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    NAVFAC EXWC Selects 2021 Supervisory Civilian and Civilian of the Year

    PORT HUENEME, CA, UNITED STATES

    02.22.2021

    Story by Sarah Lincoln 

    Naval Facilities Engineering and Expeditionary Warfare Center

    Naval Facilities Engineering and Expeditionary Warfare Center (NAVFAC EXWC) is pleased to announce the selection of the 2021 civilian and supervisory civilian of the year.

    Adam Ward, NAVFAC EXWC Expeditionary Maintenance Center One (EMC1) Deputy Director, has been selected as NAVFAC EXWC’s 2021 Supervisory Civilian of the Year.

    Ward honorably served in the Navy from 1993 to 2017. It was not long after retirement that Ward returned to his passions—serving the Navy as contractor, and then hired by NAVFAC EXWC in 2019 as a civilian.

    Ward has over 28 combined years of active duty and civil service, and is no stranger to construction and construction equipment—the fundamental components of work done at EMC 1. Serving as deputy director, Ward oversees 66 civilian and 13 military personnel who provide engineering support, charge proposals, and safety upgrades from start to finish for land-to-shore expeditionary maintenance for the Navy, and remaining Armed Forces when contracted.

    “Mr. Ward truly represents the nature of professional employees a NAVFAC EXWC strives to recruit, train, and retain,” said Mr. Kail Macias, NAVFAC EXWC Technical Director. “His focus on quality work, professionalism and commitment to customer service, makes him a perfect selection for the Supervisor of the Year recognition. He exemplifies integrity, accountability, initiative, and toughness, and expects the same of his direct reports. Without a doubt he earned this award, and he humbly gives all credit to his team of hard working industrial mechanics for their efforts supporting the American warfighters.”

    Ward’s leadership and strategic efforts that have resulted in direct and lasting improvements to the staffing, culture and capabilities of not only EMC1, but also NAVFAC EXWC at-large made him the ideal selection as supervisory civilian of the year. His consistency and attentiveness has paved the road for other expeditionary programs within NAVFAC EXWC to meet customer needs and minimize equipment downtime—an essential and timely requirement for EMC staff. Ward also took the initiative to analyzing department feedback from the government-sponsored DEOMI Organizational Climate Survey, conducted focus groups for feedback, developed recommendations, and made adjustments within EMC1 and the larger NAVFAC EXWC Expeditionary Programs Office.

    “My selection as supervisor of the year is a direct result of all the hard work performed by my team,” said Ward. “I’ve also been fortunate to receive mentorship and support from every level of management.”

    Ward added that although he has received several certifications in his field as a both a military person and civilian, there is no replacement for real world experience and understanding the struggles of the warfighter.

    Ward said, “I have been a warfighter myself, so it is an honor to work to ensure the warfighter has everything they need to be safe and successful. The roles are now reversed where I can pay the favor forward and protect those who protect us—that truly is a reward in itself.”

    “Adam has been an exceptional leader since his first day at EMC1,” said Joseph Paris, NAVFAC EXWC EMC1 Director. “There has never been a project Adam hasn’t conquered or a problem Adam hasn’t tactfully solved. He continuously boosts morale around the office, and our EMC1 team truly appreciates his honesty, professionalism, and warfighter-first charisma—as do I.”

    Carina Reeves, NAVFAC EXWC Science Technology Engineering and Math (STEM) Program Manager, has been selected as NAVFAC EXWC’s 2021 Civilian of the Year.

    Reeves became the first STEM outreach coordinator for NAVFAC EXWC in 2019. Since her onboarding, Reeves’ efforts have dramatically enriched the entire NAVFAC community. She has secured over $590k from the Office of Naval Research in support of NAVFAC’s STEM program, with nearly 70% of funds specifically allocated to NAVFAC EXWC. Reeves notably added NAVFAC EXWC to the Department of Defense SMART Scholarship-for-Service—only the 3rd facility added in the past 10 years.

    “The value of STEM education cannot be understated—the skills gained from STEM extend well beyond preparing a student for a STEM career. In fact, STEM-based education focuses on real-world applications of science, math and critical thinking. In this ever-changing world, it is more vital than ever for students to develop versatile STEM skills as early as possible,” said Carina Reeves, NAVFAC EXWC STEM Program Manager.

    Reeves also received special recognition outside the NAVFAC organization by the Ventura County STEM Network as a STEM champion—a recognition saved for individuals and organizations that have greatly contributed to STEM excellence in Ventura County.

    Reeves said, “Developing the NAVFAC EXWC STEM Program has been incredibly rewarding—in fact, it is a labor of love. Today’s students are tomorrow’s future DOD workforce. It is my goal to offer every student I can the opportunity to invest themselves in STEM-related curriculum, with hopes that this investment makes the STEM education process exciting, pertinent, and everlasting.”

    “Carina’s passion for STEM-related work is evident in everything she does for NAVFAC SYSCOM,” said Katelyn Rydberg, Reeves’ former supervisor. “It took a very short amount of time for Carina to take the NAVFAC EXWC STEM Program to the next level—she engaged with our local kindergarten through college students and STEM educators to provide hands-on exercises and events inspiring students to pursue naval-relevant STEM fields. She also took on an enormous initiative to secure a dedicated STEM budget from the Office of Naval Research—the first of its kind in recent years.”

    Rydberg added that Reeves’ dedication to her trade has vastly widened the opportunities for local STEM students looking to work for the DOD after graduating. Reeves has built the NAVFAC EXWC STEM Program to a capacity that offers students as early as kindergarten to be introduced to STEM, and continues to offer students at every education level through college an opportunity to partake in DOD STEM initiatives.

    “We have a tremendous team of professionals at NAVFAC EXWC, making a single selection for this award tough,” said Captain Michael Saum, NAVFAC EXWC Commanding Officer. “Carina’s work during the past year accelerating the STEM program to new heights by engaging leaders, working closely with engineers and scientists, and collaborating with academia on the importance of STEM programs in community classrooms and remote education programs is certainly worthy of this recognition. The future of engineering and scientific discoveries rest with the next generations of students. Carina’s passion and expertise promotes the vital importance of STEM. The Department of Defense is lucky to have her on our team.”

    About Naval Facilities Engineering Systems and Expeditionary Warfare Center (NAVFAC EXWC):
    NAVFAC EXWC is a command of more than 1,300 dedicated federal employees, contractors, and military personnel who provide science, research, development, test, and evaluation, specialized engineering, and mobile logistics capabilities to deliver sustainable facility and expeditionary solutions to the warfighter.

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    For more news from NAVFAC EXWC please visit https://www.navfac.navy.mil/ or on Facebook @NAVFACEXWC

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    NEWS INFO

    Date Taken: 02.22.2021
    Date Posted: 02.22.2021 18:20
    Story ID: 389562
    Location: PORT HUENEME, CA, US
    Hometown: CAMARILLO, CA, US
    Hometown: TEHACHAPI, CA, US

    Web Views: 470
    Downloads: 0

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