Mandy Sater

Nick: One of the longest tenured folks here at UNCOMN, right? Almost ten years?

Mandy: Almost ten years in October.

Nick: That is amazing. And that followed ten years in the Air Force. Thank you for your service. That veteran culture is a big part of who we are. Can you imagine where you are today compared to ten years ago?

Mandy: It’s pretty amazing. And honestly, transitions are scary. Anytime you move from one chapter to another, especially after being somewhere for a long time, it’s uncomfortable.

But when I came to UNCOMN, it felt like finding another home. That made all the difference.

Nick: You started in campaign planning, right?

Mandy: Yes. I came in leveraging my Air Force experience as a planner and logistician. I worked in the J5 doing campaign planning for TRANSCOM. It was fulfilling work.

Along the way, Jim Phelps kept encouraging me to explore architecture and business process modeling. I attended one of Wayne’s boot camps and started learning more about process modeling.

As a logistician, laying out a linear process step by step just made sense. It clicked.

After five years in the vault, I was ready for something new. An opportunity opened up on the EADE contract, and that transition launched the architecture path I’m on now.

Nick: You were a logistician. There is a lot of rigor in that field. How has that translated into architecture?

Mandy: Processes are critical. They lead to quality. They lead to predictable outcomes.

That is what we want. We want to deliver high-quality products tailored to our customer’s needs. When clients know what they are going to receive from UNCOMN, our value increases.

We have checks and balances built in. Configuration managers. Team leads reviewing work. And the amount of training we provide in architecture is significant.

There are not many places that invest in architecture training the way we do. We have master architects. One of them even wrote a book on it. We train our people well and continuously manage quality.

Nick: Architecture used to be about compliance. That is not how we see it anymore. What are we trying to do now?

Mandy: The goal is to build systems the right way from the beginning.
You do not want to build the airplane while it is in flight. You want to design it, test it, and understand it before it goes airborne.

When architecture is applied at the start of development, you ensure connections are correct, security requirements are met, and everything has order.

Too often, we are reverse engineering architecture on systems that were already built. That creates extra work and confusion.
Architecture first. That is the goal.

Nick: Model-based tools allow us to see ripple effects across systems. Have you seen moments where customers realize that power?

Mandy: Absolutely. The tools are powerful.

Instead of a static printed map, you can show layers, connectivity, dependencies. You can remove a node and immediately see the impact.

For the Department of Defense, that matters. If a critical node goes down, what is the result? What is the vulnerability?

Being able to model and simulate those impacts gives leaders visibility they did not have before.

Nick: You have also led major internal efforts. Tell me about that.

Mandy: I served as the Enterprise Solutions Lead and worked closely with our Community of Practice.

We have about 100 people in that community. It was rewarding to gather training topics, connect people, and provide valuable development opportunities.

But it is not just about training. It is about building community.

Many teammates are not on campus every day. They can feel isolated. The Community of Practice helps create connection, provide resources, and strengthen relationships.

And honestly, morale-building events are some of the most fun parts of the job. Building relationships matters.

Nick: UNCOMN recently partnered with Sisters in Service. You were quick to get involved.

Mandy: Immediately. Sign me up.

Sisters in Service connects female veterans and helps rebuild the community that often feels lost after leaving the military.

In the military, you have a built-in brotherhood and sisterhood. When you transition out, it can feel lonely.

This organization helps female veterans reconnect. There is instant common ground. Even if you did not serve together, there is shared experience and understanding.

That kind of support matters.

Nick: You have given back in so many ways. It has had a huge impact.

Mandy: I appreciate that.

The first six to twelve months after leaving the military can be tough. If we can help people feel connected, supported, and part of something meaningful, that is important.

It is rewarding to interact with such a great group of people at so many levels. The culture here makes that possible.