Alexandra, Va., - David Hibner was selected to the Senior Executive Service and began serving as the new director of the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) Geospatial Research Laboratory (GRL) September 26, 2022. Along with his duties as GRL director, Hibner also serves as the director of the Army Geospatial Center (AGC) and the Geospatial Information Officer of the Army.
Prior to his selection, Hibner served for more than 30 years in the Army, retiring at the rank of colonel. His most recent assignment was commander of the AGC.
“Dave is well acquainted with the inner workings of both GRL and AGC,” said ERDC Director Dr. David Pittman. “I look forward to working with him as we continue to create innovative geospatial technologies for the Nation and Warfighter.”
Hibner holds a Master of Science in Engineering Management from the University of Missouri Science and Technology, a Master of International Business Administration from the University of South Carolina and a Master of Strategic Studies from the U.S. Army War College. In addition, he has held multiple nominative positions working for strategic leaders, including service as the executive officer to the NATO Training Mission Commander in Afghanistan and later as the special assistant to the Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army.
In his new position, he will focus on the development, exploitation, production and distribution of topographic, geodetic and geospatial information, tools and services for the Army. He is responsible for collecting/validating geospatial requirements, formulating geospatial policy, setting Army Geospatial Enterprise priorities, securing resources and synchronizing geospatial solutions.
“It is such an honor and privilege to lead the Geospatial Research Laboratory and the U.S. Army Geospatial Center, and to be a part of the creative energy and innovation that goes into developing and transitioning geospatial products, services and technologies that will help ensure the success of our Nation, now and in the future,” said Hibner.
The ERDC is the premier research and development center for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The organization discovers, develops and delivers innovative solutions to the nation's toughest challenges in military engineering, installations and operational environments, civil works, geospatial research and engineering and engineered resilient systems. As part of the ERDC, GRL is a leader in providing accurate, relevant geospatial information, capabilities and research for the warfighter by developing technology to help the military better understand the battlefield and improve the nation’s civil and environmental initiatives.
The AGC leads the development and integration of the Army Geospatial Enterprise to enable systems within Programs of Record; lends Geospatial Intelligence expertise to develop and field tools to optimize location data; and provides geospatial products, data and training for an array of military operations.