Ms. Patricia “Anne” Bannister is the Director, Small Business Program, Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) Headquarters (HQ) in Washington, DC. She has overall responsibility for the operations of the NAVSEA Small Business Program at HQ and the Commands 21 field activities. Prior to Ms. Bannister’s current position, she spent fifteen years with NAVSEA of which ten years was spent in Program Executive Office (PEO) Carriers. From 2016 to 2018, Ms. Bannister was a member of NAVSEA’s Commander’s Executive Fellows Program, where she completed challenging rotational assignments across the Department of Navy. Ms. Bannister’s rotational assignments strengthened her understanding on the issues surrounding ships maintenance, capitalizing on small business for innovation and agility, and maintaining our shipbuilding industrial base. Prior to entering the government, Ms. Bannister spent 18 years in private industry, working for small businesses. In 2020, Ms. Bannister was awarded the Navy Superior Civilian Service award in recognition of her exceptional service and value to the Navy. She received her Executive Master’s in Public Administration from American University, Washington DC. She is Level 3 certified in Program Management and Level 3 certified as a Small Business Professional from Defense Acquisition University and holds an Executive Leadership Certificate from Cornell University. She is also a member of Pi Alpha Alpha, the National Honor Society for Public Affairs and Administration.