FORT BELVOIR, Va. –
Thirteen employees at Defense Logistics Agency Headquarters are recipients of the agency’s 55th Annual Employee Recognition Awards. The awards recognize the leadership and hard work of individuals and teams performing diverse missions across the enterprise.
“These winners were selected from a large group of worthy nominations, all of whom deserve special recognition for their outstanding accomplishments,” DLA Human Resources Director Sharyn Saunders said in a memo to senior leaders announcing the winners.
A ceremony honoring the 50-plus recipients, who represent all parts of the agency, is scheduled for Jan. 26 at the McNamara Headquarters Complex on Fort Belvoir, Va.
Four DLA Headquarters employees were among the Top Ten DLA Employees of the Year. Robert Nobach Jr. of DLA Logistics Operations reviewed and corrected discrepancies in National Stock Numbers for the K6-46 Pegasus that transitioned from contractor support to DLA.
Erich Gabris from DLA Enterprise Risk Management built an agencywide ERM team amid personnel shortages and inspired employees to embrace innovation while creating and implementing ERM tools.
As part of DLA Acquisition, Air Force Col. Michael Hansen shaped 13 long-term acquisition strategies accounting for $23 billion in weapons system support. He also led one of the agency’s three rapid deployment teams.
DLA Logistics Operations’ Air Force Maj. Krystal McGuiness championed the formation of DLA’s Space Enterprise, establishing the first memorandums of agreement with the U.S. Space Command and Space Force.
In the DLA Leader of the Year category, David Jolls from DLA Acquisition served as a gatekeeper for high-dollar, high-risk acquisitions and was selected to lead priority projects for DLA and the Defense Department. DLA Logistics Operations’ Janice Rice managed executive engagements, strategic initiatives and resource planning to ensure success of multiple whole-of-government missions.
The annual recipient for DLA Employee of the Quarter in Category C is Carla Myers of DLA Finance. She served as the financial subject matter expert on the realignment of industrial hardware, overseeing the transfer of 919,715 items and drawdown of a previously $500 million business.
Steven Chu is the Outstanding Employee with a Disability. The DLA Information Operations employee ensures tickets for the Government Purchase Card are reviewed, coordinated and acted upon within the seven-day ticket resolution standard.
The award for DLA Joint Reserve Company Grade Officer of the Year went to Army Capt. Adam Davis. He voluntarily deployed to support DLA’s mission in the U.S. European Command.
DLA Intelligence’s Shayne Nakamoto is the Senior Security Professional of the Year for consistently exceeding benchmarks within the personnel security program and processing over 100 security clearance actions with a 100% acceptable rate.
The final awards for DLA Headquarters were in the information technology excellence category. Michelle York is the Information Technology Program Manager of the Year. Steven Forster is Information Technology Person of the Year, and the Enterprise IT Architecture Team is the Information Technology Team of the Year.
Top Ten DLA Employees of the Year
Category A
- Juan Morales Martinez, DLA Distribution
- Phillip Rolfe, DLA Disposition Services
Category B
- Robert Nobach Jr., DLA Logistics Operations
- Steven Richards, DLA Aviation
- Melissa Rodriguez, DLA Energy
- Carolyn Toney, DLA Land and Maritime
Category C
- Erich Gabris, DLA Enterprise Risk Management
- Air Force Col. Michael Hansen, DLA Acquisition
- Air Force Maj. Krystal McGuiness, DLA Logistics Operations
- Adam Tutolo, DLA Troop Support
Leader of the Year
- Level 1 – Michael Maclean, DLA Energy
- Level 2 – David Jolls, DLA Acquisition
- Level 3 – Jason Elliott, DLA Aviation
- Level 4 – Janice Rice, DLA Logistics Operations
Employee of the Quarter
- Category A – Matthew Stott, DLA Aviation
- Category B – Walter Hegan, DLA Energy
- Category C – Carla Myers, DLA Finance
Team Awards
