2024 DLA Hall of Fame inductee: Darlene Ferrante

Editor's Note: This is one of five stories featuring 2024 DLA Hall of Fame inductees. An induction ceremony will be held 2 p.m. May 21 at the McNamara Headquarters Complex auditorium on Fort Belvoir, Virginia. The ceremony is open to all DLA employees; invitations are not needed.

A passion for helping others and a knack for building a diverse workforce that could meet the needs of America's warfighters are traits of a Defense Logistics Agency Distribution employee being inducted into the 2024 DLA Hall of Fame.

Darlene Ferrante spent almost half of her 38-year federal career as DLA Human Resources' customer account manager for DLA Distribution at Susquehanna, Pennsylvania, until she passed in April 2020. From mission expansion, inventory improvements, audit readiness, humanitarian relief and more - Ferrante's human capital expertise enabled DLA's success.

She first worked as a clerk typist for the Recruitment and Placement Branch at the New Cumberland Army Depot. Ferrante became part of the newly established Defense Distribution Region East when the Defense Department directed that all military distribution depots consolidate under DLA.

"During unprecedented changes as DLA expanded its global reach and services, Ms. Ferrante steered managers and senior leaders to enable [DLA] Distribution's workforce to grow to meet new challenges," according to her nomination.

Those challenges included performance reviews of all 24 distribution centers. Ferrante helped provide personnel resources that enabled DLA Distribution to increase its performance by 20% on $98 billion of inventory - a feat her nomination describes as impossible without constant recruitment and promotion efforts that she helped lead.

Ferrante was also known for taking the time to help managers and employees understand the complex HR processes that accompanied changes in DLA's workforce and mission. She helped them navigate personnel obstacles that came with Base Realignment and Closure decisions, downsizing initiatives, labor and management negotiations, and onboarding 150 Navy warehouses under DLA management.

As DLA Distribution sought new ways to effectively position stock and improve overseas customer support, Ferrante helped recruit new employees to work at centers in countries like Kuwait, South Korea and Djibouti.

"Without Ms. Ferrante, DLA Distribution would not have been successful managing its talented, diverse and engaged workforce," according to her nomination. "Ms. Ferrante valued DLA employees above all else, and she fought for them to work in a safe and efficient environment while transforming the agency's culture and operations."