RICHMOND, Va. –
Employee spotlight regularly features outstanding non-supervisory personnel from throughout the Defense Logistics Agency Aviation and other DLA employees on Defense Supply Center Richmond, Virginia. Organizational directors may submit names of employees they wish to feature in this column to DLA Aviation Public Affairs.
Name: Mark Charpentier
Organization: DLA Aviation Richmond
Years of Service: 3 years
What is your job title, and what do you do, specifically? I am a contract specialist working on the pre-award side of procurement. I am responsible for procuring parts for a worldwide customer network.
What do you like most about your job? What I like most about working for the Defense Logistics Agency Aviation is the endless opportunities. In three years, I’ve had the opportunity to work in several divisions. I started at DLA Aviation as an intern in 2019. In 2020, I entered the Pathways to Career Excellence Program and was assigned to the Boeing Division of the Supplier Operations Original Equipment Manufacture Directorate at DLA Aviation at Richmond on Defense Supply Center Richmond, Virginia, procuring aviation parts. In 2021, I was selected to assist the Privatization Division of the Supplier Operations Original Equipment Manufacture Directorate, procuring chemical and hazardous items. Today, I’m a graduate of the PaCE program and continue to have great success in supporting both divisions. I look forward to my next opportunity!
What would you say has been your major contributions to your organization this year in your job? So far, for fiscal 22, I’ve exceeded my annual metrics by almost 30%. This is what I would consider to be my major contribution to the organization this year.
What aspect(s) of your current job gives you the most personal satisfaction? Why? Getting the job done gives me the most satisfaction. Whenever I’m assigned a high priority item or asked to assist someone, I approach the opportunity with great effort and dedication. At the end, when it’s all done and the award has been funded, then I know I’ve done my job with 110% effort.
What advice would you have given yourself 10 years ago? In answering this question, I feel many would probably tell themselves to change this or that. However, I believe it is our experiences that make us who we are today. If we could somehow change the past, I believe we would never be truly satisfied because we’d be too obsessed with creating the perfect life. In doing so, one would find that the “perfect life” is not a reality. If I saw myself 10 years ago, I would simply say “Hi” and carry on. I love where I am today and I look forward to seeing where life will take me next.
What are some of your passions outside of work? Outside of work, you can find me either reading a book, watching a classic movie, or listening to old vinyl records.
What’s the most thrilling/adventurous thing you have ever done? The most adventurous thing I have ever done was climb a mountain in Alaska that was nearly 6,000 ft in elevation, in a foot of snow. Of course, this is not the tallest mountain in the world, or even in Alaska for that matter. But it is just tall enough to be level with the clouds, which is a beautiful site to see.
If you could pick a personal motto, what would it be? A Greek philosopher once said, “We have two ears and one mouth, so we can listen twice as much as we speak.” This is a motto I live by because there is more to learn from listening than from speaking.
What type of music do you most enjoy? The ‘60s and ‘70s had the best music. I grew up listening to the music of my father’s generation and find those songs speak to life experiences more than any other generation. The songs were more about the lyrics than the rhythm, which I feel is the opposite with today’s music.