Employees of one of the Army's largest contracting organization came together Jan. 9 at Redstone Arsenal's Bob Jones Auditorium to celebrate the success of fiscal year 2016 with the recognition of several top performers.
During its awards ceremony, the Army Contracting Command-Redstone recognized 62 nominees in 32 categories.
"Today is about honoring you, about honoring our great workforce," said ACC-Redstone executive director Rebecca Weirick. "It takes a team to do what we do."
The program began with four-star notes presented by the Army Contracting Command's Maj. Gen. James Simpson on behalf of the Army Materiel Command's Gen. Gustave Perna.
"We are recognizing a few of you, but all of you are important to the Army Contracting Command and this great team you have here," Simpson said.
The four-star notes were presented to: Angel Gonzalez, Janet Guyette, Stephen Hayes, Leslie Lancaster, Shirley Martin, Dr. Patrick O'Farrell and Emily Springer.
Simpson said ACC-Redstone employees oversaw $18.2 billion in contract obligations in fiscal year 2016, which represented 16,000 actions.
"You've got great leadership, great supervisor support and great employees who come to work to be productive. I appreciate that from all of you," Simpson said.
The skills, expertise and motivation of ACC-Redstone employees will be even more valuable, he said, as the Army's optempo increases even more to address the world situation and "to support our sons and daughters on the front line."
ACC-Redstone employees directly impact the Army and Soldiers daily through the contract negotiations, acquisition and management of critical Army equipment and services.
And, often, the work is accomplished at a savings to the government, Weirick said. In fiscal year 2016, ACC-Redstone employees saved $3.5 billion in contract negotiations.
"That's why we want to thank you and recognize a few of you today," she said, adding that ACC-Redstone is committed to hosting an official awards ceremony at the end of each fiscal year where recognized employees will receive either an Army Achievement Medal or an Achievement Medal for Civilian Service.
Weirick was joined in presenting the awards by ACC-Redstone's executive deputy director John Mayes and military deputy director Col. Kenny Johnson. Those categories and winners are:
Outstanding Contingency Contracting Officer-Military Officer: Maj. Matthew Webb, for support of the 408th Contracting Support Brigade deployed in the Central Command area of responsibility and engaged in contract administration services in support of Operation Inherent Resolve.
Outstanding Contingency Contracting Officer-Non-Commissioned Officer: Staff Sgt. Paul Gaeth, for his contracting initiative and expertise in providing support and leadership to his team and the 408th Contracting Support Brigade.
Outstanding Contracting Officer/Contract Specialist-Major Weapons Systems: Kelly Fitzpatrick, for managing contract action awards in excess of $1.9 billion for the AH-64 Apache Helicopter Program Office that included a full rate production contract, procurement of new AH-64E aircraft for Indonesia and the procurement of new AH-64E aircraft for the U.S. Army.
Outstanding Contracting Officer/Contract Specialist-Major Weapon Systems: Michael Bell, for the administration of more than $1.3 billion in contract awards for acquisition support to the TOW weapon systems product line managed by the Close Combat Weapon Systems Project Office.
Outstanding Contracting Officer/Contract Specialist-Other than Major Weapons Systems: Rachel Hickenlooper, for completing warrant qualifications, Defense Acquisition University classes and Level III contracting certification qualifications that allowed her to assume responsibility for three high profile contracts in support of the Space and Missile Defense Command and the 94th Army Air and Missile Defense Command.
Outstanding Contracting Officer/Contract Specialist-Other than Major Weapons Systems: Angel Gonzalez-Escribano, for providing support for $2.9 billion base operations and range services, security, meterology, range safety and communications contracts for the Garrison-Kwajalein Atoll/Reagan Test Site.
Outstanding Price Analyst-Major Weapons Systems: Bridgette Stumbaugh, for support as a contract price/cost analyst to ACC-Redstone.
Outstanding Price Analyst-Other than Major Weapons Systems: Misty Stafford Steward, for support as a contract price/cost analyst during the acquisition process in support of the Aviation and Missile Command.
Excellence in Acquisition Leadership-Major Weapons Systems: Kathy Ray, for her leadership as the acting deputy director for Aviation, during which she oversaw a $9.42 billion contracting operation; as the director of Fixed Wing Contracting, led a directorate that had four separate co-located divisions with four distinct product management offices where she had a vital role in leader a $3.4 billion multiple source selection and $899.44 million in contract actions; and as acting deputy director in Business Management she stood up the Mission Support Group that combined two deputy director level operations.
Excellence in Acquisition Leadership-Other Than Major Weapons Systems: Shirley Martin, who led the AMCOM Express re-compete division in the development of the highly effective model to issue new requirements, evaluate proposals and make awards, drastically reducing procurement acquisition lead time.
Outstanding Procurement Analyst-Major Weapons Systems: Ruby Mixon, who, as a procurement analyst, was instrumental in creating new and/or improved policy, tools, processes and procedures for actions critically needed to ensure the safety of Soldiers and to maintain operational readiness in the field.
Outstanding Procurement Analyst-Other Than Major Weapons Systems: Kelvin Magee, who, as a procurement analyst, has been instrumental in creating new and/or improved policy, tools, processes and procedures that are vital to assisting customers to meet pre-awards and post-award milestone schedules for actions critically needed to ensure the safety of Soldiers and to maintain operational readiness in the field.
Outstanding Active Duty Military Officer-Major Weapons Systems: Lt. Col. George Plansky, for exceptional service as the ACC-Redstone officer of the year in fiscal year 2016, and for providing outstanding support and leadership while assigned to the Aviation Contracting Directorate.
Outstanding Active Duty Military NCO-Major Weapons Systems: Staff Sgt. Brandon Wilkinson, for exceptional service as the ACC-Redstone outstanding active duty military NCO-other than major weapons systems for fiscal 2016, and for demonstrating exceptional initiative and expertise in contracting while assigned to the Aviation Logistics director.
