RICHMOND, Va. –
Defense Logistics Agency Aviation’s Procurement Process Support Directorate’s Training Division and Business Process Support Directorate’s Supply/Tech Training Division celebrated the graduation of 45 people from the DLA Pathways to Career Excellence program June 7. The ceremony took place in the Frank B. Lotts Conference Center on Defense Supply Center Richmond, Virginia.
PaCE is a 2-year training program designed to train entry-level personnel for subsequent advancement to the journey-level in professional, administrative, and technological career fields. This is accomplished through on-the-job assignments, cross-training, rotational assignments, and formal training (e.g. classroom, distance learning, web-based training, conferences and seminars).
Lashana Crone, chief of DLA Human Resources Career Management Division, gave opening remarks, after which DLA Aviation Acquisition Executive Cathy Contreras delivered the keynote address.
“Graduates, look to your left and to your right. You are our future. You will be the future leaders of this organization. The innovations you imagine will shape our future.” Contreras said. “Take opportunities when they are presented to you, never stop learning, always seek to make things better, make suggestions, make changes.”
The graduation was a combination of PaCE group 40 from fall 2022 and group 41 from this past spring and represented four of the 10 PaCE career fields: contract, supply, quality assurance and information technology specialists.
Stephanie Wideman began her PaCE journey back in 2020. The inventory management specialist within DLA Aviation’s Planning Directorate’s Engines/Airframes Division was part of group 40.
“What I learned in the program has been completely helpful to me since I have been in my position. I was able to take the foundation of information that was learned and continue to build on it,” Wideman said.
Group 41 PaCE graduate James Moton Jr. is a quality assurance specialist within DLA Aviation’s Supplier Operations Original Equipment Manufacturer Directorate. His PaCE journey began in the summer of 2021.
“I feel that the PaCE program was a great foundational preparation for my success. My goal is to become an active contributor to the PaCE program as a peer, so that my experience can help add significant value to its overall purpose and growth,” Moton Jr. said.