RTC’s Environmental safety manager named employee of the year

By RTC Public AffairsMay 25, 2023

RTC’s Environmental safety manager named employee of the year
Weston “Wes” Jones was recently named the U.S. Army Test and Evaluation Command’s Employee of the Year for Mission Support for fiscal year 2022. He serves as the Environmental Safety Manager for the U.S. Army Redstone Test Center. (Photo Credit: Preston Benson, RTC Photographer) VIEW ORIGINAL

REDSTONE ARSENAL, Ala. – His title is environmental safety manager for the U.S. Army Redstone Test Center, known as RTC. For those who know and have worked with Weston “Wes” Jones, his tireless effort in that role alone is enough to earn him the respect of his colleagues and senior leadership. However, it’s his willingness to go above and beyond the call of duty that earned him a new title, the U.S. Army Test and Evaluation Command, known as ATEC, Mission Support Employee of the Year for fiscal year 2022 .

 

Jones’ primary duties are to ensure the organization complies with federal, state, and Redstone Arsenal environmental policies and procedures. Over the past year, Jones was also charged with several other tasks outside of his day-to-day responsibilities. His supervisors say Jones’ performance, given these added responsibilities, has given RTC senior leaders and stake holders reliable and accurate information to prevent the potential of a catastrophic incident.

One of those additional responsibilities called for Jones to temporarily assume the duties for RTC’s Explosive Safety Management Program. This required him to coordinate with various stakeholders to develop a team approach to identify and remedy any potential issues. He also worked to update all 83 safety site licenses, provide current storage facility inventories, and restored an Ammunition and Explosives (A&E) metrics portal providing RTC leadership with real time updates for documents affecting the safety and well-being of the workforce.

“Wes’ dedication to process improvements and quantifiable actions taken to mitigate risk on RTC open area ranges and explosive storage/test facilities speak volumes to his professionalism and dedication to the entire workforce,” said Jim Schmidt, RTC chief of safety..

Jones’ leadership also extended to ensuring RTC was equipped with the tools necessary to keep the workforce safe and ready to respond in the event of an emergency. He spearheaded the center-wide inventory and replacement of 26 AED batteries and medical chest pads. This effort included sharing training and maintenance procedures with the Redstone Arsenal Garrison office – who is now mirroring RTC’s processes. Jones also sought approval for more than 300 approved safety-related items and created a detailed database to inventory those items. His unselfish character and willingness to step up was perhaps never more evident than when RTC needed someone to lead its Driver’s Training Program. Jones, serving again in a leadership role, has been instrumental in drafting an updated driver’s safety program.

“Safety is such a critical part of our culture at RTC,” said Colonel Joseph C. Alexander, RTC commander,. “Wes is a great motivator and competent leader who has earned the respect of RTC senior leaders due to his innate ability to analyze, prioritize, and correctly remedy safety-related matters the first time.”

Congratulations to Wes for his exceptional commitment and support to the RTC Mission and team!