Photo By Devin Pisner | Naval Surface Warfare Center, Carderock Division's Chief Technology Officer Dr. Elissa...... read more read more
WEST BETHESDA, Md. – When Elissa Trueman became Naval Surface Warfare Center, Carderock Division’s Chief Technology Officer, she described the experience as “coming home.”
Trueman, who previously served as the deputy and acting CTO for NSWC Headquarters, returned to Carderock with a broader perspective, an expanded network and enthusiasm for reconnecting with the community.
“I’m really just excited to be back,” Trueman shared. “Especially after the role I just left, where I got to see Carderock from a different perspective.”
Trueman’s priorities include maintaining successful initiatives, such as the STEM and outreach programs, the Naval Innovation Science and Engineering and In-House Laboratory Independent Research portfolios led by Dr. Krista Lossing, and the management of Cooperative Research and Development Agreements (CRADA) by Joe Teeter. She also aims to improve communication and unify the vision for Carderock’s Technology Office.
“I feel like folks don’t always know what the CTO does,” she said. “We need to work on how we’re communicating internally to our workforce and externally to the outside world. We want to build out an architecture where we’re communicating with one voice—telling our unique stories, but within a common architecture.”
Trueman wants to ensure employees understand and access available resources.
“The CTO shop is here to be an enabler,” she emphasized. “We have so many tools—grants, agreements, internal funding, and relationship-building activities. I’m not sure people know enough about these resources to access them, and that’s something I’m working to change.”
A key challenge for Trueman is balancing immediate priorities with long-term strategic thinking, a concept she calls “creative tension.” The term, originally coined by Peter Senge at MIT, was introduced to Trueman by Professor David Baker during a Big History course at Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia.
“It’s about thinking in multi-disciplinary ways to broaden your perspectives,” Trueman explained. “There are these opposing forces—wanting to focus on the future while addressing pressing issues in the present. You have to recognize this tension, understand the risks and uncertainties it creates, and be thoughtful in how you address them.”
Her approach involves setting goals across various timeframes. Short-term, she focuses on employee engagement, ensuring everyone understands the Technology Office’s mission. Mid-term, she aims to support warfighter readiness, remaining adaptable to changes. Long-term, her focus will be on emerging technologies, workforce development, and facility management.
Trueman’s leadership philosophy includes empowering her team to embrace their own ideas.
“They’re rock stars, all of them,” she said. “What I need them to do is have a vision for what they want to accomplish, break it down into actionable steps, and focus on outcomes and impact.”
She encourages her team to consider the impact of their work on the organization and the warfighter.
“If we’re not doing things that we can track outcomes and impacts, we’re not doing the right things,” she said.
Trueman also advises young professionals to stay curious and be mindful.
“Opportunities often present themselves quietly,” she said. “If you’re rushing through your day, you might miss them.”
Trueman credited mentors like Jack Price, and Eric Satchel, for shaping her leadership.
“I don’t feel pressure or stress. I actually love this job. It’s thoughtful work, and I make time to think,” she said.
Trueman plans to improve communication about the CTO office’s role and resources, organize outreach events and promote strategic awareness.
“If you can envision the future, you can build it,” she wrote in a recent LinkedIn post marking her 20 years of service. “I have had the privilege to serve the Sailors and Marines of the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps for most of my career. Some days were hard and trying, some days were easier, but I've always remembered why I'm here. I serve for them. It's all about the mission.”
| Date Taken: | 03.03.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 03.24.2025 12:35 |
| Story ID: | 491900 |
| Location: | MARYLAND, US |
| Web Views: | 12 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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