Photo By Lillian Putnam | Corey Washington, Huntsville Center Utility Monitoring and Control Systems program...... read more read more
REDSTONE ARSENAL, Ala. – Leaders from the U.S. Army Engineering and Support Center, Huntsville gathered with industry partners for the Utility Monitoring and Control Systems, UMCS, Program Industry Day March 3. The event focused on strengthening partnerships, sharing program updates and discussing the future of installation utility management across the Army.
The meeting brought together contractors and program leaders to discuss the current state of the UMCS program and outline priorities moving forward. Speakers emphasized the importance of collaboration between the government and industry to maintain the infrastructure that supports military installations.
“None of this happens on its own,” Col. Robert Hilliard, Huntsville Center commander, shared in his opening remarks. “We can plan it and envision it, but we need partners to help make it happen.”
The UMCS program provides centralized monitoring and control of installation utilities such as heating, cooling, electricity and water systems. These systems help installations operate more efficiently while improving reliability and energy management.
Throughout Hilliard’s remarks, he explained how the program plays a critical role in supporting military readiness by ensuring the infrastructure behind daily operations remains functional and modernized.
“We have places where people can train, learn, test new ideas and plan operations. Those capabilities don’t exist without the infrastructure behind them,” he said. “We are willing to come together to build and maintain the infrastructure and I appreciate you all being here to do that.”
Nathan Durham, UMCS branch chief, thanked more than 75 participants for attending and emphasized the value of face-to-face collaboration.
“It’s great to build relationships, see the people we work with and make sure contractors understand who we are and see the people they work with every day,” Durham said.
Throughout the day, speakers provided briefings on program history, organizational structure, safety, engineering efforts and contracting processes. The agenda also included time for open discussion and questions between government officials and contractors.
According to one participant, the event was incredibly valuable to the team.
“The breadth of topics covered, from safety and security protocols to the submittals process and the upcoming opportunity pipeline, gave us a comprehensive understanding of Huntsville Center's UMCS Program priorities and direction,” said Danny Spencer, Spectrum Solutions, Inc. UMCS program manager.
Spencer continued by explaining how his team was able to strengthen collaboration with Huntsville Center, “Equally important was the extensive question and answer time built into the agenda, which allowed us to engage directly with the team, get clear answers to our most pressing questions, and walk away with the confidence and clarity needed to compete effectively on future opportunities.”
Program managers highlighted growth in the program’s workload and obligations in recent years, recognizing the performance of contractors and project teams.
“You are where the rubber meets the road,” Corey Washington, UMCS program manager, told attendees. “You’re the ones performing the work. You’re the face of the program out there in the field.”
Leaders also discussed broader initiatives aimed at streamlining project delivery and reducing administrative delays.
“There are new initiatives focused on building infrastructure and not paperwork,” Hilliard said. “The goal is cutting red tape so we can move faster.”
As the Army looks ahead to future infrastructure investments, leaders encouraged industry partners to think strategically about upcoming opportunities.
“As we look to the future, we have to be ready,” he said. “We should think big about what we can accomplish as a collaborative effort. We appreciate your feedback on that process and how we build balance as new projects come.”
Ultimately, organizers said the purpose of the event was to strengthen communication and reinforce the shared mission between government and industry.
“This effort is about relationships,” he told the audience. “We need you, and the nation needs you.” Huntsville Center leadership expressed desires for the results of discussions and connections made during the industry day would help position the UMCS program for continued growth and improved support to Army installations.
“I hope we leave today with stronger relationships and a better understanding of what we can accomplish together,” Hilliard said.
| Date Taken: | 03.27.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 03.27.2026 15:40 |
| Story ID: | 561472 |
| Location: | ALABAMA, US |
| Web Views: | 16 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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