Miranda Choate is the new Workforce Development Program Specialist within the Human Resources Directorate (HRD) at United States Army Garrison Yuma Proving Ground (YPG).
She made the leap from government contractor to civilian employee for the Army this past May after having worked on post as TRAX’s Information Management Officer (IMO) for the past six years.
In her new role, Choate’s responsibilities will include providing planning, instruction, support and assistance regarding the Army’s training and professional development programs to civilian employees of YPG’s Installation Management Command (IMCOM) Garrison.
Among the programs under her purview are the Army Career Tracker, the Army Learning Management System, the Defense Performance Management and Appraisal Program, and the Civilian Education System.
She will also serve as the coordinator and facilitator for the Garrison’s Operation Excellence (OPEX) program: courses designed to introduce new hires and leaders to a standardized way of conducting world-class customer service.
“I just returned from a highly intensive, weeklong course at IMCOM Headquarters in San Antonio that certified me to deliver this suite of trainings customized to IMCOM’s specific mission and focus of excellent customer service.” Choate said. “It was a highly sought-after train-the-trainer program, and I was thrilled to be given the opportunity to attend so early on in my position.”
Facilitating these courses, which are a Service Culture Campaign spearheaded by Lt. Gen. Omar Jones and Command Sgt. Maj. Jason Copeland of IMCOM headquarters, YPG Garrison Manager Ken Musselwhite, and Deputy Dan Carter, will be a very important part of her position.
“I had the pleasure of attending a town hall and meeting with Gen. Jones when he spoke to our class at Headquarters. His commitment to providing top-notch customer service was inspiring and clearly a career-long passion of his,” Choate said. “I am very, very excited to bring what I learned to YPG.”
New IMCOM employees are required to complete the initial OPEX training within 90 days of their start date and must also complete a refresher course annually thereafter.
A woman wearing many hats, other additional duties she has include being the YPG Transition Assistance Program Coordinator, which provides resources to Soldiers and their Families who are returning to civilian life.
Additionally, she serves as HRD’s IMO and as YPG Garrison Wellness Coordinator and administrating the Civilian Health Promotion & Physical Fitness program for Garrison employees.
Under this program, civilian employees at YPG are allotted one hour a day, three times a week, to engage in a physical fitness activity of their choosing during normal duty hours, which is something she highly encourages.
“The employee will need to work out and agree upon a schedule with their manager, and the fitness activity must take place while on post,” Choate said. “It is a simple, yet highly beneficial program.”
She can be contacted via telephone, TEAMS, or email to provide all of the required forms to anyone who would like to take advantage of the program.
Prior to moving to the Yuma area, Choate was a Program Coordinator for BAE Systems in McLean, VA, where she was involved in coordinating and implementing a suite of leadership training courses and activities.
“That job ignited my interest and passion for investing in and training great leaders, starting from GS Level 3s all the way up to SESs and Agency Directors,” Choate said. “A lot of the things that I will be doing in Workforce Development here in my current position runs parallel to what I was doing in my position at BAE.”
She went on to say that it has been a joy to still be in contact with some of the class participants and to know that she played a small part in their career progression, adding that it has been extremely fulfilling and rewarding to her.
“It is all about promoting IMCOM’s values and principles of leadership and service to create a healthy and productive organizational culture which, in turn, supports the Army’s home and allows each and every IMCOM professional to take the utmost pride in their work,” Choate said.
Whether it be through Morale, Welfare, and Recreation, Base Exchange, restaurant services, the Child Development Center, Police and Fire Departments, or the CAC Office, Garrison employees touch each aspect of everyday operations on post and each interaction is an opportunity to provide support and service to others.
Choate can be reached at 928-328-2167.
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