Leadership

Mr. O’Brien directs the Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation and supports a talented team of professionals to assist states and local communities to respond to Department of Defense activity and support its missions. He is responsible for the creation and performance of many programs enabling states and communities to partner with the Department and its installation and industrial bases, including: $3+ billion program to improve condition and capacity problems at public schools on military installations; nearly $227 million in infrastructure investments in support of the Department’s Pacific Defense Initiative on the Territory of Guam; $110 million Defense Manufacturing Community Support Program to deliver long-term community investments to strengthen national security innovation and expand the capabilities of the local defense industrial ecosystem; $400 million Defense Community Infrastructure Program to support state and local enhancements to improve local military value, installation resiliency, and military family quality of life; and $75 million community noise mitigation program. His team presently manages a portfolio of over 250 projects (grants) accounting for $1.5 billion in obligations. Prior to joining DoD, Mr. O’Brien was a Presidential Management Intern with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development where he spent time on the Hill, working on community and economic development-related issues. And prior to his Federal service, he was an Assistant Business Developer for the City of Duluth, MN, where he assisted with the reuse of a closed air base, supported the conversion of a former steel plant, and co-drafted the State's first enterprise zone bill. He also served as a citizen representative to the Duluth Joint Airport Zoning Board. He has Bachelor of Arts degrees in Urban Affairs and Political Science from the University of Minnesota-Duluth, where he graduated "cum laude" and as a member of the Golden Key National Honor Society. He received a Masters of Science degree in Public Management and Policy Analysis from the School of Urban and Public Affairs at Carnegie-Mellon University, where he graduated "with distinction," student-taught organizational management, and was elected to Pi Alpha Alpha. Mr. O'Brien is certified as an "Economic Development Finance Professional" by the National Development Council and graduated from the Federal Executive Institute’s “Leadership for a Democratic Society” as well as Harvard Law School’s “Program on Negotiation.” He is the recipient of the: 2017 “Federal Leadership in Economic Development Programs” award from the International Economic Development Council; Ancient Order of Chamorri from the Governor of Guam; and, Office of the Secretary of Defense Medal for Exceptional Civilian Service.

Mr. Doug Brown joined the Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation in 2015 and currently serves as the Deputy Director for Operations. In this capacity, he directs core business line activities associated with organization administration, information technology, and procurement activities. Prior to serving as the Deputy Director for Operations, Mr. Brown served as the Deputy Director for Programs and Army Military Liaison. Mr. Brown is a former U.S. Army engineer officer with more than two decades’ experience leading and guiding various organizations within Department of Defense. He holds a master’s degree in leadership from Washington University in St. Louis, a master’s degree from the University of South Florida, and a bachelor’s degree in architecture from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. He holds a Certificate in Public Leadership and is a recipient of the Army Engineer Association DeFluery Award.

Ms. Liz Chimienti has been with the Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation since 2010 and serves as the Deputy Director for Community Adjustment. In this role, she ensures effective and compliant delivery programs of assistance across its stakeholders. Previously, she served as Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation’s Program Activity Lead for Diversification and Realignment, a Project Manager, and as a Presidential Management Fellow. She has maintained and analyzed Base Realignment and Closure property disposal data and compiled “lessons learned” from base redevelopment communities for the Office of the Secretary of Defense. Since 2015, she has coordinated the development of the Defense Spending by State report and other technical assistance products for Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation customers. Liz has worked with applicants in over a dozen states to develop programs of assistance for communities responding to base closure, economic dependency on Defense spending, or reductions in Defense personnel or procurement. She is a graduate of Cornell University’s School of Industrial and Labor Relations and holds a Master of City Planning degree from MIT.

Mr. Daniel Glasson has been with the Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation since 2006 and serves as the Deputy Director for Community Investment. In this role, he ensures effective and compliant delivery of programs of assistance across its stakeholders. Previously, he served as the Program Director for Community Investment, a Project Manager, and as a Presidential Management Fellow. Mr. Glasson has served in numerous capacities in the public and private sector, spanning work positions in the United States, Europe, and Africa, offering more than 20 years of experience in public administration, applied economic development, and urban planning. He holds a Master of Urban Planning degree and a certificate in Russian and East European studies from the University of Michigan; Bachelor of Arts degrees in economics and environmental studies from Case Western Reserve University; and spent time in Poland as a Fulbright Scholar. In 2018, Mr. Glasson was awarded the Department of Defense Medal for Exceptional Civilian Service.

Mr. Louis Littleton has been with the Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation since 2014 and serves as the Director of the Western Regional Office located in Sacramento, California. In this capacity, he leads a team of 10 high-performing professionals, represents the Director at stakeholder engagements at the Federal, State, and local levels, and oversees the execution of programs of assistance across 18 states and territories ranging from Wisconsin to the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands. Mr. Littleton previously served as the Headquarters’ Office Manager, and later transferred to the Western Regional Office as a Project Manager. Mr. Littleton retired from the U.S. Air Force as a logistics officer having served in a variety of command, leadership, and staff positions at the installation, major command, and international levels. He holds a bachelor’s degree from the U.S. Air Force Academy and completed several levels of joint and service professional military education during his Air Force career.

Mr. Wilson has been with the Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation since 2006 and serves as the Deputy Director for Compliance. In this capacity, Mr. Wilson ensures compliance with the Federal Managers’ Financial Integrity Act, 2 CFR Part 200, and the Anti-Deficiency Act, as well as supervises the integration of internal control and financial systems to ensure the effectiveness and efficiency of operations and compliance with regulations and applicable laws, to include the reliability of financial reporting and management systems. Mr. Wilson has served as the Deputy Program Manager for Compliance and Integration, a Project Manager, and a Presidential Management Fellow. Previously, Mr. Wilson’s worked as a Competition Manager with the National Institute of Standards and Technology, U.S. Department of Commerce, where he was responsible for grant oversight and management with the Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership Program. He is an Operation Iraqi Freedom military veteran with over 20 years of honorable service in both the U.S. Marine Corps and the Army National Guard. Mr. Wilson holds a Master of Public Administration from North Carolina State University and is a graduate of the Federal Executive Institute.