Spotlight

John Eaton
Chief, Management Operations and Support Branch

Spotlight Archive

The Chief of the Management Operations and Support Branch at the National Cancer Institute at Frederick has a multiplicity of decisions to make on any given day—running the gamut from making choices that will affect the more than $1.75 billion budget for the five-year contract operations to deciding whether the center should be closed early for inclement weather. John Eaton has been with NCI for 20 years as Contracting Officer for the four large contracts that support the NCI-Frederick scientists. In this capacity he works directly with the contractors, letting them know exactly what the government wants.

The system of contracts that Mr. Eaton and his staff manage, comprises the Federally Funded Research and Development Center (FFRDC), known as NCI-Frederick. Included in the system of four contracts are:

1. SAIC–Frederick, Inc., a subsidiary of Science Applications International Corporation—providing operations and technical support; 
2. Charles River Laboratories, Inc. (CRL)—responsible for the animal production facilities on site;
3. Data Management Services, Inc. (DMS)—providing computer and statistical support services; and
4. Wilson Information Services Corp. (WISCO)—providing scientific library services.

Mr. Eaton explains that each of the contracts is originally established for five years, with the option to extend an additional two years. “On September 25, 2006, each of the contracts comes to the end of its five-year term. We can negotiate a non-competitive extension, or the government can make a decision to compete. Those decisions will be made soon,” he explained. “In fact, we have to give 60 days’ notice for the two-year extension, so that would mean we have to decide before July 25, 2006.” 

He also explained that the contracts are competed and “not the people. When you don’t compete the people, a young scientist can move here and plan to raise a family, and they know they will be here long enough to do that. It is intended that there be a long-term relationship between the FFRDC and the government. That’s an advantage of an FFRDC, we follow the spirit and intent of Federal Acquisition Regulation, but can get much more done quicker than many of our government counterparts. That’s one of the main reasons I like it here.”

One of the hardest parts of the job, he said, has been “dealing with the personnel hiring freezes. I don’t like not being able to hire and/or promote to make this branch what it should be. We have many long-term employees and it’s a small, hard-working, dedicated staff. It’s hard when we can’t fill a position or retain good people. You put a lot of investment into training, and you don’t want these people to just walk out the door,” Mr. Eaton continued.

In addition to his job as Chief Contracting Officer, he has also been assigned the role of overseeing law enforcement and protection of persons and property. He is accountable for the 68 acres of HHS property within the confines of Fort Detrick. In this capacity, he has the awesome, if not enviable job, of deciding when to close the labs and offices because of snow and other inclement weather. “We follow the Army’s lead,” he explained. “When the Army closes the base in the morning because of snow, we’re closed, too. But it’s more our call for an early closing. When the Army closes early, we generally close one-half an hour before or after they do so we don’t have as much confusion getting off the Post.”

Although Mr. Eaton has worked for NCI-Frederick for 20 years, he came here already familiar with the standard operating procedures of the government. He began working for the DC government as a stock record clerk in 1966, while still attending the University of Maryland. He worked his way up to Section Chief in the Contracts Office. In 1980 he began work at NIH as a Contracting Officer and Section Chief and later went on to work as Branch Chief for contract administration under Margaret M. Heckler, then Secretary of Health and Human Services. 

“One of the reasons I really like it here,” he explained, “is that there is something really great about this area. People like to live here, and you can really hire quality people. I’ve been on both sides, and didn’t like working downtown. I appreciate it here. Through the competitive process we can find contractors that are highly competent. The employees of the contractors are their greatest resource. Each employee seems to like what he or she does, and therefore there’s a really high-quality staff.

“I moved here in 1985. I bought a log house in Shepherdstown, West Virginia, and fixed it up. In recent years, I helped my son build a log home of his own. I also have a daughter, who is an honor student at St. James School,” in Hagerstown, he said.

“My main hobby is golf,” he continued, evidenced by the many trophies displayed in his office. In fact, in the past seven years, Mr. Eaton was the league champion five times. “You never really get good enough,” he said. “There are always areas you’d like to improve. It’s a funny thing,” he admitted, “I like golf, but my daughter, she’s actually good.” Mr. Eaton said that his daughter is captain of her school team, was named MVP in 2004 and 2005, and was chosen All-County, with an average 39.8, winning 13 out of 16 individual matches. “Golf is something you can play for a lifetime, and it teaches the players integrity,” Mr. Eaton concluded.

Even after working 39 years for the government, Mr. Eaton doesn’t have any firm plans for retirement. “I’d like to retire in June of 2006. That’s the plan now,” he said. “But last April I said I would retire in June 2005, and in June, I said December 2005. I’m like the boy who cried wolf. No one is taking me seriously on this issue. I like my job, like the people–it’s easy to stay.”

Marg Mills,
Writer
Gene Regulation and Chromosome Biology Laboratory
National Cancer Institute at Frederick

Maritta Grau,
Senior Technical Editor
Scientific Publications, Graphics & Media
SAIC-Frederick, Inc.
National Cancer Institute at Frederick

Photography Department
Scientific Publications, Graphics & Media
SAIC-Frederick, Inc.
National Cancer Institute at Frederick

Jim Miller,
Web Graphics & Development
Computer & Statistical Services
Data Management Services, Inc.
National Cancer Institute at Frederick