Twenty-two employees across the Army Materiel Command enterprise are receiving recognition for missions they accomplished in the fourth quarter of 2020 and the first quarter of 2021.
The employees, including logistics management specialists, contracting officers and program analysts, received AMC’s Employee of the Quarter honors for their work going above and beyond to meet deadlines and exceed expectations. They represent AMC’s “best of the best” employees across the world.
“Our workforce is the foundation of all we do at Army Materiel Command,” said Maj. Gen. Bob Harter, AMC’s chief of staff. “The Employee of the Quarter awards allow us to recognize the outstanding contributions and impactful performance of those who have gone above and beyond. These great leaders set the example for others to follow.”
While most of the employees were recognized for accomplishments related to providing solutions, increasing efficiencies and inducing money-saving initiatives, two awardees worked outside their normal sphere of responsibility in support of an expanding AMC mission to support the Army’s lifesaving role.
Trisha Fitton, an Army Contracting Command employee who typically provides contracting support at Picatinny Arsenal, was recognized for her work to ensure the success of the nation’s Operation Warp Speed in providing millions of vaccinations throughout the nation. She is described by her supervisors as a model employee who is committed to employee growth and development for both herself and the employees she supervises, and routinely volunteers for additional assignments.
“I believe recognizing employees in this way promotes overall employee morale, and validates that hard work and dedication of the employee to the mission,” Fitton said. “Employees who receive this kind of recognition are hardworking, passionate and dedicated to the mission.”
Nondice Thurman, who manages social media at the Installation Management Command’s Fort Campbell, Kentucky, was recognized for emergency lifesaving social media efforts that reduced confusion and eased public anxiety following the Christmas Day 2020 bombing in Nashville, Tennessee. Due to the explosion, all telephone lines and 9-1-1 communications at Fort Campbell were disabled and remained disabled for several days. Not able to get in touch with her supervisors, Thurman reported to Fort Campbell’s Emergency Operations Center on Christmas Day and used the Digital Garrison app as well as the installation’s Facebook page, website and other social media channels to get immediate messages to the workforce.
“Getting recognized for this is kind of overwhelming,” she said. “I know this sounds cliché, but I felt like I was doing the right thing, I was doing my job. Nobody directed my work. I did what felt right to me as a former Army Reserve broadcaster and now as a civilian public affairs specialist. I didn’t realize the impact of what I had done until I received the thanks from our Directorate of Emergency Services. What we do can have a huge impact.”
The following employees are recognized as recipients of the Fourth Quarter, fiscal year 2020 AMC Top Employee of the Quarter award:
- Minnette Ligon, information technology specialist, Army Materiel Command Headquarters, developed within seven days a process to complete security plan reviews and risk assessments of Federal Information Systems Modernization Act packets.
- Daniel Steinhauer, contract specialist, Army Contracting Command, contributed in support of a strategic contracting priority, the U.S. Army Central Command Training Support Services source selection.
- Daniel Kuykendall, logistics management specialist, Aviation and Missile Command, led his team in completing Continental United States and six Outside of the Continental United States materiel fieldings.
- Chasisty Roberson, logistics management specialist, Army Sustainment Command, coordinated with officials to secure facilities, furniture, communications, water and power needed to establish and open the sites in support of COVID-19 clinical trials.
- Steven Suit, computer scientist, Communications-Electronics Command, developed a methodology to track the myriad of systems for Installation Management Command and the required activities for cybersecurity assessments to obtain an Authority to Operate on 59 first responder systems.
- Sgt. First Class Rebecca Wood, public affairs specialist, Joint Munitions Command, developed electronic campaigns resulting in a 9% increase in Facebook followers; created a bi-weekly newscast and organized the Kentucky Army National Guard’s first ever, virtual Army 10-Miler.
