By Debra A. Dawson
Program Executive Office Soldier
Public Affairs Office
FORT BELVOIR, Virginia (Dec. 2, 2016) – Ms. Steffanie Easter, senior official performing the duties of the assistant secretary of the Army for acquisition, logistics and technology (ASA(ALT)) and the Army acquisition executive (AAE), and Lt. Gen. Michael Williamson, ASA(ALT) principal military deputy, presided over the 2016 Army Acquisition Executive’s Excellence in Leadership Awards Ceremony Dec. 1.
The annual awards ceremony highlighted talent from across Army Acquisition to recognize those who have demonstrated excellence in their field and a dedication in their service. Also honored during the ceremony were the authors for the Maj. Gen. Harold J. “Harry” Greene Awards for Acquisition Writing.
“You are the best group of professionals I’ve ever met,” said Easter to a room of more than 300 Army Acquisition Soldiers, civilians and their families. “My confidence in you is unwavering. I will put you guys against anybody any day.”
Williamson also praised the work of the Acquisition Corps. “We deliver capability to Soldiers every day,” he said.
Following their remarks, Easter and Williamson presented the following awards:
2016 Army Modeling and Simulation Award in Acquisition went to Product Manager Special Operations Forces Training Systems, PEO Simulation, Training and Instrumentation
The Acquisition Support Professional of the Year Award went to Lawrence J. Nevins, Program Executive Office (PEO) Missiles and Space, and James T. “Tim” White, PEO Aviation. This award recognizes professionals whose outstanding contributions and achievements support the Army Acquisition workforce and merit special recognition.
The Mr. Thomas “Tom” E. Mullins Business Operations Professional of the Year – Award went to Cora S. Knapp, PEO Aviation. Established this year, this award pays tribute to Mr. Mullins, an Acquisition professional who dedicated his life and career to providing the best equipment for Army Soldiers. The award honors the individual whose outstanding contributions and achievements merit special recognition by the AAE.
The Defense Exportability and Cooperation Professional of the Year Award went to Toni S. McNeal, Joint Munitions Command. It recognizes the individual whose outstanding contributions and achievements to defense exportability and cooperation merit special recognition.
The Honorable Dr. Claude Bolton, Jr. Engineer and System Integrator of the Year Award went to Jeannie L. Sommer, PEO Missiles and Space. Established this year, this award remembers and pays tribute to Dr. Bolton, whose service and character we recognize, and whose sacrifice we shall never forget.
The Logistician of the Year Award went to Alfreda W. Green, PEO Missiles and Space. This award recognizes the individual whose outstanding contributions and achievements in logistics merit special recognition.
The Science and Technology Professional of the Year Award went to Matthew T. Lazzaro, U.S. Army Materiel Command’s Communications-Electronics, Research, Development and Engineering Center. This award recognizes the science and technology professional whose outstanding contributions and achievements merit special recognition.
The Secretary of the Army Excellence in Contracting Award for the Barbara C. Heald Contracting Award – Deployed Civilian went to Natanielle L. Little, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Transatlantic Afghanistan District, Bagram, Afghanistan. Established in 2006, the award remembers and pays tribute to Ms. Heald, whose service and character we recognize, and whose sacrifice we shall never forget. This award honors a DA civilian who clearly demonstrates selfless service to our country, extraordinary and uncompromising professionalism in contracting and true commitment to the personal and professional growth of others. This award recognizes a deployed Army civilian (GS 1102 series) whose actions clearly demonstrate or embody those unique, outstanding qualities possessed by Ms. Heald.
The Product Management/Product Director Professional of the Year (O5 Level) Award went to Lt. Col. Mark P. Henderson, PEO Command, Control and Communications – Tactical. This award applauds the Product Management/Product Director Office professional whose outstanding contributions and achievements merit special recognition.
The Project Management/Project Director Professional of the Year (O6 Level) Award went to Col. Glenn A. Dean III, PEO Ground Combat Systems. This award recognizes the Project Management/Project Director professional whose outstanding contributions and achievements merit special recognition.
The Product Management/Product Director Office Team of the Year (O5 Level) Award went to the Joint Assault Bridge Integrated Product Team, PEO Combat Support and Combat Service Support. This award recognizes the Product Management/Product Director Office team whose outstanding contributions and achievements in excellence merit special recognition.
The Project Management/Project Director Office Team of the Year (O6 Level) Award went to Project Manager Maneuver Ammunition Systems Team, PEO Ammunition. This award recognizes the Project Management/Project Director Office team whose outstanding contributions and achievements in excellence merit special recognition.
The Maj. Gen. Harold J. “Harry” Greene Awards for Acquisition Writing recognize distinguished commentary that is instrumental in shaping the public dialogue about Army acquisition. Greene gave his life for our country on Aug. 5, 2014, while deployed to Afghanistan. At the time of his death, he was the deputy commanding general of the Combined Security Transition Command – Afghanistan. He served as the deputy for acquisition and systems management in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics and Technology.
There are four categories in the Maj. Gen. Greene Awards.
The Future Operations Award went to Maj. Hassan M. Kamara, assistant product manager (APM), PAC-3 Product Office, Lower Tier Project Office, PEO Missiles and Space. The title of the major’s article is “Future Conflict: Adapting Better and Faster than an Adversary.”
An Honorable Mention went to Lt. Col. James Howell, Department of the Army System Coordinator (DASC) for Defense CYBER and the Handheld, Manpack, Small Form Fit (HMS), ASA(ALT) Office of the Deputy for Acquisition and Systems Management. The title of his article is “Expeditionary Situational Awareness at the Tip of the Spear, Preparing for Future Operations through Innovation.”
The Innovation Award went to Maj. Andrew Miller, APM, Product Manager Ground Soldier Systems, Nett Warrior, PEO Soldier. The title of his article is “Culture: The Foundation of Innovation.”
An Honorable Mention went to Lt. Col. Rachael Hoagland, Training with Industry (TWI) Fellow at Amazon.com, U.S. Army Acquisition Support Center (USAASC) and formerly assistant project management positions in U.S. Special Operations Command. The title of her article is “Inspiring Innovation by Changing My Vantage Point on the Battlefield.”
The Lessons Learned Award went to Lt. Col. Patrick “Josh” Baker, a TWI Fellow at General Dynamics, USAASC and formerly with the Office of Legislative Liaison/Army Aviation Programs. The title of his article is “Robots and Deal Makers: Lessons Learned from an Acquisition Officer Serving as a Legislative Liaison.”
An Honorable Mention went to Lt. Col. Steven G. Van Riper, Special Operations Forces Acquisition, Logistics and Technology. The title of his article is “A BIT [Built-In Test] of Advice.”
The Acquisition Reform/Better Buying Power Award went to David M. Riel, professor of acquisition management at Defense Acquisition University Midwest Region in Ohio. The title of his article is “User Requirements: An Enduring Conversation.”
An Honorable Mention went to Joe Novick, product manager for the Next Generation Personnel Decontamination Personnel Decontamination System and the deputy product manager for the Joint Expeditionary Collective Protection Program, Joint PEO Chemical and Biological Defense. The title of his article is “How Important is Getting It Right the First Time? A Case in Applying Agile Acquisition Management.”
After presenting all the awards, Easter praised the work of the Acquisition Corps. “We’re going from good to great in everything we do,” she said.
View more images of the night and look for more information about the award winners in the January – March 2017 issue of Army AL&T magazine. View the Army Acquisition Wall of Fame showcasing past Army Acquisition winners.
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