- Small – Contracting Team, Fuel Redistribution Resulting from Permanent Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility Closure, DLA Energy
- Medium – TF33 Team, DLA Aviation
- Large – General Electric T700 and TF34 Team, DLA Aviation
Equal Employment Opportunity Awards
- Achievement in EEO by an Employee – Deion Black, DLA Distribution
- Achievement in EEO by a Supervisor or Manager – Alonzo Burris II, DLA Land and Maritime
- Achievement in EEO by an Organization – DLA Troop Support
- Outstanding Employee with a Disability – Steven Chu, DLA Information Operations
Military Personnel Awards
- Field Grade Officer of the Year – Army Maj. Jean’Shay Moore, DLA Troop Support
- Company Grade Officer of the Year – Air Force Capt. Ioan Gaitan, DLA Energy
- Senior Noncommissioned Officer of the Year – Marine Corps Master Sergeant Dwight Amantine-Taylor, DLA Distribution
- Junior Noncommissioned Officer of the Year – Navy Petty Officer First Class Miguel Bengocheacarabllo, DLA Distribution
- Joint Reserve Force Field Grade Officer of the Year – Navy Lt. Cmdr. Ruben Chavira, DLA Distribution
- Joint Reserve Force Company Grade Officer of the Year – Army Capt. Adam Davis, DLA Joint Reserve Force
- Joint Reserve Force Senior Noncommissioned Officer of the Year – Navy Chief Petty Officer Michael Harshbarger, DLA Distribution
- Joint Reserve Force Junior Noncommissioned Officer of the Year – Navy Petty Officer First Class Akinlolu Akinbode, DLA Distribution
Installation Support Excellence Awards
- Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation Facility/Program Excellence Award – Riverview Golf Course, DLA Installation Management at Susquehanna
- Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation Program Management Award – Steven Gales, DLA Installation Management at Battle Creek
- DLA Police Officer of the Year – Officer Matthew Bednego, DLA Installation Management at Susquehanna
- DLA Lead Police Officer of the Year – Sergeant Richard Holmes, DLA Installation Management at Columbus
- DLA Supervisory Police Officer of the Year – Captain Gregory Filbrun, DLA Installation Management at Columbus
- Outstanding Police Activity of the Year – DLA Installation Management at Richmond
- DLA Firefighter of the Year – Firefighter/EMT/HazMat Technician Paul Esposito, DLA Installation Management at Susquehanna
- DLA Fire Officer of the Year – Assistant Fire Chief Ryan Bardar, Defense Supply Center Columbus
- DLA Fire Service Instructor of the Year – Captain John Fogg III, DLA Installation Management at Susquehanna
- DLA Fire Prevention Program of the Year – DLA Installation Management at Susquehanna
- DLA Emergency Communication Center Dispatcher of the Year – Emergency Service Dispatcher Brittany Nye, DLA Installation Management at Susquehanna
- DLA Fire Department of the Year – DLA Installation Management at Susquehanna
Enterprise Safety Excellence Awards
- Safety Professional of the Year – Shyamal Banerjee, DLA Aviation
- DLA Safety Champion of the Year – David Green, DLA Distribution
- DLA Employee Safety/Voluntary Protection Program Team – DLA Distribution Norfolk Safety Team, DLA Distribution
Security Professional Awards
- DLA Junior Security Professional of the Year – Dale Davis, DLA Installation Management at Susquehanna
- DLA Senior Security Professional of the Year – Shayne Nakamoto, DLA Intelligence
Acquisition Excellence Awards
- Excellence in Acquisition – Annette Graham, DLA Disposition Services
- Acquisition Support Professional of the Year (Individual) – Ella Madison, DLA Land and Maritime
- Acquisition Support Professional of the Year (Team) – DLA Energy Acquisition Workforce and Development Team, DLA Energy
- Acquisition Workforce Team Achievement – Direct Delivery FEPC Team, DLA Energy
- Acquisition Workforce Individual Achievement – Shane Banks, DLA Energy
Information Technology Excellence Awards
- Information Technology Program Manager of the Year – Michelle York, DLA Information Operations
- Information Technology Person of the Year – Steven Forster, DLA Information Operations
- Information Technology Team of the Year – Enterprise IT Architecture Team, DLA Information Operations