I was a seven-year veteran of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers*, four with the North Atlantic Division headquarters office (NAD), when I first met Rose Johnston back in 1981. It only took a few moments for me to realize that this was indeed a very special human being. She had a great attitude, exuded vibrancy and self-confidence, was extremely personable and cooperative, and gave the impression that she was extremely competent and willing to go the extra mile to accomplish whatever task was before her. Thirty-four 1/2 years later, when she retired at the beginning of January, the record shows that my initial impression was correct.
"I was taught that, if you are going to do something, you should do it right," she says. "Do the best job you can. People are depending on you and you shouldn't let them down."
And she did indeed embrace that philosophy to the fullest. Johnston was well-known at NAD for her knowledge of regulations and policy, her attention to detail, her ability to get things done in a timely and cost efficient manner, and her loyalty to and care for her fellow employees. Johnston spent her entire federal career at NAD, where her dedication and professionalism earned her countless performance awards throughout her 3+ decades.
"The award I'm proudest of," she says, "is the Superior Civilian Service Award I received when I retired. It was signed by the Chief of Engineers, Lieutenant General Bostick himself. It proves I did a good job."
She joined NAD as a clerk typist with the General Engineering Division, moved on to become secretary for the Technical Engineering Division, followed by Administrative Support Assistant for several other offices throughout her career. She did a stellar job in each position, as evidenced by all those performance awards and the high praise of each of her supervisors.
"I've been lucky in my career that every supervisor I've ever had has been fantastic," she says. "They've been caring, helpful and fun loving. I couldn't have asked for better supervisors. I should be so lucky in the lottery!"
Linda Monte, currently Chief of Civil Works Integration Division, Programs Directorate at NAD, supervised Rose from around 2005 -- 2011 during her (Linda's) stint as Chief of Operations.
"Rose was always one step ahead of me in just about everything!" Monte says. "When I was going on travel, she would have a travel folder ready with my tickets, itinerary, agenda, everything printed and organized. She was ordering supplies even as I was thinking about them. When we had a tasker of any kind, she had a spreadsheet ready to go. She was my Project Manager for just about everything!"
"Rose NEVER said no, I can't do that - she always would help anyone get something accomplished," Monte continued. "She also always remembered birthdays, kept in touch with the retirees and made sure to take care of the people she was affiliated with. And whenever necessary, she helped anyone at NAD who had a problem. That's how kind, considerate and caring she was."
I asked Johnston if she worked with any special or unique people during her long career with NAD.
"Everyone I ever worked with was special to me so I can't single any one particular person out," she says. "From 90 Church Street to Fort Hamilton we were truly one big family. We cared about each other and our families, had laughs every morning and throughout the day. It made going to work a pleasure no matter what came my way."
Johnston's hobbies include home improvements and knitting. Plans for her retirement? "Relax for a while, work on my tan and take it from there. Maybe get a part time job if a good one crosses my path. Probably travel when my husband gets time off."
"I enjoyed my career at NAD," she says in closing, "and it's all because of the people that I worked with, both retired and present, over the years. So I want to thank them all. I wish them all success, health and happiness in their futures."
Same to you Ms. Johnston. You earned it and you deserve it.
*NOTE: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers plans, designs and constructs projects to support the military, protect America's water resources, mitigate risk from disasters, and restore and enhance the environment. The North Atlantic Division is the Corps' headquarters for the Northeastern United States, Europe, and Africa, with offices in Concord, Mass., New York City, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Norfolk and Wiesbaden, Germany.
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