Photo By Sgt. Jack Adamyk | Stephanie Keen, Employee of the Quarter, GS-8 and below, MCLB Barstow, California.... read more read more
With her positive attitude, upbeat spirit and hard work, Stephanie Keen, Human Resources Assistant has earned Employee of the Quarter, GS-8 and below, aboard Marine Corps Logistics Base Barstow, California.
“She has an outstanding work ethic,” said Rose Vickers, Human Resources supervisor. “She receives her tasks and accomplishes them correctly and most often in advance of her deadlines. She takes pride in her work and makes great efforts to ensure that her customers get the best advice and service possible.”
Her supervisor and coworkers agree that she is meticulous about her duties, too, often performing well above her pay grade.
“She works at a fast pace without impact to the quality of product and service she provides and consistently produces a work product that requires little to no corrections.”
“Honesty and helping others are the biggest values we preach at home,” Keen explained. “In many ways I carry that with me to my job, as well. Learning as much as I can is a value I go to a lot while at work.”
In the midst of COVID-19 protocols throughout much of her time on base, Keen teleworks, juggling her work, school work, and her two children while her husband
is away for Warrant Officer training.
“My husband has been in the Army for 16 years and we love the Barstow and Fort Irwin area,” Keen said. “I have two young kids, a 5 year old and 4 year old, and
they certainly keep me on my toes. Teleworking has been very helpful for my family. Even though things can be chaotic, being here while my husband is gone has made the balance of work and life easier. I do not feel like my job has changed
much since I normally communicate with new hires and hiring managers through phone or email.”
Those with whom she works seem to agree that her positive attitude and her upbeat, can-do personality win over coworkers and those she helps in the performance of her duties. “She has a positive attitude and is always willing to assist in whatever area she is needed. She goes the extra mile to help employees and supervisors alike,” Vickers said.
“She is encouraging!” said Summer Crank, Human Resources assistant. “Stephanie came onboard and hit the ground running. She learns at a super high speed and retains all the information, which means that she carries her workload and is able to step in and help the rest of us when needed. She is highly motivated, pays attention to details and yet still so down to earth. She is my right hand person and we work so well together!”
Part of what Keen loves about her position are her coworkers and the interactions she has with hiring managers.
“I love the fast-paced environment we work in at times, too,” she said. “Being able to help others with employment or reviewing position descriptions is rewarding. Human Resources and Personnel Operations are important functions to help hiring managers find the right fits for their departments. I try my best to communicate, collaborate, and ensure we are helping hiring managers and supervisors through
the hiring process or promotions or changes. I like to make everyone smile. I also want to help in any way I can so many times my coworkers look to me to help get projects or other items done.”
Her ability to make other smile and laugh, even during trying times, is definitely something others highlight as part of what makes her shine.
“She keeps me laughing all day, even thorough this pandemic when she could be stressed out and down due to the fact that she has had to be by herself,” Crank said. “She never lets it keep her stressed out or lets it keep her from finding reasons to
smile and laugh.”
If she is not working, then she’s studying for her Bachelors in Science in Social Media Marketing from SNHU.
“I will be continuing on to my Masters in Human Resource Management,” she said.
A good portion of her time is also spent helping her daughter in kindergarten, or else she’s knee deep in mom-life.
“I tend to keep busy as much as I can,” she said. “It is rare to see me sitting still! I also love to read all types of books! My family and I also love to be outside either riding bikes, hiking, just playing in the pool. One of the best perks about living here compared to the other six bases we’ve lived before is the weather.”
Originally from Washington state, outside of Seattle, she and her husband haven’t lived there in 10 years, but they do love being on the west coast. They have also lived in Germany, Kansas, Georgia, Texas, and now California.
“One of our favorite places to hike is Mt. Blackie or Tiefort here at Irwin,” she said.
“She is quickly going to advance in her career to an HR specialist,” Vickers said. “If she chooses to pursue a career as a supervisor, I have no doubt she will excel. She is hungry to learn and is always looking for ways to improve her skills.”
| Date Taken: | 08.27.2020 |
| Date Posted: | 08.31.2020 12:14 |
| Story ID: | 377141 |
| Location: | MARINE CORPS LOGISTICS BASE BARSTOW, CA, US |
| Web Views: | 172 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Employee of the Quarter: Stephanie Keen, by Laurie Pearson, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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