Richmond, Va –
In observance of Hispanic Heritage Month, the Strategic Acquisition Programs Directorate and the Office of Equal Employment Opportunity and Diversity celebrates National Hispanic Heritage Month for 2017.
This year's theme is "Shaping the Bright Future of America."
Ms. Amelia Stanko is featured in our Employee Spotlight.
Organization: Bearings Division, Supplier Operations Directorate, Defense Logistics Agency Aviation
What is your job title and what do you do, specifically? I’m a contracting officer within the Bearings Division responsible for pre and post-award functions involving highly specialized procurements of significant importance to the military and the Department of Defense, such as critical safety items and items requiring first article testing. I also prepare acquisition plans, with technical, small business and contract pricing personnel to determine timelines, method of solicitation, options and long-term contracts or commercial buys using simplified acquisition procedures.
How long have you worked for DLA? I've been with DLA since November 2009.
The theme for this month's observance is "Shaping the Bright Future of America." In your words, briefly explain what this means to you? Having been born in 1960, I have lived through prejudice, hatred and bigotry. The United States, and hopefully the world, seems to have come out of the dark ages to embrace people for who they are, not who they are perceived to be. I see an American culture where all people have a chance to succeed and it’s no longer based on the color of your skin, but rather the intelligence of your mind and the strength of your will.
Tell us something unique about your heritage or country of origin.
My father was born in Brownsville Texas, about one mile from the Mexican Border. It has always astonished me that a mile can make such a huge difference in a person's life. The way people see themselves and the way others see them i.e., American or Mexican, legal, illegal or immigrant.
I was lucky my parents were both born in the United States.
Tell us a little known fact that most people don't know about you? This little known fact is not directly about me, but is about my stepfather. He just became a citizen of the United States in May of this year.
What is your favorite thing to do when you are not at work? I love jewelry, so I have a great passion for researching antique jewelry.
What is your favorite Latin food or dish? One of my favorite foods are to both eat and make are tamales.
If you could go back in time, what famous person of Hispanic descent would you want to meet and why? There is not a famous person I want to meet. However, I would like to go back and meet my grandparents. My father's parents both died in 1932 when he was only 10 years old, so I never had the opportunity to meet them.
As a DLA employee, what has been your experience in the work environment as a person of Hispanic ethnicity? For the most part I love my job and I love working at DLA, but at various times it has been difficult.
People talk about things they have little knowledge of and repeat things they hear on television without understanding the topic or impact on others. Seeking to understand is great, talking without understanding isn't.