The Course Director

Thad Gassman Mr. Gassman has 23 years of federal sector experience in contracting, logistics, and training. His work experience includes a twenty-year career with the U.S. Army and three years with the General Services Administration (GSA) where he served as a Supervisory Contract Specialist and warranted Contracting Officer under the Federal Supply Schedules program. At GSA, his responsibilities included the Management, Organizational and Business Improvement Services (MOBIS), Logistics Worldwide (LOGWORLD) and the Energy Management Services Schedules.

He started with the U.S. Army where he served in a variety of logistic and contracting positions. He gained logistics experience while assigned as a Maintenance Control Officer where he performed intermediate level maintenance and inventory management supporting combat systems and operational equipment. He served as the Chief of the Conventional Weapons Division while assigned to the U.S. Army Ordnance Center & School where he developed and implemented training programs for numerous occupational specialties responsible for the maintenance of armament systems. He was a logistician assigned to the Army Material Command’s Logistics Assistance Program where he focused on issues affecting the operational readiness of combat systems. He later was assigned to the Army’s Acquisition Corps and served as an installation Contracting Officer where he procured commercial supplies, services and construction. Upon completing a weapon systems acquisition assignment at Boeing Defense & Space Group, he was assigned as the Commander of the Defense Contract Management office in Albuquerque, NM, where he was responsible for the administration of over 2,000 contracts supporting a wide array of DoD weapon systems. He also served as the Director of Acquisitions for the United Nations Logistic Support Command, in Mogadishu, Somalia. His logistics and contracting experience include several years of experience overseas supporting operations in Europe, the Far East, Africa, the Caribbean and Central America. He retired at the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.

Mr. Gassman served as a Professor of Systems Acquisition at the Defense Acquisition University, Defense Systems Management College and was a faculty member with the University of Virginia, Northern Virginia Center’s Procurement and Contracts Management program. He has developed and taught courses in contracting basics, acquisition planning, contract formation, source selection, contract administration, performance-based contracting, cost and price analysis, preparing statements of work, construction contracting, acquisition logistics, performance based logistics, program management and the GSA Schedules Program.

Mr. Gassman is a Certified Acquisition Professional, Level III in Contracting with the Department of Defense; a Certified Professional Contracts Manager with the National Contract Management Association and a Certified Purchasing Manager with the Institute for Supply Management. He has a degree in Industrial Management and graduated with high distinction with a Master of Business Administration from Babson College. He is now the President of Gassman Consulting Inc. which provides training and consulting services to the Federal Government and private sector firms.