AMC selects former ASC employee as one of ‘Employees of the Second Quarter’

By Jon Micheal Connor, ASC Public AffairsDecember 14, 2022

AMC selects former ASC employee as one of ‘Employees of the Second Quarter’
Melissa Peterson was named one of U.S. Army Materiel Command’s Employees of the Quarter for second quarter, fiscal 2022. Peterson worked at ASC headquarters in G1 (Human Resources) 2007 to 2022. In August she accepted a position with AMC’s Civilian Workforce Talent Management Division. (Photo by Jon Micheal Connor, ASC Public Affairs) (Photo Credit: Jon Connor) VIEW ORIGINAL

ROCK ISLAND ARSENAL, Ill. -- A former U.S. Army Sustainment Command headquarters employee was one of 10 people selected for the U.S. Army Materiel Command’s Employees of the Quarter for second quarter, fiscal 2022.

Melissa Peterson, known to many as “Missy”, took top honors along with nine other AMC major subordinate command employees. Peterson, a human resources specialist, had worked in ASC’s G1 (Human Resources) prior to her taking a position with AMC in August to work in its G1 Civilian Workforce Talent Management Division.

“I felt honored to be the recipient of such an accomplishment. It truly drove home, that my work efforts were valued. It is a highlight in my career,” Peterson said, who originates from Rock Island, Illinois, but now lives in Iowa.

Peterson began her federal career in 2003 as a human resource assistant, before joining ASC in 2007.

According to AMC in an email to the field, this program recognizes Civilian and Military personnel whose outstanding and innovative contributions made a direct positive impact on the command's mission goals during the quarter. Additionally, it recognizes outstanding performance of work, with some of the key program objectives acknowledged by this notable award including progressing a culture of achievement and productivity, contributing to a positive work environment, increasing retention and improving employee engagement in order to impact overall morale.

“I don’t believe it was a single element, more of the dedication and hard work in leading the Strategic Human Capital Plan and the Workers’ Compensation Program,” Peterson said. “I sought out creative ways to improve how we are doing things and focused my efforts on strategic human resource management, change management, organizational development, and using of data to drive recommendations and decisions.”

A placard honoring each selectee is on display at AMC Headquarters, Redstone Arsenal, Huntsville, Alabama.

The placard, in part, succinctly stated her accomplishments for this award: “Ms. Peterson has spearheaded efforts to transform human resources management practices to meet the demands of our current and future workforce.”

In the two-page narrative for this award, many accomplishments were cited. Here are just a few:

• “As a human resources specialist within the ASC Headquarters G1, Ms. Peterson has spearheaded efforts to transform human resources management practices to meet the demands of our current and future workforce.”

• “Utilizing the workforce lifecycle model, the plan crafted by Ms. Peterson prioritizes and aligns ASC people efforts each year, tracks project evolution, provides the tools to spur change in organizational culture, and enables ASC to sustain operational reach to win during large-scale combat and multi-domain operations.”

• “Under her watch as the ASC G1 workers compensation subject matter expert, collaboration among the ASC command safety enterprise has resulted in better awareness of workplace threats to the workforce and more directed response to those threats.”

• “She has coached and served as an internal consultant in the development of selection criteria that not only identify technical requirements found in candidates, but also the values and behaviors that align best with our strong ASC culture.”

• “Additionally, because many of these pay issues are unique to ASC and its evolving missions, Ms. Peterson had to apply creative problem-solving tools to develop a strategy for addressing the needs of the organization relative to pay caps and overtime.”

• “Her statistical analysis of annual Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey raw data, Defense Organizational Climate Survey data, and exit survey data, coupled with data from EEO has resulted in a high level of insight into the thoughts, beliefs, and behaviors of our diverse population. This analysis was then coupled with feedback derived from Commanding General and Deputy Commanding General open forums to develop command interventions designed to effectively address the needs of our ASC workforce.”

• “She has built a network of professional connections that result in ASC being ahead of others when it comes to talent management reform efforts. Simply put, Ms. Peterson is helping ASC drive positive change throughout the Army by being a well-informed and respected voice in important meetings. ”

The success Peterson has enjoyed didn’t just happen. Hard work and determination on her part has certainly paved a way for success.

To date, she has been awarded the Superior Civilian Service Award/Global War on Terrorism Medal for her work while deployed to Taji, Iraq; as well as three Commander’s Awards for Civilian Service, one of which was for work while deployed to Bagram Airbase, Afghanistan, and other recognitions in the form of certificates, and general officer and Senior Executive Service notes and coins.

Peterson said she is where she is today in her career, in part, based on setting goals for herself.

“My personal and professional goals are the same,” Peterson said. “Simply stated is to live a life of authenticity, make positive choices, showing up every day, and be transparent with myself and others. Professionally speaking, utilizing those core goals to enable a conscious organization, one that cultivates the agile, trained, and cared-for workforce our 21st century Army demands.”

Asked what advice she would give to those striving for success, Peterson said a quote from American author and inspirational speaker, Simon Sinek, sums it up best: “Don’t show up to prove. Show up to improve.”

That said, her personal advice is this: “The key to life is to show up every day, not just physically but mentally with the right attitude, dedication to mission, drive to learn something new, passionate about what we do, and showing consistent effort towards a common goal, which fundamentally is the same reason for all of us … to take care of Soldiers.”