Piecing Together Passion and Purpose

Balancing life and career is like assembling a puzzle. Piece by piece, it gradually comes together to reveal a complete picture. For one dedicated Joint Program Executive Office for Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear Defense (JPEO-CBRND) professional, putting the pieces together is both an instinctive and conscientious effort.

Finding the First Piece
As a child, Courtney Conner wanted to be a marine biologist when she grew up. While she didn’t end up spearheading conservation efforts for sea turtles or helping Nemo find his father, she didn’t wander far from her scientific leanings. Her need to learn, problem-solve, and make connections between things in the world persevered.

Later, as a pre-med student at Davidson College, Conner discovered puzzle pieces don’t always fit as effortlessly as one expects. Her commitment to field hockey and admitted lack of enthusiasm for the pre-med track led her to scratch the science itch in a different capacity rather than becoming a medical doctor. She went on to major in chemistry and upon her fist summer out of college she began applying for laboratory jobs.

However, in a turn of fate Conner ran into a relative who was employed with U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Chemical Biological Center (DEVCOM CBC). He asked about her career plans, and when she mentioned that it was still very much a work in progress, he encouraged her to consider working at a place like DEVCOM CBC. Conner was offered an internship at that very organization, and eventually became a full-time employee matrixed to the JPEO-CBRND as a chemist in 2005. What seemed like a random puzzle piece at the time turned out to be the framework of a nearly 20-year career in the CBRN defense space.

Courtney Conner is the Deputy Chief Engineer for JPEO-CBRND’s Office of the Chief Engineer (OCE). The office ensures adherence to sound engineering practices and effective management of technical risks through comprehensive strategy, policy, direction, oversight, and assessment.

Building Out the Framework
Today, Conner is matrixed from DEVCOM CBC and serves as the Deputy Chief Engineer for JPEO-CBRND’s Office of the Chief Engineer (OCE). OCE advises the entire JPEO-CBRND organization (including its six Joint Project Managers/Leads) on matters related to science, technology, experimentation, engineering, CBRN threats, and technical security and protection across the portfolio. The office ensures adherence to sound engineering practices and effective management of technical risks through comprehensive strategy, policy, direction, oversight, and assessment. OCE is also responsible for ensuring design-related decisions align with strategic objectives, as well as fostering connections with academia, industry, and other capability development partners.

“I think of myself as a connector,” said Conner. Her role is connecting the JPEO-CBRND and other groups throughout the U.S. Army and Defense Department just like puzzle pieces to track initiatives across the landscape of their programs and efforts. Similarly, Conner serves as an informal liaison for DEVCOM CBC and provides oversight for other CBC-matrixed employees, advocating for their needs so they can best support the CBC mission of providing innovative CBRN defense capabilities to help protect Joint Force warfighters.

It is no surprise that helping others is an integral piece of Conner’s professional life. She asserts that the CBC and JPEO-CBRND missions are both about helping people, whether it’s the warfighter or colleagues, and she is happy if she is doing just that. She attributes this quality to her parents, especially her mother who is a retired schoolteacher and administrator, who encouraged self-sufficiency while also being incredibly helpful to others.

No Missing Pieces
Another life quality she attributes to her parents is her athleticism and competitiveness. This October, Conner represented the U.S. in the Masters Women’s Field Hockey World Cup hosted in Cape Town, South Africa, where she helped the U.S. place 7^th overall out of 16 countries.

The most aged group in the Master’s League stands at 75+ years old. For Conner, the thought of playing the sport for that long and benefiting from the joy it brings is a great source of inspiration. She notes the unparalleled passion of the players and the sense of community. “Being around so many women and men who love the sport in every sense—from sportsmanship to camaraderie—and the positive environment of playing the sport with a community of friends, it was powerful,” said Conner.

Conner was originally selected as an alternate which meant she wouldn’t travel with the team—or so she thought. The league invited her to represent the U.S. in South Africa only one month before the competition. While she had no doubts that JPEO-CBRND and DEVCOM CBC leadership and colleagues would support this endeavor (a circumstance she does not take for granted), as the parent of a young son, she questioned if she would be able to get her personal affairs in order in time to travel internationally and compete for three weeks. Ultimately, she decided she would regret it if she did not add this once-in-a-lifetime piece to the puzzle of her life. “Sometimes you just have to take the leap and do it,” she advised, encouraging other professionals to seize opportunities that ignite their passions.

Deputy Chief Engineer for JPEO-CBRND’s Office of the Chief Engineer (OCE), Courtney Conner, and her Women's Masters Field Hockey teammates during the WMH World Cup, October 2024 in Cape Town, South Africa.

A Puzzle Still in Progress
When asked what her next career move will be as she continues to progress, Conner admits to struggling with this question. “I feel like I still have so much to learn and grow into in my current role. I have not moved around a lot career-wise. I like the area I’m working in,” she says, adding that investing in her role and current team is a priority.

Conner understands that prioritizing a balanced career and personal life requires a conscientious effort, and, sometimes, a leap of faith. When she’s not tackling a work project or making connections within the larger CBRN defense community, she enjoys traveling, going to Bethany Beach every summer to spend quality time with her family, playing field hockey, and you guessed it—working on puzzles.

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