Wells B. Kormann (Brad) was appointed chief of the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS) Materials Development Division. He started work Feb. 6.
Mr. Kormann comes to the Library from the Naval Air Systems Command, where for the past six years he served as program manager, directing centralized teams of engineers, attorneys, logisticians and other functional specialists through the procurement of multimillion-dollar avionics equipment.
His responsibilities at NLS include managing activities related to the selection, development, production, distribution, control and repair of reading materials and related equipment.
"In the coming years, Brad will oversee important decisions about digital engineering technology that will have a profound impact on future talking-book systems," said Frank Kurt Cylke, NLS director.
A 1975 engineering graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point, N.Y., Mr. Kormann also holds a master of arts degree in human resource management from Pepperdine University and a master of business administration from Duke University. He is a graduate of the Defense Systems Management College, Fort Belvoir, Va.
As an Army officer, Kormann served as headquarters company commander at Fort Drum, N.Y., where he managed and trained 1,000 military personnel as post training officer.
Kormann says one of his most memorable Army experiences occurred in 1977 when his company was one of two selected by the Department of the Army to pioneer the training of women through the eight-week basic combat training cycle. Kormann received the first of his five Army Commendation Medals for his work with the female combat unit.
