Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Susan S. Lawrence, the U.S. Army’s first female chief information officer, will deliver the spring commencement address at her alma mater, Campbell University, on May 9, 2026. A 1979 graduate with a Bachelor of Science in psychology, Lawrence has deep ties to the North Carolina institution, where she serves on the Board of Trustees and holds an honorary doctorate in humane letters. The announcement, made January 27, 2026, underscores her enduring influence, as Campbell University News highlighted her journey “from Ida Grove to Buies Creek and then on to the heights of the U.S. Army.”

“General Lawrence’s personal and professional journey is a powerful one, and we are delighted that she will share it with Campbell’s Class of 2026 at May Commencement,” said Campbell University President Dr. William M. Downs, according to the university’s announcement. Native to Ida Grove, Iowa, Lawrence enlisted in the Women’s Army Corps in 1972 and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in June 1979 upon graduating from Campbell. She later earned a master’s in information systems management from the University of Georgia and honorary doctorates from Campbell and Dakota State University.

Enlisted Roots to Signal Command Heights

Lawrence’s 41-year Army career spanned operational assignments in Europe, South Korea, Southwest Asia, and the U.S., where she led network, command, control, communications, and computers (C4), and IT functions during operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. She commanded the 7th Signal Brigade and rose to commanding general of the 5th Signal Command, simultaneously serving as CIO/assistant chief of staff G-6 for U.S. Army Europe and Seventh Army. Later, as commanding general of the Army’s Network Enterprise Technology Command/9th Signal Command at Fort Huachuca, Arizona, she oversaw Army C4 and enterprise IT functions, earning the Distinguished Service Medal upon relinquishing command in 2011, as detailed by U.S. Army.

Her Pentagon stints included chief of staff and vice director J-6 at the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and director of C4 systems for U.S. Central Command. These roles built her expertise in delivering secure communications to warfighters under duress, setting the stage for her pinnacle achievement.

Breaking Barriers as Army CIO/G-6

On March 3, 2011, the Army appointed Lawrence as CIO/G-6, making her the first woman in that role. Reporting to the Secretary of the Army, she supervised all C4 and IT functions while supporting the chief of staff on network operations, including computer network defense, and managing a $10 billion annual IT budget. “Right now, the network is the Army’s number one modernization effort,” she stated upon appointment, per U.S. Army. “We want a network that can provide Soldiers and civilians information of all categories and forms, as well as a means to collaborate in real-time, at the exact moment required, in any environment, under all circumstances.”

During her tenure through October 2013, Lawrence drove the Global Network Enterprise Construct (GNEC), consolidating data centers—closing 17 under BRAC and 11 more—while partnering with DISA on cloud adoption amid budget cuts and a 27,000-Soldier force reduction. In a 2011 CHIPS magazine interview, she noted, “We are starting to move the football down the field, and we are getting ready to score,” on GNEC progress. She also helped stand up U.S. Army Cyber Command in 2010 as a dedicated warfighting domain, integrating cyber forces from NETCOM, INSCOM, and others for build-operate-defend-attack-exploit missions.

Cyber Command Birth and IT Transformation

Lawrence collaborated with the Army secretary and chief of staff to cut costs and boost cyber/IT effectiveness, managing enterprise systems, infrastructure, and command/control solutions for warfighters and civilians. “We believed that cyber should not be assigned to a current command but a separate command that we stood up in 2010,” she explained in the CHIPS interview. Her efforts aligned IT with ARFORGEN cycles—reset, train, ready, deploy—prioritizing investments via cost analysis.

Retiring after 41 years on October 2, 2013, Lawrence left a legacy of navigating massive change, as Federal News Network reported. Post-uniform, she joined Booz Allen Hamilton as senior vice president in the Defense Market Group, then Accenture Federal Services as managing director for national security in 2017. “I am confident that we can help our clients deliver better results and improve customer service for service members and the American people with practical solutions that leverage massive technology changes,” she said upon joining Accenture, according to their newsroom.

AFCEA Helm and Industry Bridge-Building

In January 2022, Lawrence became the first female president and CEO of AFCEA International in its 75-year history, succeeding Robert Shea. A member since 1980 and former vice chairwoman, she leads the nonprofit connecting military, government, industry, and academia on C4ISR, cyber, and global security. At AFCEA, she advances STEM via scholarships, grants, and initiatives like Signal Kids Magazine, engaging youth in technology, as noted in a 2024 FedGov Today profile.

Her leadership fosters collaboration on cyber workforce development, emphasizing early STEM education. In May 2025, she joined Army leaders for a TechNet Cyber fireside chat on “Command at the Speed of Relevance,” per AFCEA’s X post.

Hall of Fame Honor and Alma Mater Legacy

Inducted into the Army Women’s Foundation Hall of Fame on March 22, 2023, at Fort Belvoir—recognized for her 40-year career, barrier-breaking as top signal officer and CIO, and AFCEA role—Lawrence reflected on her ‘firsts,’ per Yahoo Finance. At Campbell, honors include the 2007 Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award for character and leadership, 2012 Lifetime Achievement Alumna Award from the School of Education & Human Sciences, and 2018 Distinguished Alumna recognition.

Campbell President Downs praised her story’s inspirational power for graduates facing their own paths from Buies Creek outward. Lawrence’s return to deliver the Class of 2026 address closes a circle, embodying service, innovation, and perseverance for industry insiders tracking defense IT evolution.