2012 Outstanding Alumni

Marilyn L. Peppers-Citizen earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in broadcast journalism from Texas Tech University.

Her further education includes earning a Master of Science in National Resource Strategy from the National Defense University in Washington, D.C.; a Master of Business Administration from Fairleigh Dickinson University in Teaneck, N.J.; an Organizational Transformation Certificate and an Information Strategies Certificate, both from the National Defense University in Washington, D.C.

She is a coalition-builder, a program manager, a leader, a liaison and a troubleshooter. She has in-depth knowledge of homeland defense issues, both their content and process. She has guided a 375-person team in supporting more than $19 billion in C-130 air transport assets. She has worked on the National Military Command Center disaster response team, providing support during major hurricanes. She has facilitated the groundwork to develop a national disaster logistics system, and she concluded the 10-year transfer of Okinawa's radar approach control to Japan.

Since 2011, she has been the project manager for Quasars, Inc., of Washington, D.C. From 2008-2010, she was director of operations and plans for the U.S. Air Force at Yokota Air Base in Japan. From 2005-2008, she was the chief of the policy, plans and operations division for the U.S. Northern Command, Washington, D.C. From 2002-2004, she served as military assistant to the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force. While she worked from 2001-2002 as chief of the plans branch at the headquarters of the U.S. Air Force in Washington, D.C., she conducted evacuation after the Sept. 11, 2001, attack on the Pentagon and directly supported the Secretary and Chief of Staff of the Air Force in the early hours of attack response.