Juanita Christensen facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Juanita Christensen
Christensen in 2017
Born	Juanita M. Denzmore East St. Louis, Illinois, U.S.
Other names	Juanita Harris
Alma mater	University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Webster University University of Phoenix
Occupation	Government official, engineer
Children	3

Juanita M. Christensen (who was formerly known as Harris) is an American government official and an electronics engineer. She helps manage important things for the United States Army Materiel Command. From 2017 to 2021, Christensen was in charge of the United States Army Aviation and Missile Center. In 2015, she made history. She became the first African-American woman from Redstone Arsenal to join the Senior Executive Service. This is a very high-level group of leaders in the U.S. government.

Early Life and Education

Juanita Christensen was born to Clottele M. Denzmore. She grew up in East St. Louis, Illinois. When she was in high school, she was really good at math and science. This led her to decide she wanted to become an engineer.

She went to the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign to study engineering. It was sometimes tough for her as a black woman in the program. One professor even questioned why she was there. But she kept going! In 1985, she earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Engineering. She was the first of her seven brothers and sisters to finish college.

Christensen continued her education. In 1994, she earned a Master of Science degree from Webster University. She studied Computer Resources and Information Systems Management. Later, in 2011, she earned a Doctor of Management degree. This was from the University of Phoenix School of Advanced Studies. Her special research was about how women in the Department of Defense get help from mentors.

Her Career Journey

Juanita Christensen started her career in 1985 as an electronics engineer. She worked for a company called Boeing in St. Louis. After that, she moved to New London, Connecticut. There, she worked as a software engineer for a few years.

She then returned to St. Louis. From 1988 to 1991, she was a senior electronics engineer at McDonnell Aircraft Corporation. Later, she moved to Huntsville, Alabama. In Huntsville, she worked as a senior lead engineer for a company that helped with Comanche helicopter systems.

Christensen also worked as a principal systems engineer. She helped with defense systems and unmanned aircraft systems. These are like drones used for different purposes.

Leadership Roles

From 2007 to 2008, Christensen was a director at the United States Army Space and Missile Defense Command. She then became a chief in the project management office for unmanned aircraft systems.

Her hard work was noticed. In 2011, she was named a "STEM Science Spectrum Trailblazer." This award comes from the Black Engineer of the Year Award (BEYA) program. She received another BEYA award in 2012 for her leadership.

From 2012 to 2015, Christensen was a deputy director. She worked at the U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Research, Development and Engineering Center (AMRDEC). She also completed special training in leadership for defense programs.

Senior Executive Service

In February 2015, Juanita Christensen was chosen for the Senior Executive Service (SES). This was a very big deal! She was the first African-American woman from Redstone Arsenal to join this important group of leaders.

She took on more leadership roles. In 2017, she became the acting executive deputy for the U.S. Army Research, Development, and Engineering Command. She was also the director for weapons development at AMRDEC.

From November 2017 to January 2021, Christensen was the director of AMRDEC. After that, she took on her current role. She is now the deputy chief of staff for logistics (G4) for facilities and environmental at the United States Army Materiel Command. This means she helps manage the Army's equipment, supplies, and buildings.

Personal Life

Juanita Christensen is married to David Christensen. She has two sons and one daughter.