HERNDON, VA, April 24, 2026 /24-7PressRelease/ -- John Charles Anderson, PhD, has been selected for inclusion in Marquis Who's Who.

Dr. Anderson's career spans nearly five decades in defense management, legal practice and public service. His expertise clarifying that the "supply side" of effective human capital planning must be analyzed holistically, with total force management defining the "demand side" of human capital planning, and legislative advocacy has shaped Department of Defense policies and practices, particularly by optimizing the mix of military, civilian and contractor personnel to enhance readiness and operational effectiveness.

Most recently, Dr. Anderson served as a lobbyist for the American Federation of Government Employees from 2017 to 2023, representing 300,000 members of the Department of Defense civilian workforce. In this capacity, he was instrumental in advocating for statutory protections and reforms that safeguarded the civilian workforce against arbitrary reductions and promoted pay parity between military and civilian personnel, Section 129a was recently mentioned by former SecDef Panetta and covered by CNN as a limitation on arbitrary reductions by DOGE. "Defense officials fear impending Pentagon firings could break law and hurt military readiness" by Natasha Bertrand and Haley Britzky, Wed., Feb. 19, 2025, CNN: Title 10 section 129a of the U.S. Code governing civilian personnel management in the armed forces states: "The Secretary may not reduce the civilian workforce programmed full-time equivalent levels... unless the Secretary conducts an appropriate analysis of the impacts of such reductions on workload, military force structure, lethality, readiness, operational effectiveness, stress on the military force, and fully burdened costs."

His efforts strengthened key provisions in Title 10 of the United States Code, in addition to Section 129a. They also strengthened Section 129, which prohibits arbitrary caps on civilians (requiring managing to budget and workload); Section 482(b)(10), which mandates that readiness reports include borrowed military manpower; Section 4211, which requires total force planning analysis for major weapon system acquisitions; Section 2463 on insourcing; Section 4505 on contractor inventory; Section 4506 on contract services planning (programming, budgeting; and execution); and Section 2022 on cyber scholarships. Dr. Anderson's advocacy was recognized in Congressional hearings and cited by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) as foundational to modeling contract labor costs within the Department of Defense budget (https://www.cbo.gov/publication/61018). See also testimony by CBO to SASC Personnel Subcommittee on July 26, 2023, on ways the DoD could achieve budgetary efficiencies.

Dr. Anderson, while advocating for pay equity, at least managed to obtain pay parity with military pay. Pay equity and parity are directly linked to effective total force management because suppressing civilian pay generates massive incentives to retain military in infrastructure rather than build up operational units. The years Dr. Anderson achieved pay parity directly resulted from his efforts to encourage AFGE to work with the Association of the United States Army (AUSA), which also became an advocate for pay parity.

He successfully managed to conform the probationary period and RIF policies of the DoD to the rest of the federal government by asking Congress to request a RAND study of discriminatory practices and inefficiencies in human capital planning with more extended probationary periods and subjective RIF rules.

Dr. Anderson ensured that the Cyber Workforce scholarship program for the civilian workforce was similar to the military R.O.T.C. scholarship program to improve accessions and retention of civilian employees in this area, where there were massive skills gaps in DoD (section 2022 of Title 10). By increasing the use of civilian employees in this area rather than defaulting to more expensive military, this optimized the fully burdened costs for the total force, as required by section 129a of Title 10.

Before his lobbying work with AFGE, Dr. Anderson served for 15 years as the Principal Assistant Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army (Force Management, Manpower and Resources) (PADASA)(FMMR), Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army, Manpower and Reserve Affairs (OASA)(M&RA) at the Pentagon. During the Iraq and Afghan conflicts in the former Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld's period, the ASA (M&RA) Reginald Brown designated Dr. Anderson as the Army lead for realigning 15,000 military positions to the operating force, increasing the number and size of brigade combat teams. This was built on earlier work by Dr. Anderson under ASA (M&RA) Patrick Henry, which identified potential military-to-civilian employee or contract conversions, as well as civilian positions that could be appropriately privatized. Dr. Anderson coordinated these initiatives as a co-chair of a council of colonels with an Army G-3/5/7 Colonel in the Total Army Analysis process and by drafting and coordinating ASA (M&RA) and USA responses to 126 FAIR Act challenges and 34 appeals from industry and unions on whether a function was "inherently governmental." This realignment of 15,000 military positions improved readiness, lethality, reduced force stress reflected in suicide rates, improved individual and unit deployment ratios, and generated efficiencies as reflected in fully burdened costs of total force and reduced need for additional military end strength.