Acquisition Change Advocate-Major Weapons Systems: Apache Performance Based Logistics III Contracting Team consisting of Kimberly Seright, Mark Smith, Catherine Thrasher and Cynthie Walters. The Apache PBL III team implemented a contracting methodology that moved Team Apache's complex PBL III contract to a definitized contract action status with significant time and cost savings.
Acquisition Change Advocate-Other Than Major Weapons Systems: Metrics & Data Analytics Team consisting of Adrianne Day, Kim Woodberry, Jordan Miller, Jonathan Brinson, Linda Corbet, Patrick Johns and Keith Stern. The team empowered the workforce through Virtual Contracting Enterprise-Business Intelligence and provided leadership with meaningful metrics that optimizes tactical and strategic operations. The enterprise provides leadership with a gauge of how ACC-Redstone is accomplishing its mission and taking care of customers.
Contract Professional in Support of the Small Business Program-Contracting Officer: Jennifer Murphy, for her contributions to the Small Business Program that increased opportunities for small business participation and for creating initiatives that enhanced competition between two small businesses under Multiple Award, Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity contract requirements.
Contract Professional in Support of the Small Business Program-Contract Specialist: Oddny Yerby, who, as a lead contract specialist for the Modified-Off-The-Shelf Full Rate Production Contract, had a vital role in planning the Small Business set-aside MOTS procurement valued at $43.4 million and creating government savings of more than $22 million with a contract that is more than 50 percent less than the independent government cost estimate.
Outstanding Workforce Development Specialist: John Bentley, who, as a career management specialist, contributed overwhelmingly to the success of the command's leader development program.
Outstanding Intern of the Year-Major Weapon Systems: Wesley Cash, who, as a development contract specialist, supported the Gray Eagle Unmanned Aircraft Systems Performance Based Logistics and Full Rate Production contracts requirements; graduated in the top 5 percent of his training classes; and executed a surge of high-level procurements.
Outstanding Intern of the Year-Other Than Major Weapon Systems: Jacquelyn Pletcher, who is recognized for her support to the Program Strategies Division in resolving expiring funds for 1,008 line items valued at $25 million.
ACC Innovation Award-Major Weapon Systems: Preon Moore, for the development of the Black Hawk Program Objective Memorandum Sharepoint site in support of the $5.6 billion acquisition to extend production of the H-60 Black Hawk aircraft.
ACC Innovation Award-Other Than Major Weapon Systems: Beverly Love, who, as a team lead and contracting officer, led a group of 18 contracting professionals supporting Redstone Garrison, the Army Logistics Center, Hazardous Devices School, Logistics Readiness and other Redstone Arsenal tenants. She also implemented innovative approaches for process improvements.
Outstanding Mission Support/Business Operations Award-Non-Major Weapons Systems: Adrianne Day, for helping to define specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and timely strategic plans and metrics that provides the framework upon which critical management decisions will be based and for managing more than 10 key programs at ACC-Redstone.
Outstanding Mission Support/Business Operations Award-Non-Acquisition: Emily Osborne, for providing support for multiple moves of off-post personnel to Redstone Arsenal so that large numbers of personnel were moved effectively and efficiently while maintaining communication with a minimum amount of down time.
Customer Service Excellence Award-Individual: Monica Williams, who, as director of the Apache Contracting Directorate, has demonstrated customer service where $1.8 billion in Apache awards were executed and all Office of the Secretary of Defense goals were exceeded, and she reorganized the Apache Multi-Year Team to improve customer trust and gain senior level leadership support.
Customer Service Excellence Award-Team: Utility Helicopter Directorate, consisting of Black Hawk, T-700, Foreign Military Sales, Lakota and Improved Turbine Engine programs, for customer service and dedication in supporting the ongoing requirements of the Utility Helicopter Project Office and Improved Turbine Engine/Future Vertical Lift Project Office.The Utility Helicopter Directorate includes the following employees: Emily Springer, Shirley Ross, Romita Hogan, Benetta Halbert, Dante Emanuel, Melanie Howard, Jennifer Corley, Jewan Sheehy, Anna Ward, Tamesha Jordan, Joshua Flinn, Emily Crittenden, James Owens, Delvin Sullivan, Emily Bowers, Deloris Brownlow, Clifton Nichols, Frances Steel, Pamela Funk, Chiquita Porter, Paula Parker, Stephanie Boles, Pamela Wallis, Janine Cowling, Julie Kress, Audra Jackson, Regina Mitchell and Hope Bradley.
Personal Development Achievement Award-Individual: Anntronett Pitts, for her work in earning a doctorate degree, participating in the ACC-Redstone mentor protégé program and supporting the war effort in Afghanistan through her work in the International Contracts Office.
Public Affairs Liaison of the Year: Dr. Patrick O'Farrell, who, as managing director of Aviation, wrote six articles published in the Redstone Rocket highlighting achievements of ACC-Redstone employees while also leading the Aviation Directorate, which obligated more than $9.2 billion in fiscal year 2016, and overseeing ACC-Redstone's Strategic Communications operations.
Outstanding Civilian of the Year: Karen Arthurs, for her work overseeing the selection and hiring process for about 80 journeymen and senior level employees to ensure continued critical support for Aviation, Missiles and Space, Services, and Space and Missile Command/CAMO contracts.
Outstanding Achievement Award: Property Support Team consisting of Randall Bunley, George Guzman, Lamarcus Johnson and Marvin Tucker, for implementing a tracking system that decreased warehouse storage time and reduced equipment delivery by three to five days for ACC-Redstone, and they developed a hand receipt system for 80 to 100 supervisors with a 95 percent signature rating.
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