DoDEA

ARLINGTON, VA — The Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) has selected Jay Burcham as the organization’s new Chief of Staff.  Burcham’s most recent assignment was as the Chief of Staff for the US Army Corps of Engineers Afghanistan Engineer District-North in Kabul Afghanistan.

"We are very happy to welcome Jay to the DoDEA family. His extensive experience and diverse background through military and civilian service will serve him and the DoDEA team well in his new assignment,” said Marilee Fitzgerald, Acting Director of DoDEA.
 
Prior to his assignment in Afghanistan, Burcham served the U.S. Army in many positions including as the Deputy Director of the Strategic Plans Directorate and Chief of the Capabilities and Initiatives Division, at the U.S. Army Installation Management Command; Deputy Director and Chief Operations Officer of the Family Programs Directorate at the U.S. Army Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation Command; Director, Transformation and Stationing Management for the Hessen Region, U.S. Army Garrison Wiesbaden in Wiesbaden, Germany; and Director of Plans, Training, Mobilization and Security, U.S. Army Garrison Wiesbaden.

With 21 years as a commissioned officer in the U.S. Army, Burcham also had many assignments in the Armor Branch specializing in training and operations management at the battalion, squadron, regiment, division and Army corps levels, retiring as a Lieutenant Colonel. During his active duty career he was stationed overseas in South Korea, Germany and Japan, and stateside at Forts Knox, Carson, Benning, Lewis, Monroe, and Yakima Training Center, in Washington.

“I hold great respect and regard for DoDEA based on my personal experience schooling my children in DoDDS at three different bases in Europe,” Burcham said. “Both children had very positive educational and life development experiences which prepared them for easy transitions into the last two years of high school here in Fairfax County, Va.”
 
Burcham is a Distinguished Military Graduate of the Army ROTC program at Santa Clara University, Santa Clara, California with a Bachelor of Arts degree in History. He is a graduate of the Command and General Staff Officer Course and the Armor Officer Basic and Infantry Officer Advanced Courses.
 
His awards include: Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal, Humanitarian Service Medal, Department of the Army Outstanding Civilian Service Medal, Superior Civilian Service Award, Commander’s Award for Civilian Service, Headquarters V Corps Heart of Victory Award, and Department of the Army Commander’s Award for Public Service.
 
Mr. Burcham is married to Colonel Margaret W. Burcham, an Army Engineer, currently serving as Chief, Joint Capabilities Division, Joint Staff, Force Structure, Resources, and Assessment Directorate. She assumes command of the US Army Corps of Engineers Great Lakes and Ohio River Division as a Brigadier General in September 2011. They have a daughter serving as a First Lieutenant with the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) in Kandahar Afghanistan and a son in his second year at University of Virginia.

“I'm thrilled by this chance to assist the Director in leading the staff of such a distinguished organization and I truly look forward to joining the DoDEA team,” said Burcham.
 
DoDEA consists of the Department of Defense Dependents Schools located overseas, and the Department of Defense Domestic Dependent Elementary and Secondary Schools located in the U.S. and its territories and possessions. DoDEA provides education to eligible DoD military and civilian dependents from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade. DoDEA also provides support and resources to Local Education Activities throughout the U.S. that serve children of military families.