Sarah Travelute retired as director for Javelin Joint Venture Procurement at Lockheed Martin. She won the Managerial Leadership in Industry award at the 2013 Women of Color STEM Conference.
One of ten Native American children separated into foster care, Travelute's dream was to find her siblings and go to college. She not only graduated summa cum laude, but she also saw her siblings reunited. She is a mentor, church volunteer, and role model.
Before retiring, Travelute helped her team excel through coaching and training. The hard work paid off, as members of the group received 17 company awards.
She received the Lockheed Martin Excellence Award. in 2008 and the 2012 Evening of Excellence for Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control. Travelute and her team won the Team of the Year award.
As procurement director and program procurement manager, Travelute was responsible for $400 million in supply chain purchases. She also managed subcontract managers, procurement representatives, and Lean Six Sigma Black Belts.
In January 2019, the Javelin Joint Venture was awarded a production contract for 2,100 F-Model missiles following a qualification test program that included 21 successful flight tests.
The contract launched the initial full-rate production agreement for the Javelin F-Model missile, replacing the Javelin FGM-148E (Block I).
Javelin, which was produced by a joint venture between Raytheon and Lockheed Martin, has been used extensively and to great advantage in combat operations in both Afghanistan and Iraq.
Travelute received three Department of Defense Level II certifications for contracting, manufacturing, production, quality assurance, and program management.
She earned a Certificate in Acquisition Management and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Central Florida.
Since retiring, she says she focuses on helping the less fortunate in Cocoa Beach and Cape Canaveral. She is also developing her artistic talents with stained glass.
