Darby Chellis Bade
Vice President of EPA Business Area and Climate Initiatives, GDIT
Darby Chellis Bade’s proudest recent accomplishment is witnessing the team members she mentored flourish as successful program managers. These leaders now effectively steer their teams through missions that resonate deeply with Chellis Bade’s own passions. In the past two years, the team has actively expanded, bringing on board new, talented and enthusiastic leaders, which excites Chellis Bade.
Why Watch
In 2024, Chellis Bade’s team is concentrating on combining environmental mission support with technology. Their business area actively supports both scientific and technical programs, and they find it exciting when these areas overlap. Chellis Bade finds it thrilling to address real environmental challenges using solid scientific methods and cutting-edge technologies.
“The single biggest thing I learned during COVID was the need to manage with grace and flexibility, and I have incorporated that into my overall management approach,” Chellis Bade said. “There are multiple ways to solve a problem, and if one way doesn’t work, we try another. Best ideas often win within our teams because of our flexible approach. Additionally, work is work and something we all enjoy but it’s just a part of each of our employees’ lives! So many people are balancing so many things — managing with grace gives my team the ability to make mistakes (and own up to and fix them) and balance their work and their life. We work very, very hard, but we also appreciate our balance.”
Fun fact: Chellis Bade and her husband have a passion for traveling with their three kids, aiming to explore a new destination each year. Last year, they journeyed through Albania, Bosnia, Greece, Montenegro and Croatia. This summer, they’re looking forward to hiking in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.