Standing at the podium as the top 2012 Department of the Army civilian for the Redstone-Huntsville Chapter of the Association of the U.S. Army, the Aviation and Missile Command's Keith Roberson steered the attention of an appreciative audience to the organization that gave him the award, and the AMCOM employees who have supported and mentored him during his civilian career.
Not one to stand in the limelight, Roberson, executive director of the Integrated Materiel Management Center, instead wanted that light to shine on those who made the evening of April 10 possible at the Von Braun Center's North Hall.
"I want to thank AUSA because you do remarkable work for the Soldier. Everything you do is based around the support of the war fighter," he said.
"This is an important award to me because it's more important to the people I've had the pleasure to work with."
Roberson was chosen from among 33 candidates who were nominated for the local AUSA's DA Civilian of the Year Awards competition. He competed in the largest group, the management executive category, which had 21 nominees. He will go on to compete for the regional level award.
Other winners were Michelle Vigo, general engineer for the Aviation and Missile Research Development and Engineering Center in support of the product manager for Common Systems Integration, Unmanned Aircraft Systems, Program Executive Office for Aviation, who was the top winner in the professional technical category; and Mary Brisebois, administrative support specialist for the Army Materiel Command's Logistics Support Activity, who won in the support staff category.
"We are here to celebrate the accomplishments of 33 outstanding civilians and that's a record number," said the event's organizer retired Col. Jerry Hamilton.
Roberson, a 30-year civilian, was nominated by Maj. Gen. Jim Rogers, commander of the Aviation and Missile Command. In his position with IMMC, Roberson oversees the development, acquisition, fielding and sustainment of logistics support for Army aviation and missile systems, and associated support equipment. IMMC ensures the Army's weapon system readiness in operations worldwide and is dedicated to providing real-time logistics support to the Soldier, airman and Marine in training and in combat. IMMC consists of more than 9,500 military, civilian and contractor personnel with an annual business base of $4.7 billion.
Roberson has led IMMC's efforts in the execution of AMCOM's tactical missile reset effort and the Army's $6.6 billion aviation reset effort. He oversees the reset of the Army's entire fleet of aircraft as they return from Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom, and modification applications to aircraft prior to redeployment to theater. To date, more than 4,500 aircraft have been reset and returned ready for theater.
Roberson also is the leader of the AMCOM team that has reduced inventory levels by more than $639 million this year. He has worked to ensure that IMMC has achieved cost savings while continuing to maintain readiness rates that meet or exceed Army standards.
"His outstanding leadership, dynamic approach to solving myriad problems, and innovative thinking has greatly increased the lethality, modularity, survivability and safety of all Soldiers operating or maintaining aviation and missile combat weapon systems," Rogers said in the nomination packet.
In his comments, Roberson thanked Rogers for "setting the standard high" and several "great people who have provided me with great mentorship and support."
Looking out on an audience of about 370 attendees, Roberson singled out many of his contemporaries who have also achieved success in their work for the Army at Redstone Arsenal.
"We've all grown up together with one common theme and that is to support the war fighter," he said. "And you can't go wrong with that."
Roberson said there were many in the audience who helped him win the DA Civilian of the Year award, saying nothing can be achieved for the war fighter "without the collective body of you. Redstone Arsenal as a whole, as a team, we always do everything for the Soldier every day, and you can't forget that."
As part of night's program, now retired AMCOM employee Rick Turner, who was the 2009 winner of the local DA Civilian of the Year award and who also went on to win at the regional and national levels, spoke about setting priorities and being grateful for blessings.
"When I look at my career, I realize that the Army gave me very good things," he said.
First, it gave him family. His dad served in World War II, and he met his wife through the Army. Today, his children and others in his family continue to give back to the Army as civilian employees.
Second, the Army gave him friends.
"And, third, it gave me Soldiers to be around," he said. "You've got to get around Soldiers. This great community knows how to treat Soldiers."
Turner urged those in the audience to reflect on their Army careers with seven questions in mind. They are:
• Did I really love the Army enough to love the Army values and get out of my comfort zone?
• Did I love the Army enough to stand up and speak for the Army, and make a difference?
• Did I spend enough time asking 'Why didn't we know that?'
