DoDEA HQ Chief of Staff Bio

Mr. Jay Burcham is the Chief of Staff for the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) in Alexandria, Virginia. DoDEA plans, directs, coordinates, and manages pre-kindergarten through 12th grade education programs for Department of Defense dependents that would otherwise not have access to a high-quality public education. DoDEA schools are in Europe, the Pacific, Western Asia, the Middle East, Cuba, the United States, Guam, and Puerto Rico. DoDEA also provides support and resources to Local Educational Activities throughout the U.S. that serve children of military families.

During previous civilian assignments, Mr. Burcham served the U.S. Army as Chief of Staff for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Afghanistan Engineer District-North in Kabul Afghanistan; Deputy Director of the G3/5/7 Strategic Plans Directorate and Chief of the Capabilities and Initiatives Division, at the U.S. Army Installation Management Command in Arlington, Virginia; Deputy Director and Chief Operations Officer of the Family Programs Directorate at the U.S. Army Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation Command in Alexandria, Virginia; Director of Transformation and Stationing Management for the Hessen Region, at the U.S. Army Garrison Wiesbaden in Wiesbaden Germany; and Director of Plans, Training, Mobilization and Security, U.S. Army Garrison Wiesbaden.

Prior to Mr. Burcham’s service as a civilian with the Department of Defense, he served as a career U.S. Army commissioned officer in the Armor Branch specializing in training and operations management at the company, battalion, squadron, regiment, division and Army corps levels retiring with 21 years of active duty service. During his Army career he was stationed overseas in South Korea, Germany and Japan, and stateside at Fort Knox Kentucky, Fort Carson Colorado, Fort Benning Georgia, Fort Lewis Washington, Fort Monroe Virginia, and the Yakima Training Center in Washington State.

Mr. Burcham is a Distinguished Military Graduate of the Army ROTC program at Santa Clara University, Santa Clara, California with a Bachelor of Arts degree in History.

His awards include: Department of the Army Superior Civilian Service Award, Department of the Army Outstanding Civilian Service Award, Secretary of Defense Medal for the Global War on Terrorism, North Atlantic Treaty Organization International Security Assistance Medal, Department of the Army Commander’s Award for Civilian Service, Department of the Army Achievement Medal for Civilian Service, Department of the Army Commander’s Award for Public Service, Army Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal, Humanitarian Service Medal, Headquarters V Corps Heart of Victory Award and the Army Engineer Association Essayons Award.

Mr. Burcham is married to Army Brigadier General (Retired) Margaret W. Burcham. They have a daughter and son in-law stationed at Fort Bragg, North Carolina and a son working as a financial analyst in New York City. Both attended multiple DoDEA schools in Europe