments in the 36th Engineer
Brigade at Fort Hood, Texas, and Afghanistan. He served as the Aide-de-Camp for the USACE Commanding General in Washington,
DC, until being selected to command the 20th Engineer Battalion, Fort Hood, Texas. Reed attended Senior Service College at the
National Defense University's Joint Advance Warfighting School in Norfolk, Virginia, with a follow-on utilization tour at U.S.
European Command in Germany, serving as the Future Operations Branch Chief.
Reed is a native of Louisville, Alabama. He received a commission in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers after graduating as a
Distinguished Military Graduate from the University of Alabama in December 1995. He holds a bachelor's degree in Civil
Engineering from the University of Alabama and master's degrees from the University of Missouri at Rolla in Engineering
Management, from the National Defense University in Joint Campaign Planning and Strategy. He also holds the Project Management
Professional certification. Reed's awards and decorations include the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star, Defense Meritorious Service
Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Navy/Marine Corps Commendation Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Humanitarian Service
Medal, Army Achievement Medal, Combat Action Badge, Parachutist Badge, and Army Engineer Association's Bronze and Silver
Orders of the de Fleury Medal. His operational deployments include Operation Joint Endeavor and Operation Joint Guard in Bosnia,
Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Operation Enduring Freedom.
Colonel Damon Knarr
Little Rock District U.A. Army Corps of Engineers
Colonel Damon M. Knarr assumed duties as District Engineer and Commander of the U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers Little Rock District on July 12, 2022. He came to Little Rock from U.S. Army Central
Command, where he served as the 3rd Army Engineer Director.
Colonel Knarr graduated in 1998 with a bachelor's degree in Criminal Law from Florida State University in
Tallahassee, Florida where he also earned his commission through the university's Department of Military
Science Reserve Officer's Training Corps. After earning his Master of Business Administration Degree
from Webster University he taught Operational Design at the Joint and Combined Warfighting School and
is an alumnus of the International Strategic Studies Fellowship at Tufts University's Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy.
Knarr has served in a variety of operational, command and staff assignments in the United States and overseas. His previous
assignments include Brigade Personnel officer, Brigade Construction Officer, and Battalion Logistics Officer during Operation Iraqi
Freedom from 2003-2004 and as the Assistant Brigade Engineer for 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division and Company
Commander of B Company 16th Engineer Battalion during Operation Iraqi Freedom from 2006-2007. Other operational assignments
include Battalion Operation and Executive Officer for the 5th Engineer Battalion, 1st Maneuver Enhancement Brigade from 2010-
2012, working in NATO as the Engineer Intelligence Officer in the Rapid Reaction Corps in France from 2012-201 S. From there he
went on to command the 299th Brigade Engineer Battalion, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division from 2015-2017.
Following his battalion command, he joined the military faculty at the Joint and Combined Warfighting School from 2018 to 2020.
He is a graduate of the Engineer Officer Basic and Advanced courses, Combined Arms Services Staff School, Army Command and
General Staff College, the NATO Intel Planner's Course, Forced Entry Tactical Training Course, and is a Joint Services Qualified
Planner.
His military awards include a Legion of Merit, Bronze star Medal with one oak leaf cluster, Defense Meritorious Service Medal with
one oak leaf cluster, Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters, Army Commendation Medal with one oak leaf cluster,
Army Achievement medal with two oak leaf clusters, Army Presidential Unit Citation, Joint Meritorious Unit Award, National
Defense Service Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service
Medal, Korea Defense Service Medal, Overseas service Ribbon with three oak leaf clusters and the Kuwait Liberation Medal. He has
also been awarded the Combat Action Badge, Parachutist Badge, and the Army Joint Chiefs of Staff Identification Badge.
Jonathan J. Sawrie
Little Rock District Contracting Chief
Mr. Jonathan J. Sawrie assumed his role as District Contracting Chief for the Little Rock District in March
2021. Mr. Sawrie began his career with the Little Rock District in 1984 as a part-time student aid at the
Toad Suck Ferry Project Office. In 1992 he accepted a permanent appointment as a Purchasing Agent
supporting the MKARNS navigation, hydropower, recreation, and environmental stewardship missions. In
2009 Mr. Sawrie entered the Department of the Army Intern Program as a Contract Specialist in the
Districts Medical Support Branch. Here he was responsible for the suite of nationwide Design-Build
MATOC construction contracts in support of the Air Force Medical Service Hospital Modernization
Program. Mr. Sawrie was named Chief of the Operations and Civil Works Branch in 2013 managing the
contracting program for the districts annual $50 Million Civil Works budget. Mr. Sawrie holds a bachelors degree in Accounting
from the University of Central Arkansas, is Level III certified in contracting under the Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement
Act (DAWIA), is a member of the Army Acquisition Corps, and holds an Unlimited Contracting Officer Warrant. He is married with
two sons.
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