Executive Mosaic is honored to introduce Debbie Thurman, vice president of contracts and procurement at URS Federal, as the newest inductee into the Washington 100, the premier group of leaders who drive innovation and growth at the intersection of the public and private sectors.
Thurman’s background is “mainly federal,” Thurman told GovCon Exec, “so joining URS; a top-tier federal contractor and multibillion-dollar corporation focused in oil and gas, infrastructure, power and industrial; has given me an opportunity to expand my knowledge base and responsibilities into those other areas.”
The 24-year U.S. Air Force veteran earned a graduate degree in contract management while serving in the military and joined Northrop Grumman Information Technology as vice president for contracts, pricing and procurement at TASC Inc. in 1997.
During her military service, Thurman served in the Vietnam War, supported the B-52 and F-16 weapons systems programs, among others, and spent two years as a contracting officer in the National Reconnaissance Office.
Thurman now leads and manages URS Federal’s procurement and contract administration function and plays a hands-on role in executing her responsibilities and crafting her business.
“I frequently attend customer meetings with the general managers and the other executives and keep in touch with my government counterparts,” she told GovCon Exec.
“In this current environment, it’s important for all of us to do what we can to maintain our existing business as well as grow business by expanding into new areas.”
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ManTech International pointed to Thurman’s financial management and operations experience when she elevated to SVP and Group Deputy for systems engineering and advanced technology in 2011 after serving more than six years as the firm’s senior corporate vice president of contracts.
Thruman said she takes pride in her contracts and procurement team’s support of URS’ operational staff, and noted that her procurement team recently won URS Federal’s President’s Award in the support services category.
“A huge achievement was receiving approval of our purchasing system last Jan by DCMA,” Thurman said, adding that she is currently implementing a full-life cycle contract management system across her division.
That’s one of several areas that Thurman highlights as her continuing push forward to improve the company’s ability to acheive its goals.
“In the end, I look forward continuing to work with our staff to ensure we are operating effectively and efficiently and providing preeminent value solutions by using or implementing best practices.”
