Ms. Melinda K. Reed is a member of the Senior Executive Service and serves as the Principal Director to the Deputy Assistant Secretary of War for Enabling Technology in the Office of the Under Secretary of War for Research and Engineering (OUSW(R&E)) – Critical Technologies. In this role she oversees development and fielding of Advanced Computing and Software, Microelectronics, Nuclear Command, Control and Communication Tech Accelerator program technologies and Space Technology.

Ms. Reed was appointed to the Senior Executive Service in November 2019. In her first executive role, she served as the Director for System Security in the Office of Under Secretary of War for  Research and Engineering – Science and Technology. In this capacity, she was the principal advisor for engineering policy, methods, and education on matters related to ensuring the defense systems are free of known vulnerabilities and resilient to exploitation. She oversaw DoW initiatives in secure cyber resilient engineering; program protection; hardware, software, and system assurance; supply chain risk management; design for exportability; anti-tamper; and controlled technical information.  

Prior to her work with STPP, Ms. Reed served as the Director, Program Protection in the Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Systems Engineering, where she provided leadership for defense acquisition program protection and cybersecurity policy, guidance, and implementation, including incorporating system security engineering into acquisition and engineering processes, and defense acquisition workforce education and training. Ms. Reed also served as the Executive Secretary of the Defense Science Board Cyber Supply Chain Task Force.  

Before joining the Office of the Secretary of Defense, Ms. Reed served as the Director for Systems Engineering in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Research, Development and Acquisition) Chief Systems Engineer.  Ms. Reed also served as the Chief Engineer and Technical Warrant Holder for the Submarine Warfare Federated Tactical Systems and as an Acquisition Program Manager in the Program Executive Office, Submarines within the Naval Sea Systems Command. 

Ms. Reed is a recipient of the Office of the Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment Group Achievement Award in 2020, the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology & Logistics Award for Excellence in 2014, the Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development and Acquisition Excellence Award in 2009 and the Defense Acquisition Executive Certificate of Achievement Award in 2001. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering from Oregon State University.