• Did I do enough to teach, mentor and coach people?
• Did I spend enough time asking 'Are we doing the right thing?'
• Did I spend enough time thanking others?
• Am I taking the time to smile?
Collectively, organizations should ask: Are we supporting Soldiers as best we can?
The following are the Department of the Army civilians nominated in each category:
Management Executive Category -- Brenda Hatley, secretary of the general staff, Security Assistance Command; Brian Brown, chief, Soldier Support Center, Army Materiel Command's Logistics Support Activity; Brian Wood, associate director, Commercial Operations, Supply Chain Management Directorate, Integrated Materiel Management Center, Aviation and Missile Command; Danita Brooks, director, Office of Continuous Improvement, Aviation and Missile Command; David Sparks, senior business planning analyst, AMCOM Command Initiatives Group, Aviation and Missile Command; Debra Wymer, director, Technical Center (Provisional), Space and Missile Defense Command/Army Forces Strategic Command; Dennis Sparks, technical chief, Light Utility Helicopter Product Office, Program Executive Office for Aviation; Donald Chaney, logistics manager, Fixed Wing Project Office, Program Executive Office for Aviation; Edward M. Ward, fleet manager, Unmanned Aircraft Systems Project Office, Program Executive Office for Aviation; Ronnie Chronister, deputy commander of the Aviation and Missile Command; Edward Gozdur, deputy product manager, Common Systems Integration, Unmanned Aircraft Systems Project Office, Program Executive Office for Aviation; Jimmy Downs, deputy product manager, Kiowa Warrior, Armed Scout Helicopter, Program Executive Office for Aviation; John Klemencic, senior military analyst, Space and Missile Defense System, Space and Missile Defense Command/Army Forces Strategic Command; Judith Edmondson, chief, Operations Division, Test Measurement and Diagnostic Equipment Activity, Aviation and Missile Command; Keith Roberson, executive director, Integrated Materiel Management Center, Aviation and Missile Command; Lisa Stangle, deputy executive director for aviation, Army Contracting Command-Redstone; Martin Roggio, director, Business Management, Test Measurement and Diagnostic Equipment Activity, Aviation and Missile Command; Sammy Burns Jr., associate director, Aviation Field Maintenance, Aviation Field Maintenance Division, Integrated Materiel Management Center, Aviation and Missile Command; Dr. Wayne Hudry, deputy product manager, Apache Sensors Product Management Office, Program Executive Office for Aviation; William Bidwell, associate director of aviation, Integrated Materiel Management Center, Aviation and Missile Command; and Lamar Auman, chief, Aerodynamics Technology, Aviation and Missile Research Development and Engineering Center.
Professional Technical Category: Daniel Stamaris, special repair authority analyst, Logistics Directorate, Air Component Branch, Materiel Management Division, Aviation Center Logistics Command, Aviation and Missile Command; Edwin Reyes, security manager, Security Assistance Command; Martha Allen, lead resource analyst, Army Materiel Command's Logistics Support Activity; Michelle Vigo, general engineer, Aviation and Missile Research Development and Engineering Center, Systems Engineering Division in support to product manager, Common Systems Integration, Unmanned Aircraft Systems, Program Executive Office for Aviation; Nelda Smith, lead supply chain management and Army Working Capital Fund analyst for the associate director for missiles, Program Executive Office for Missiles and Space, Integrated Materiel Management Center, Aviation and Missile Command; Robin Warren, fitness and resiliency coordinator, G-1, Army Materiel Command; Scott Phillips, branch chief, Aviation Components, Depot Maintenance Division, Integrated Materiel Management Center, Aviation and Missile Command; and Sofia Bledsoe, public affairs specialist, Program Executive Office for Aviation.
Support Staff Category: Joyce D. Oliver, administrative support assistant, Test Measurement and Diagnostic Equipment Activity, Aviation and Missile Command; Mary Magnusson McBride, executive assistant, Integrated Materiel Management Center, Aviation and Missile Command; Mary Brisebois, administrative support specialist, Army Materiel Command's Logistics Support Activity; and Rosalind Payne, security specialist, Unmanned Aircraft Systems Project Office, Program Executive Office for Aviation.
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