- Jeffery Moran, country program manager, U.S. Army Security Assistance Command, managed four Country Programs valued at over $2.4 billion, setting the standard for Letter of Offer and Acceptance development and consistently exceeding the 85% LOA timeliness metric.
- Andre Cameron, Greece Detachment director, Surface Deployment and Distribution Command, improved tactical effectiveness of seaport operations, expanded the competitive space of Europe Command/Africa Command, and enhanced Diplomatic and Host Nation partnerships in Greece, all during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Paul Weber, program analyst, Tank-automotive and Armaments Command, managed $22.6 million of special Congressional supplemental funding in support of COVID relief through the CARES Act.
- Randolph Mulder, Business Recreation Division chief, Installation Management Command, developed COVID-19 safe morale boosting virtual programming, which had a positive impact on the Service Members and their Families.
The following employees are recognized as recipients of the First Quarter, fiscal year 2021 AMC Top Employee of the Quarter award:
- Eduardo Francis, program management analyst, Army Materiel Command Headquarters, assumed the lead in a newly formed branch, in the absence of the Division Chief, and managing several key briefings and three key Quality of Life program updates, which resulted in his team gaining a reputation for accuracy and timeliness.
- Trisha Fitton, contracting officer, Army Contracting Command (Picatinny Arsenal, Pennsylvania), lead extensive efforts in support of the contract award supporting Operation Warp Speed, with direct involvement in the award of a follow-on contract with Pfizer, Inc. to secure 110 million doses of COVID-19 Vaccine with options for up to 400 million doses, with a value in excess of $10 billion.
- David Coffer, quality assurance specialist, Aviation and Missile Command, served as the key employee in the contract overseas team that completed over 75 major Army aircraft maintenance events, over 18,000 specific maintenance tasks and almost 3,500 government quality assurance acceptance inspections, accomplishing these goals at 10 different expeditionary locations spread throughout Southwest Asia.
- Tifany Latimer-Folmar, transportation assistant, Army Sustainment Command, coordinated 56 unit movements during the past quarter, while the Transportation section was operating at 38% strength.
- Herbert Cottrell Jr., logistics management specialist, Communications-Electronic Command, developed solutions to improve transition to sustainment, depot program implementation and acquisition requirements package contract development processes.
- Florentino Vasquez, supervisory security guard, Chemical Materials Activity, maintained mission readiness while supervising a staff of 129 security guards and police employees, under restricted implementations during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Nondice Thurman, public affairs specialist, Installation Management Command (Fort Campbell, Kentucky), performed immediate lifesaving actions through social media to reduce confusion and ease public anxiety and fears following the Christmas Day bombing in Nashville, Tennessee, initiating crisis communication procedures that kept command leadership and social media followers informed with timely status reports.
- Jessica Kirkendall, storage specialist, Joint Munitions Command, led the Acquisition Demonstration Initial Planning Team and keeping the team on track to meet all requirements.
- Capt. William Gaddy, 598th Transportation Brigade Future operations officer, Surface Deployment and Distribution Command, managed the battalion’s contract portfolio valued at over $150 million.
- Brendan Kallenbach, logistics management specialist, Tank-automotive and Armaments Command, contributed to an increase in the Stryker Operational Readiness Rate by 10%, creating a cost savings of $1.6 million annually by implementing the Stryker Welding Project, and expediting Mortar Tube deliveries by 30 days to fill dozens of non-mission capable requisitions.
- Charles Lopez III, division chief, Financial Management Command, led his team in creating a 2-day Virtual Trading Partner Summit, bringing together 250 individuals from more than 40 organizations to improve accuracy on financial statements and achieve a clean audit option, resulting in his recognition by the Office of the Secretary of Defense Assistant Deputy Chief Financial Officer.
- Vanessa Lugo, country program manager, U.S. Army Security Assistance Command, managed 16 Country Programs comprised of 124 active cases valued at $227 million, setting the standard for Letters of Offers and Acceptance development and consistently exceeding the 85% timeliness metric.
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