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News | May 17, 2016

Federal workers celebrated at annual luncheon

By Michael Molinaro DLA Land and Maritime Public Affairs

Federal workers from Columbus and Central Ohio filled the ballroom at Villa Milano May 5 for the 2016 Excellence in Government Awards luncheon. Hosted by the Federal Executive Association, the awards luncheon is held annually in conjunction with Public Service Recognition Week.

The event marked the 39th year Central Ohio’s federal organizations have come together to recognize the exceptional performance public service employees provide to residents in the region. Defense Supply Center Columbus major tenants Defense Logistics Agency Land and Maritime, and Defense Finance and Accounting Services (DFAS) were represented. Also attending were employees from the Dept. of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the Social Security Administration, Veterans Administration, the Small Business Administration, Department of Agriculture, and the Postal Service.

“We are blessed as public servants to have the opportunity to do important work and do it well,” James McClaugherty, Land and Maritime’s acting commander, said. “Today was a huge reminder of the richly contributing things (federal workers) do day in and day out.”

As in years past, numerous associates of DLA Land and Maritime were nominated for their contributions and several walked away winners. 

Claiming the Productivity or Process Improvement Award for an individual from a large agency was Renee M. Tucker, a purchasing agent with Maritime Supplier Operations. Also winning the top award for small agency was Anthony Hulin, DLA Fire and Emergency Services.

The Innovation Award for an individual was won by Erin Roesky, a Senior Supply Systems Analyst with the Business Process Support directorate. 

Two teams from Land and Maritime won top honors in their categories. Joining Tucker in the Productivity or Process Improvement Award category, the Raytheon Working Group brought home first place, while the Maritime Customer Operations Army/Navy FMS Team claimed the Excellence in Customer Service Award.

The purpose of the FEA is to improve coordination of federal activity within the Columbus and central Ohio region. The chapter’s goals are to improve intergovernmental cooperation and make the federal and external community aware of the federal workforce’s contributions to the operation of government and to the improvement of the local community.

The local FEA chapter represents 145 federal offices and more than 16,000 employees in central Ohio, said Rebecca Beck, deputy director, DFAS. 

“Collectively over the past year our local FEA chapter has impacted the lives of the local community through various volunteer efforts to include Combined Federal Campaign, Feds Feed Families, Christmas Cheer with the Salvation Army and local school reading and mentoring programs.”

Serving as the FEA award judges responsible for the winning selections were: Kristen Easterday, vice president, Local Government Relations, Columbus Chamber of Commerce; Beryl Piccolantonio, chief Ombudsman, Workers Compensation state of Ohio; and Charles Tennant, Sr., educator and author.