Dr. Anderson influenced the following Title 10, United States Code, crucial missing tools (overcoming opposition) to enable the above realignments and their continuation. Section 2463 (insourcing) and Section 4505 (contractor inventory) were developed as legislative proposals for the DoD, while PADASA, obtaining support from other Military Departments, Joint Staff and the Office of the Secretary of Defense. OMB had prohibited insourcing based on industry lobbying and was strongly opposed. He met with industry leaders and obtained a SecDef letter supporting these initiatives to Congress. He also met with OMB and obtained statutory authorities. Insourcing was highlighted in the 2009 Army Posture Statement to Congress as a major business transformation initiative generating savings. Insourcing was implemented in the PBES process by DoD to generate savings. The 29 Mar 2012 Sen. HSGAC Hearings encouraged government-wide application of Army contractor inventory and insourcing.

Dr. Anderson served on active duty from 1976 to 1981 in the Army and was then discharged as a Captain in the Reserves, performing his reserve duties as an Operations Research Systems Analyst and receiving an Army Commendation Medal.

His most notable achievement while on active duty was as a headquarters detachment commander and battalion S-1 (personnel officer) with the 8th Maintenance General Support Battalion in Hanau, Germany, from June 1978 to August 1980. The Inspector General noted that his actions to improve accountability and controls on borrowed military manpower reduced deadlined vehicles and skills misalignments of personnel/unfilled positions. This experience was the genesis of his later efforts as PADASA (FMMR) and AFGE lobbyist to improve accountability for the readiness impacts of borrowed military manpower.

From 1990 to 1994, Dr. Anderson practiced law as an associate at Jones Day Reavis & Pogue in Washington, DC. His legal practice encompassed appellate litigation before the Supreme Court in takings and insurance cases under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA), securities litigation, corporate mergers and acquisitions, antitrust matters, thrift litigation, tax planning and administrative law. Dr. Anderson is a retired member of the New York Bar, the District of Columbia Bar, and the D.C. Federal Courts.

Dr. Anderson's favorite publications related to his work include: "Defense Management Reform: How to Make the Pentagon Work Better and Cost Less," Peter Levine (Stanford University Press; 2020); "How Should the Army Use Contractors on the Battlefield? Assessing Comparative Risk in Sourcing Decisions," Frank Camm, Victoria A. Greenfield (RAND, 2005); "Optimizing Total Force Management," Jessica Wolfanger, Steven Belcher, Ray Wang, Michelle Dolfini-Reed and Tom Woo (Center for Naval Analysis; July 2021); "Balancing the Total Force: An Ongoing Issue," Nancy M. Huff, David F. Eisler, Stanley A. Horowitz (Institute for Defense Analysis; August 2020); "Identifying Contributions of Civilian Workforce to Readiness," Steven Belcher, Nicholas Diebel and Kletus Lawler (Center for Naval Analysis; September 2021); "Service Acquisitions: DOD's Report to Congress Identifies Steps Taken To Improve Management, But Does Not Address Some Key Planning Issues," Timothy J. DiNapoli (GAO-21-267R, 22 Feb 2021); "DOD Service Acquisition: Improved Use of Available Data Needed to Better Manage and Forecast Service Contract Requirements," Timothy J. DiNapoli (GAO-16-119, 18 February 2016); "Building a Civilian Talent Pipeline" (Defense Business Board (March 2023); "Fully Burdened and Lifecycle Costs of the Workforce" (Defense Business Board)(DBBFY 18-01) (has excellent chart on total force); "Options for Reducing the Deficit: 2025-2034/Discretionary Spending/National Defense/Replace Some Military Personnel With Civilian Employees" (CBO; December 2024); and "Long Term Implications of the 2025 Future Years Defense Program" (CBO; November 2024).

Dr. Anderson earned a PhD in philosophy from the Catholic University of America in 1995, with a dissertation titled "An Enquiry on the Origins of Injustice in Legal Systems" (Catholic University five-year full tuition scholarship). Additionally, he completed a Master of Arts in philosophy at the Catholic University of America in 1993, with a thesis examining Kant's aesthetics in moral philosophy (Catholic University five-year full tuition scholarship). He holds a Juris Doctor from the Catholic University Law School, completed in 1990, publishing a Note at 37 Catholic University Law Review 791-827 (Spring 1988). Dr. Anderson received his Bachelor of Arts in history from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor in 1976 with a four-year Army Reserve Officers Training Corps Scholarship. He was an Arthur Hill High School, Saginaw, Michigan (1972), champion debater (1969 to 1970), Tri-City Valley. Additionally, Dr. Anderson learned teamwork and persistence in becoming an Eagle Scout and member of the Order of the Arrow.

Throughout his career, Dr. Anderson has attributed his success to his family and friends. He is willing to be part of a team and to give credit to his team members. He is also welcoming of teammates who have differing views. Openness to criticism often results in a better work product or outcome.

The lessons passed down from his family were foundational to everything else. His mother, June Elizabeth Lepisto; his father, Charles James Anderson; his sister, Mary Ashley; his sister, Joan (changed to Kaija); his brother, Paul; his maternal grandfather, Victor Elias Lepisto; his maternal grandmother, Mary Elizabeth Keskey; his paternal grandmother, Gladys Kellogg; his Aunt Louise Anderson; his Aunt Alice Anderson and his Uncle by marriage, Walter Cochrane.

