MITCHELL J. ROSS

Mr. Ross is the Director of the Acquisition and Grants Office of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), a bureau of the U.S. Department of Commerce. He is responsible for the acquisition and financial assistance activities of NOAA. Formed into its current state in 1970, NOAA traces its lineage to 1807 with the creation of the Coast and Geodetic Survey. The bureau is dedicated to understanding and predicting changes in the environment and to conserve and manage coastal and marine resources.

Mr. Ross began his federal service in 1978 when he was appointed to the first class of Presidential Management Interns and assigned to the Department of the Navy.  His internship focused on acquisition management.  Mr. Ross joined the Naval Air Systems Command as a career civil servant in 1980 and became a Contracting Officer. 

Mr. Ross left federal service in 1985 to join BDM International Incorporated, a professional and technical services firm. He had multiple assignments and became the Vice President, Corporate Contracts and Procurement, responsible for all contract activities of the operating company engaged in business with the U. S. federal government.  His areas of responsibility included contracts, pricing, subcontracts, procurement, property, and export/import.  Mr. Ross managed the small business program, the insurance and risk management program and served as the corporate representative to industry associations and government on federal acquisition matters. 

Mr. Ross returned to Government service in 2002 when he joined NOAA.  After multiple assignments, he became the Director of the Acquisition and Grants Office.  NOAA is the largest bureau of the U.S. Department of Commerce and devotes half of its budget to acquisition and financial assistance. The contracts and grants awarded by NOAA address critical national priorities in the environment and science.

Mr. Ross graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles (1976) with a B. A. in Political Science.  He obtained a Masters in Public Administration from the University of Southern California (1979) and a M. A. in Government from Georgetown University (1988).  Mr. Ross completed the Federal Acquisition Management Course at the Defense Systems Management College (1979) and the National Security Studies Program at Georgetown University (1988).

Mr. Ross was born in New York, reared in California, and currently resides in Virginia.  He is a member of the American Society for Public Administration, the Association of Proposal Management Professionals, and the National Contract Management Association.  He is a member of the federal Senior Executive Service.  Mr. Ross is married and has two adult children.