John Burkhead began his civilian Army career with Pine Bluff Arsenal in 2003 as a Quality Assurance Engineer in the Directorate of Material Management. Years later, he was promoted to the Division Chief of the Quality Management Division in the Directorate of Chemical and Biological Defense Operations, and in 2013 he was assigned the responsibilities of the Production Division Chief. As a result of increased responsibilities and leadership, he received the Pine Bluff Arsenal Supervisor of the Year Award in 2015.
In 2017, John was promoted to Director of Chemical and Biological Defense Operations at the Pine Bluff Arsenal. The Directorate manufactures, maintains, inspects, and tests Chemical and Biological Defense Equipment for the Army, Navy, Marines, and Air Force. He is responsible for the planning, organizing, staffing, and leading day-to-day operations of 120 employees. The Directorate currently maintains the capability to manufacture or repair 62 items supporting the Joint Warfighter.
John is a graduate of Pine Bluff High School and the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering. He worked as an Industrial Engineer at Waterloo Industries in Pocahontas, Ark. He is also Level III certified in Production, Quality, and Manufacturing from the Defense Acquisition University.
John resides in Little Rock with his wife, Carrie, son, Ben and daughter, Annie. He is a member of St. James United Methodist Church. He and his family enjoy a wide array of outdoor activities including hunting, fishing, golfing, and traveling.
