Ms. Rathbun currently serves as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Information Warfare and Enterprise Services (DASN IWAR) on the staff of the Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development and Acquisition. She is also dual-hatted as the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) on the staff of the Department of the Navy Chief Information Officer.
As DASN IWAR, she supports an $8+B portfolio of programs and projects that deliver the systems for information-centric capabilities, services, processes, and security, including Command and Control; Communications; Networks; Cloud; Cyber; Intelligence; Meteorology and Oceanography; Spectrum; Position, Navigation and Timing; Productivity; Logistics; Personal; Acquisition; Financial; and many other enterprise services. In addition to program support Ms. Rathbun drives key software acquisition reforms and is the Navy’s IT Acquisition Workforce lead.
As CTO she is focused on leveraging modern principles and technologies to drive the modernization of key elements of the DON’s IT Infrastructure to include the establishment of a unified network architecture, movement to a culture of enterprise cloud services and execution of zero trust principles through identity services to enable a mobile, agile, secure and interoperable operational force in meeting their mission.
Prior to selection as DASN, Ms. Rathbun served as the Deputy Director for Defense Business Systems in the Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for C3, Cyber, and Business Systems (DASD C3CB) within the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment. She was responsible for shaping the acquisitions of the Department’s major Defense Business Systems and Enterprise IT Infrastructure Services investments, a portfolio valued at over $15B, impacting the readiness of every soldier, sailor, airman and marine, their dependents and military retirees. In addition, she led multiple process improvement efforts focused on modernizing and optimizing the acquisition of business and IT services, software acquisition methods and tools, cloud services, and the management and governance of Defensewide capabilities.
Ms. Rathbun has had a diverse career in the government. Her assignments include: the Commission on Roles and Missions of the Armed Forces; the Office of the Secretary of Defense Program Analysis and Evaluation as an operations research analyst for readiness and PPBS reform; HQ NASA where she served as a change lead on the SAP enterprise resource planning solution implementation and the Acting Director of Resources, NASA Comptroller; Chief of Staff for the Deputy Secretary of Defense directed initiative, Institutional Reform and Governance Roadmap, where she guided a cross-department team through development of management reforms including implementation of a Capability Portfolio Management process; AT&L as Special Assistant to the Director of Portfolio Systems Acquisition for Program Management Empowerment and Accountability implementing Weapon System Acquisition Reform Act initiatives; Acting Division Chief for the Strategic Capabilities Office in the J1/8 Resources Directorate, United States Africa Command in Stuttgart, Germany, leading analysis of assessment of command operations, and alignment and advocacy of resources to the Command Strategy; and Chief of Staff to the DASD C3CB, facilitating the coordination and synchronization of cross-DASD efforts, requirements, and resources, identifying opportunities for process and management improvements focused on optimizing the delivery of program support and advocacy.
Ms. Rathbun received a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from John Carroll University and a Master in Public Administration from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University. She has earned top civilian service awards for her various efforts and contributions. Ms. Rathbun is Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act (DAWIA) certified – Program Management, Level III.
