CECOM ILSC graduates six members from PRISE 7 program

ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, Md. – The U.S. Army Communications-Electronics Command Integrated Logistics Support Center proudly congratulates six members of its workforce who graduated from the seventh APG Practical Introduction to Supervisory Employees program on August 12, 2026.

The contingent of graduates from the ILSC were among the 14 total CECOM graduates and 24 individuals overall who received their PRISE certificates on the day. The APG PRISE program consists of six, three-day resident sessions that drill down on core competencies such as critical thinking, self-awareness, and problem-solving. The program requires its students to actively apply their newly learned skills to their current positions, reinforcing the concepts of continuous learning and practical application, with PRISE ultimately taking six months to complete.

The PRISE 7 graduation ceremony was divided in half, and it began with opening remarks from PRISE program director Greg Cederlof, who was followed by DEVCOM Chemical Biological Center Director Dr. James Watson. The first round of graduates each gave personal impact statements to discuss their takeaways from the course, and Dr. Watson presented each of them with their certificate. After a break, the second half of the event commenced when ILSC Acting Executive Director Abel Salgado offered remarks to the graduates and those in attendance on this milestone occasion.

“Being a leader and being a supervisor are titles, which give you authority, but they don’t give you the trust and influence that you need to be effective,” Salgado said, drawing on his own decades of experience as a leader. “Your behavior is what leads to trust and influence. When adversity comes, and it will, you have to be the wall between your people and any chaos.”

This portion of the graduation was composed entirely of CECOM representatives, each of whom also gave impact statements before Salgado presented them with their certificates. The six representatives from the ILSC — John Devaney, Jared Keen, Scott Ritz, Matthew Kane, Sharon Levine, and Tineka Charles — were joined by fellow CECOM workforce members from the Army Software & Innovation Center, Army Medical Logistics Command, CECOM Safety, G1, and G8 in recognition for their achievement in completing PRISE 7.

“PRISE was more than just another leadership course. It challenged my perspectives and inspired me to embrace change as I continue to grow and develop as both a person and a leader," Ritz said. "This is a great program for anyone looking to take their growth to the next level.”

CECOM G1 Talent Management Division Chief Maria Layton gave closing remarks on the day, punctuating an important achievement in the professional careers of the 24 newly minted PRISE 7 graduates. More than just individual achievements, PRISE is focused on strengthening the APG leadership community and building bridges between organizations that can only serve to strengthen the Army enterprise now and for many years to come.

As Salgado said during his remarks, “Building up your people is not about demonstrating your own personal value, but about helping others to increase their own value. Your legacy will be measured by the leaders you develop, not just by your own actions.”

CECOM ILSC continues to invest in the people who keep the organization so successful and vital to the warfighter, and the Center offers its appreciation to its six new PRISE graduates for their commitment. Congratulations to them once again for a job well done. The ILSC wishes them all the best as their professional lives unfold and they grow into the leaders that the Army Civilian community needs.