Dr. Anderson's accolades include a Distinguished Service Award from the American Logistics Association in 2023, two Meritorious Civilian Service Awards from the United States Army in 2001 and 2015, top 1% performance ratings, and numerous Army Commendation Awards. He also received a SecArmy Manpower & Force Management Distinguished Service Award in 1998, when Patrick T. Henry was ASA (M&RA). Dr. Anderson's creative output includes authorship of "Why Lawyers Derail Justice/Probing the Roots of Legal Injustices," published by Pennsylvania State University Press (1998). His poetry has appeared in North American Mentor magazine and in Libra Publishers' "Cosmic Omelet," with award-winning pieces such as "Sapphics on the Violet," also featured in "One-Score-and Two Years of Uncommon Fanfare."

Dr. Anderson's personal life is enriched by his marriage in 1984 to Marcia Susan Foster, with degrees from the University of Rochester (BS, Psychology, French, 1972), Rutgers University (MSW, 1976), and the Catholic University of America (MA Theatre, 1990). She retired after acting in community theater productions and teaching English as a second language in the Fairfax Public Schools in 2016. Dr. Anderson had a close relationship with his father-in-law, Albert Foster and his mother-in-law, Ida Braiman.

Dr. Anderson's children are Albert Foster Anderson: SUNY Purchase College (BFA, Acting, 2016), currently recognized as Chess Teacher of the Year in Fairfax County, Virginia (2026); and lan Foster Anderson: Virginia Commonwealth University's sculpture program (2018).

See lan's portfolio: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?vanity=100007429420680&set=a.4400458790211725

Dr. Anderson acknowledges the following as mentors to his career: (Former USA FMSA Dep. Dir.) Steve Croall; (Former SASC PSM, currently at IDA, Peter Levine; (Former CUA Prof.) Daniel Dahlstrom; (Former CUA Prof.; Msgr. John. F. Wippel); (Former piano teacher) Guinevere K. Wilder; (Former high school English teacher, Donna Cappell), Former ASA (M&RA) P. T. Henry; Former ASA (M&RA) Reginald Brown; Former Army Director, Force Programs, G-3/5/7; Former Army Materiel Command CG: Gen. (Ret.) Benjamin Griffin, Jr.; Former VCSA Gen. (Ret.) Peter Chiarelli; MG (Ret.) Allen Light Jr., Former 3rd Support Command CG and U.S. Army Armament Research and Development Command CG; Former Sec Army Francis Harvey; Ernest M. Willcher (Office of Army Gen. Counsel, Ret.); Rich Robbins (OUSD P&R, Ret.); Former Sen. Claire McCaskill; Rep. J. Garamendi; Rep. Donald Norcross; Sen. Gary Peters; Rep. C. Houlahan; Frederick Vollrath, LTG (Ret.) (former Army G-1 and DUSD (TFMPR); Former DUSD (TFMPR) Todd Weiler; Donald B. Ayer (JDRP Partner, former Deputy AG, DOJ; Jayson Spiegel (Former DASA-FMMR); Julie Tippens (AFGE Leg. Dir; Ret.); Dr. Arun Seraphim (Former SASC staff); Jonathan Clarke (SASC staff); Sapna Sharma (HASC staff); Melanie Harris (HASC staff); Steven Dane Russell (Former Rep. OK SCD); Robert Bishop (former Rep. UT 1" CD); Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand; Scott Amey (Project On Government Oversight); Jay Aronowitz (former DASA-FMMR); Mark Manning (former DASA-FMMR); Rep.Rick Larsen (WA-02CD); Former Rep.Anthony Brown (MD-04CD); Former HAS staff Cathy Garmen; Former HASC staff Brian Grier; Seth Moulton (Rep,; MA06th C.D.); Former VCSA Gen. (Ret.) Richard A. Cody; and Former DASA (FMMR team members: Eileen Ginsburg and Paulette Mittelstedt); and Steve Rosetti (Pres. American Logistics Association).

In his leisure time, Dr. Anderson enjoys playing the piano; listening to classical, Broadway and rock music; and reading works spanning literature, history, philosophy, math & physics (from his 50K-volume library), genealogy research, and other topics that reflect his lifelong intellectual curiosity and cultural engagement. Looking ahead, Dr. Anderson intends to further support democracy through more active political involvement.

About Marquis Who's Who®:
Since 1899, when A. N. Marquis printed the First Edition of Who's Who in America®, Marquis Who's Who® has chronicled the lives of the most accomplished individuals and innovators from every significant field of endeavor, including politics, business, medicine, law, education, art, religion and entertainment. The suite of Marquis® publications, including Who's Who in America® and Who's Who in the World®, remains an essential biographical source for thousands of researchers, journalists, librarians and executive search firms around the globe. Marquis® publications can be viewed at the official Marquis Who's Who® website, www.marquiswhoswho.com.

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