ALEXANDRIA, Virginia –
Pam Serino is the first Department of Defense woman to be recognized for outstanding service in aviation fuels quality by the National Petroleum Management Association during its annual conference April 5.
As the Defense Logistics Agency Energy Quality and Technical Support director and chemist, Serino’s accomplishments included elevating the importance of fuel quality awareness to the senior levels of the DoD. She oversees quality assurance, quality surveillance, product technology, measurement, standardization and laboratory support for all DLA Energy fuel products.
“It was a special honor to be the first female recipient of the National Petroleum Management Association Howard Gammon Black Gold Quality Award,” Serino said. “The fuel quality community is predominately male with most having years of expertise under their belts. They are the brightest and the best, so I feel privileged to be recognized by this elite community of peers in the petroleum industry.”
The NPMA is a professional “service-oriented” society dedicated to qualified Fuelhandlers. The annual symposium brings together aviation fuels and engineering operations and maintenance experts, chemists, equipment specialists, as well as fuel representatives from large and small commercial and military organizations.
Air Force Lt. Gen. Giovanni Tuck, 18th Air Force commander at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, presented Serino with the Howard Gammon Black Gold Quality Award for a lifetime of dedicated service to improving the quality of aviation fuels. Tuck served as the DLA Energy commander from 2012 through 2014.
The award is named after Howard Gammon, “singularly most widely known expert in aviation fuels quality and handling,” and is one of six highly coveted NPMA named awards.
Jack Lavin, the NPMA president and former deputy director of the Air Force Petroleum Agency, explained the criticalness of fuel quality and the importance of fuel quality standards for the warfighter.
“Pam is the right person with the right experience and background who has made significant contributions to the quality mission,” he said. “She is the first Department of Defense woman to be selected for this award.”
In addition to her personal award, Serino and her team received the 2003 Closing the Circle Award promoting the use of biofuels within DoD. She has promoted the use of commercial aviation fuels with military additives and provided funding that enabled the services and equipment manufactures to approve its use within DoD. She actively participates in investigations to resolve systemic quality issues and is supportive in funding these projects.
Prior to her current responsibility, Serino was the chief of the DLA Energy Product Technology and Standardization Office. She has been a chemist with the technical staffs of both DLA Energy and the Navy Petroleum Office. Her early career began at Aberdeen Proving Ground in the chemical weapons group. She has been active in standardization and industry groups such as NATO, Airlines for America, American Society for Testing and Materials International, International Air Transport Association and the Coordinating Research Council.