PRIDE Industries (PRIDE) today announced the appointment of Major General (Retired) Casey Blake as Chief Operating Officer.

 

PRIDE Industries is a nonprofit social enterprise meeting the manufacturing and facilities service needs of businesses and government agencies nationwide while creating meaningful jobs for people with disabilities or barriers to employment including service-disabled veterans.

 

In his new position, Major General Blake will lead PRIDE’s operations and support teams focused on their portfolio of business lines nationwide, including Integrated Facilities Management, Custodial & Environmental Services, Electronics Manufacturing Services, Supply Chain Management, and Kitting, Fulfillment & Distribution Services.

 

Major General Blake served in the military for 33+ years in a variety of leadership roles for the Department of Defense and the United States Air Force including procurement, contracting, and program management of major weapon systems acquisitions, installation management, contingency operations, and government procurement policy. He deployed overseas in support of both Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan). Through his distinguished service to our country, Major General Blake earned 19 major awards and decorations, including the Distinguished Service Medal.

 

“I am profoundly honored and excited to join PRIDE. I have long admired the mission of AbilityOne and more specifically, PRIDE’s business model as a leader in the nonprofit community,” said Major General Blake. “To be part of an enterprise like PRIDE allows me the enviable opportunity to continue serving my nation in a different capacity.”

 

Before joining PRIDE, Major General Blake served as Assistant Secretary for Contracting, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition at the Pentagon. In this role, he was responsible for supporting a portfolio of $825 billion and equipping a workforce of 8,000 contracting procurement professionals for the acquisition and contracting of weapon systems, logistics, and operational support for the Air Force, as well as providing contingency support to the geographic combatant commanders.

 

“PRIDE is honored to have Retired Major General Casey Blake as our new Chief Operations Officer,” said Michael Ziegler, CEO of PRIDE Industries. “Major General Blake held and mastered some of the most critical and demanding roles within the DoD and Air Force acquisition community,” said Ziegler, “his extensive background in operations excellence and strategic leadership, combined with his passion for helping people with disabilities, makes him a perfect fit for PRIDE Industries.”

 

Prior to receiving his MBA, Major General Blake graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in history (pre-law) from The Citadel in Charleston, South Carolina.

 

About PRIDE Industries: PRIDE Industries is one of the largest employers of people with disabilities, with expertise providing facility operations and maintenance services, custodial services, contract manufacturing, supply chain management, and fulfillment services to public and private organizations nationwide. Founded in 1966, PRIDE creates paths to employment for people with disabilities through person-centered job coaching, training, and placement. PRIDE’s mission extends nationwide, assisting individuals to become self-sufficient, have a sense of purpose, contribute to their communities, and achieve their goals.

 
 
Media Contact
Kat Maudru

PRIDE Industries is a social enterprise delivering business excellence to public and private organizations nationwide.