FORT LEE, Va. –Christopher Rhodes, a computer scientist with the U.S. Army Communications-Electronics Command’s Software Engineering Center, was one of just 10 U.S. Army Materiel Command employees who received the 2020 Louis Dellamonica Award for Outstanding AMC Command Personnel of the Year.
The Dellamonica Award recognizes innovation, leadership and dedication to the mission.
Leading by example
Rhodes joined CECOM SEC Enterprise Information System at Fort Lee, Virginia as a computer scientist in 2011. Prior to his civilian service, he served as a noncommissioned officer in the Army National Guard. He was deployed to Iraq in 2004-2005 to support the 18th Military Police Brigade’s Camp Redemption combat operations.
According to his nomination, Rhodes received the award for leading efforts across the SEC and within other organizations concerning the adoption of cloud technologies; migrating Fort Lee, software systems so they would comply with the Army Data Center Consolidation Plan; establishing the cloud environment for the property loss system; implementing a technical solution called the Remote Desktop Gateway to support teleworking; developing a template for software systems to use as more Army systems adopt cloud technologies; and providing training as a subject matter expert for cloud technology and networking.
“Mr. Rhodes is a unique employee who sets high standards for himself and others, and puts forth a tremendous effort to lead by example while simultaneously helping anyone that is motivated and willing to listen to accomplish their goals as well,” the nomination form states.
Helping others
Rhodes said he was “surprised and humbled” when he was notified about the award. He strives to empower people on his team and keep an open dialogue.
“I love to teach and help,” he said. “To the core of me, I believe there is no such thing as a dumb question. If you have an honest and sincere question, no matter what it is, if you have the courage to ask it, then someone should take the time to give you a proper answer for it.”
Rhodes said, “work is critical and important,” but it is also vital to treat people with respect.
“They might not remember what you said, but they will remember how you made them feel,” he said.
‘Rare employee’
Rhodes’ supervisor, Charita Branscomb, Information Technology Services branch Chief with the Enterprise Information System Directorate, said his commitment to excellence and interpersonal skills makes him a stand-out employee. He uses the skills he obtained as a noncommissioned officer to motivate his teammates. He is enthusiastic about sharing.
“Chris is the quintessential computer scientist, but what makes him different is his persistence to push boundaries and make situations better,” she said. “With his signature, ‘How may I help?’ Chris has a knack for providing solid insight and forming achievable IT solutions regardless of the complexity of the problem at hand. Chris has a natural ability of explaining IT systems in detail or in a simplified manner depending on the audience. If there is a boardroom filled with SES’s, [members of the Senior Executive Service] a lunch and learn session with his peers, or if a group of recent grads is in his midst, Chris’ enthusiasm about software engineering is infectious and he doesn’t mind sharing what he knows.”
Branscomb called Rhodes a “rare employee” because he is able to learn rapidly to help the SEC keep pace with new and emerging technologies in a way that does not usually happen in the government.
“He has a unique combination of skill sets that cuts across the full range of IT disciplines,” she said. “For example, upon the imminent closure of the Fort Lee data center when he was given the task to migrate the development systems to the cloud, he applied himself over a six month period of time and mastered one of the last areas of IT that he had not yet delved into extensively -- network engineering. Upon learning the ins and outs of networking, he collaborated with leading experts across the Army to stand up the SEC hybrid cloud environment. This blueprint paved the way for Army systems to more securely migrate to the cloud.”
Branscomb said Rhodes consistently goes out of his way to encourage and support his team.
“Chris mentors new IT employees, and upon requests, provides hands-on training to more seasoned professionals,” she said. “Chris rarely turns down the opportunity to train on new technologies and unbeknownst to Chris; his teammates are aware that if they want to stay in the game, they also have to keep their toolset sharp.”
About the Dellamonica Award
The award is named in honor of Louis Dellamonica, a general engineer who had an illustrious 65-year career at Hawthorne Army Depot, Nevada. To learn about the other AMC awardees, visit https://www.army.mil/article/250155.
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