The Army has added another leader to its elite cadre of senior executives. Barton Halpern, director of the Army Research Office, was inducted as a new member of the Senior Executive Service during a June 7 ceremony.
"To be appointed as an SES is one of the highest opportunities within the civilian career pool," said ARL Director Philip Perconti who hosted the SES pinning and induction ceremony. "It's held only by those who exhibit superior executive leadership and uphold the highest standards of leadership for the nation."
In the Army, senior executives are the civilian counterparts of general officers. Only 260 of the Army’s 330,000 civilians are SES members, the service said.
Halpern became the ARO director in April and is tasked with leading over 100 scientists, engineers and support staff who manage the Army's extramural research program. He has over 30 years of experience in federal government program management with the Pentagon.
Halpern’s most recent roles include serving in the Joint Service Small Arms Program Office at the CCDC Armaments Center located at Picatinny Arsenal, New Jersey, and as both the chief technology officer for Small Arms and the NATO chairman for the Dismounted Soldier, Weapons and Sensors Sub Group. He has a doctorate in organization management from Capella University.