Engility adds longtime government official to its board

A longtime defense official has been named to the board of directors of Engility Holdings.

Katharina G. McFarland retired from civil service as the assistant secretary of defense for acquisition on Jan. 20. She was appointed to this position in 2012 by former President Barack Obama.

During her time with the Defense Department, she was appointed acting assistant secretary of the Army for acquisitions, logistics and technology and Army acquisition executive. She also served as the science adviser to the secretary of the Army, as well as the Army’s senior research and development official and senior procurement executive.

Prior to that appointment, McFarland served as president of the Defense Acquisition University from November 2010 to May 2012 and also previously was director of acquisition for the Missile Defense Agency.

McFarland began her civil service career in 1986 at the U.S. Marine Corps headquarters as a general engineer.

McFarland received an honorary doctoral degree in engineering from the University of Cranfield, United Kingdom, and a bachelor’s degree Queens University in Kingston, Canada.

Engility is based in Chantilly.