FORT BELVOIR, Va. –
In a setting reminiscent of pre-pandemic days, nearly 300 Defense Logistics Agency Energy employees filled the DLA Headquarters auditorium on Fort Belvoir, Virginia, Jan. 23, to hear from their commander, Navy Capt. Brian Anderson, and deputy commander, Dave Kless.
The hallways, offices and cubicles across DLA Headquarters are once again full after a recent shift in DLA’s telework posture. Many employees began returning to work in November, but numbers have increased in the new year.
Breana Wilson, a contracting specialist with DLA Energy Utility Services, started working for DLA Energy during the pandemic when many employees were teleworking. She said she is happy to have everyone back together again and working with her colleagues in person.
“I barely had a relationship with my team outside of emails and the occasional team meetings,” she said. “Coming back to the office, even one day a week, promoted teamwork and genuine relationships. Being back in the office three days a week creates opportunities to network across DLA Energy.”
Jonathan Moore is a contracting officer and section chief in DLA Energy Utility Services.
“As a supervisor, I’m looking forward to building my team stronger than ever before,” he said. “After nearly four years of intense teleworking, now teams are meeting face-to-face to work through any job-related issues and share experiences. Employees are socializing at lunch or at the gym together.
“My goal is to captivate my employees in the way that when they wake up in the morning, they want to get up and come to work because there are so many interesting and pressing things waiting for them to do,” he continued.
During the All Hands presentation, lively videos from DLA Energy regional offices across the globe connected those near and far. The videos honored six military members, three civilian employees and three teams who’ve recently earned agency awards. The reels ranged from simple selfies to staged productions earning several laughs throughout the audience.
In a recording from Andersen Air Force Base in Guam, DLA Energy Indo-Pacific South-West leaders stood on a makeshift awards stage while supporting correspondents broadcasted “live” from the red carpet in honor of one of their customer account specialists, Agnes Eugenio. Eugenio was selected as a Top Ten Outstanding DLA Personnel of the Year for the DLA 56th Annual Employee Recognition Awards program.
Army Master Sgt. Alvin Ortiz-O’Neill illustrated why he earned the Senior Non-Commissioned Officer of the Year award in his video cameo. Airing from DLA Energy Middle East in Bahrain, the audience laughed as he carried a colorful teal foam gas nozzle from spot to spot to show his commitment to the DLA Energy mission.
In another reel, the DLA Energy Europe and Africa team sang “We are the Champions” by Queen as they embraced a large gold, plastic trophy to honor their Supplier Operations Division earning the DLA Director’s Strategic Goals Award for 4th quarter of fiscal 2023.
“I certainly can’t top any of that,” Anderson said in awe. “But what I can say is the people honored in these videos are just a small example of the exceptional work that’s done across Energy everyday by our employees.”
While the videos were a highlight, employees also learned about recent minor organizational restructuring and the development of a 10-year DLA Energy strategic plan. They also received a summary of a senior leader offsite in December and a reminder of upcoming activities and deadlines.
DLA Energy Safety and Occupational Health Specialist Steve VanMeter spoke about risk management and creating a safe working environment. Ella Warren, DLA Energy Sexual Assault and Response coordinator, talked about the importance of fostering a workplace that prioritizes safety, dignity and respect for all individuals.
Given DLA Energy’s worldwide posture, not everyone could attend in person. Nearly 460 employees joined via videoconference using the chat feature to engage in the conversation. At the end, a QR code to a survey invited employees to provide feedback and suggestions as DLA Energy continues to work to improve employee engagement.