New SP&E Directorate established for K-Bay

MARINE CORPS BASE HAWAII, HI, UNITED STATES

12.01.2014

Story by Kristen Wong 

Marine Corps Base Hawaii

MARINE CORPS BASE HAWAII - Marine Corps Base Hawaii officially established a new directorate, uniting several base entities, Nov. 7, 2014.

The new Strategic Plans & Engagement Directorate consists of the Public Affairs Office, Combat Camera, the School Liaison Officer and the Community Plans Liaison Officer. With the exception of Combat Camera, the staff of more than 20 Headquarters Battalion Marines and civilians, to include a director and deputy director, will all work out of building 216.

“Many of the challenges that come our way at MCB Hawaii are short-fused, require immediate action and detract from our ability to effectively plan ahead,” said Douglas Wadsworth, chief of staff, MCB Hawaii. “The SP&E Directorate, guided by the CO’s guidance, will assist us by looking ahead and keeping us focused in the direction we should be headed, as opposed to just chasing those day-to-day challenges. The more formal grouping of many of our engagement-related entities, like the Community Plans and School Liaison Officers and the Public Affairs Office, will also ensure our communication with all of our customers – both on and off the installation — is cohesive.”

Operations for each department are not expected to change, according to Lt. Col. John Rountree, the director of SP&E.

“The primary purpose for the directorate is to focus on long-range planning,” Rountree said. “(We must) also manage our engagement plan throughout not only the local community but with tenant units and adjacent installations.”

Rountree said Col. Eric W. Schaefer, MCB Hawaii commanding officer, approached him in August to oversee the development of the new directorate. Working alongside Rountree is Amy Madsen, the current interim deputy director of SP&E.

Madsen most recently served as the deputy director of the Manpower, Personnel and Administration Directorate. Madsen, who has worked aboard MCB Hawaii for 10 years as both an active-duty Marine and a Department of Defense civilian employee.

Madsen said she is humbled to have been chosen to fill the position. Right now, the position of deputy director of SP&E is being defined and does not yet have an official position description. Part of Madsen’s job will be to help define those duties.
She added that each department comes to SP&E with a track record of success. The new alignment will provide increased support for operations of similar purpose.

Tenant commands, base staff and members of the local community have been notified about the change. So far, there has been positive feedback.

“We have had explosive growth,” Rountree said. “I think the challenge will be to keep from moving too fast, so we’re going to be very thoughtful and purposeful in how we move forward.”

Services provided by the SP&E departments should still be available at the same numbers listed at mcbhawaii.marines.mil.

• Date Taken: 12.01.2014
• Date Posted: 12.01.2014 20:03
• Story ID: 149128
• Location: MARINE CORPS BASE HAWAII, HI, US