BATTLE CREEK, Mich. –
Gimcheon Operations Chief Pat Leverett was recently named DLA Disposition Services Employee of the Quarter for the first quarter of fiscal 2021.
The South Korea-based property disposal specialist is an 8-year agency veteran who has served in various roles across continents, including property disposal jobs in Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Kuwait, and Afghanistan.
Leverett said he enjoys his current position and welcoming his colleagues to the work site each morning.
“Controlling the entire scope of operations brings new challenges each day,” he said. “[I] enjoy working to eliminate those and allow the mission to continue.”
Leverett said he also appreciates the uniqueness of the duty station and his team in Korea.
“Gimcheon is unique because of the location. We are located about one hour from the nearest military base, so most [federal civilian] employees live among the Korean population,” he said. “Korea is amazing; these employees are some of the hardest working employees in the organization. Korean culture is rich with history. I enjoy learning about the history and culture to better understand the employees and how to build a strong work culture. All [my] achievements wouldn’t have been possible without my team and their hard work, allowing me to be their leader.”
Leverett was cited for stepping into the acting area manager role for two months during a position replacement.
“During the transition period, Pat was able to assume all roles and demonstrated true leadership, allowing the mission to continue without any interruptions,” wrote nominator Christopher Dunsmore. “His management of COVID-19 information flow and processes has been exceptional, meeting external requirements while keeping site personnel informed and making mission-critical workforce decisions.”
He was also praised for strong customer focus, synergy development with DLA Distribution elements, and outstanding coordination with a large, key site customer.
Leverett said he first learned of his award win from teammates across the globe.
“I came into work like every other morning and had all these extra emails from various employees across the organization congratulating me on the achievement,” he said. “DLA is like family. After leaving the Marines, I found the brotherhood that I was missing from the military. Working with DLA allows me to support the warfighter.”