The Fort Stewart-Hunter Army Airfield Garrison celebrated the graduation of its first-ever Leadership Stewart-Hunter class, March 22 at the SFC Paul R. Smith Education Center on Fort Stewart. The program, designed to empower future changemakers, equipped graduates with the skills to become the next generation of garrison leaders.
The ceremony boasted the presence of distinguished leaders including Steve Hood, Fort Stewart Deputy to the Garrison Commander, Lt. Col. Bob Cuthbertson, Hunter Army Airfield Garrison Commander, Fort Stewart Garrison Command Sergeant Major Ely Capindo, and Hunter Army Airfield Garrison Command Sergeant Major Keven Favor.
“Leadership Stewart-Hunter was created to grow the leadership bench within the installation,” Hood said. “There is a lot of potential in this class of graduates. They possess a fire to lead and make a positive impact. I challenge our senior leaders to stoke the embers of these emerging leaders.”
Spearheaded by the Directorate of Human Resources Workforce Development Office, in partnership with Savannah Technical College, and the Ready and Resilient Performance Center, the program ran from September 2023 through March 2024.
The inaugural class brought together 20 Department of the Army Civilians with varying skillsets from across the garrison for a unique learning experience. Students delved into leadership concepts, explored resiliency techniques, and gained valuable insights from guest speakers representing various installation directorates.
Divided into four teams, the students were also tasked to put their newfound knowledge to the test by developing capstone projects focused on the U.S. Army Installation Management Command Service Culture Campaign.
Developed in 2017, the campaign instills the idea that excellent customer service is a byproduct of how employees are treated. Through the seven pillars of project inclusion: engagement; communication; onboarding and outboarding; recognition of outputs; leader development and talent management; sense of belonging; and assessment, the campaign aims to create an environment where employees feel valued, have engaged leadership, and are treated with dignity and respect.
The projects, presented to garrison leadership during the graduation ceremony, aimed to benefit the garrison workforce.
Among the innovative proposals were the installation of "Birdhouse Libraries" on both Fort Stewart and Hunter Army Airfield, a leadership-focused podcast, a revamped onboarding program for new Department of the Army civilian employees, and a new employee familiarization bus tour.
The successful completion of the Leadership Stewart-Hunter program marks a significant step forward in fostering a more engaged and empowered workforce on both installations. The promise of implemented capstone projects holds the potential to further enhance the overall garrison workforce experience.
DHR Director Tom Allmon, a subject matter expert in similar county-level leadership cohorts, expressed his full support for the implementation of the Workforce Development focused program across the garrison.
“This class exceeded my expectations of how this new program should go,” he said. “This group has set the bar high, and I am excited to see where the future of Leadership Stewart-Hunter takes us.”
Following the success of the inaugural cohort, the garrison now plans to offer the class once a year.
Hood, who also served as the keynote speaker for the occasion, concluded his congratulatory remarks with one final due-out for the class.
“Now that you have completed the class, I challenge each of you to do three things,” he said. "The first is to find someone to admire. There are leaders across this installation, both formal and informal, who make an impact every day. Find that leader and connect and learn from them. The second thing I’d like for you to do is find someone to inspire. Just like you needed a catalyst to join this class, there is someone out there looking at you as the leader who can help them grow within their journey. And finally, find a way to maintain the personal and professional connections that this opportunity has awarded you.”
Nominations for the 2024-25 Leadership Stewart-Hunter cohort will be accepted May 1-24. The program is open to all skillsets and participants must be nominated by their chain of command. For more information on how to participate, or to learn about additional Workforce Development programs, contact Tonya Imus at tonya.e.imus.civ@army.mil.
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