Staff Writer
The first director of the Defense Finance and Accounting Service, which opened soon after Loring Air Force Base closed 14 years ago, has retired amid much congratulations and fanfare.
Aroostook Republican photo/Debra Walsh
Larry Conrad, center, receives a plaque from Carl Flora, left, president of the Loring Development Authority and James Donnelly, chairman of the LDA Board of Directors. Conrad retired earlier this month after about 13 years as director of the Defense Finance and Accounting Service-Limestone, one of the first tenants to move onto Loring after it ceased being an Air Force base. The new acting director for the DFAS facility is Aaron P. Gillison, who began his work at Limestone on March 17. Larry Conrad officially retired on April 1 after starting and running the military accounting service, which is housed, in the former base hospital.
Conrad was honored Wednesday by the Loring Development Authority’s Board of Trustees during a regular meeting.
“It was a heck of a lot of fun,” said Conrad to the board. “I was the first one in the building in January of 1995.”
DFAS, a new military organization at the time, consolidated accounting payroll and vendor payment functions that had previously been carried out at individual military bases. The DFAS at Loring is one of 26 centers that serve the financial needs of bases worldwide. About 635 people work at the agency in Limestone.
Under his leadership, DFAS developed a reputation for excellence with the DFAS system. As the recipient of the “Hammer Award”? in 1998, the center distinguished itself as a leader in innovation.
Three years ago, when the center was proposed for closure as part of the federal reorganization, “Larry was at his best.” said LDA President Carl Flora.
“Larry practically had to downplay all the center’s accomplishment in order to keep his presentation plausible,” said Flora.
The federal government decided to keep the Limestone DFAS open and expand it to at least 600. Local officials said last week that the employee number is expected to increase to 666 by the end of this year.
“Management was one of the employees,”? said LDA Chairman James Donnelly. “Larry’s love and affection for this area is what saved.”
Conrad said during the LDA meeting that then when the announcement was made that DFAS Limestone was to close, the Loring site was the only DFAS location where both the state’s governor and the congressional delegation spent the entire day during deliberations.
Conrad retired from a total of 38 years with the Air Force, having served in uniform and in civil service. He and his wife, Lynne, plan to split their time between Aroostook County and Florida.
Assuming the acting director’s position is Aaron P. Gillison who most recently was the DFAS Finance mission Area for Standards and Compliance. He has served as the Director of Military Pay.
Gillison has a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Southern University in Baton Rouge, La., a master’s in business administration from Indiana University and a master’s of strategic studies from the U.S. Army War College and is a graduate of the Office of Personnel Management Federal Executive Institute Leadership for Democratic Society Program. He has earned several military awards, including the Legion of Merit.
Gillison joined DFAS after career with the U.S. Army where he served in a variety of capacities, such as infantry officer and finance officer, including duty stations overseas.