Fleet Cyber Command Names 2021 Civilians of the Year

Photo By Petty Officer 1st Class William Sykes | Official portrait for Mark Lanni. (US Navy Photo by MC2 William Sykes/ Released)  

FORT MEADE, MD, UNITED STATES

05.03.2022

Story by Petty Officer 2nd Class William Sykes 

U.S. Fleet Cyber Command / U.S. 10th Fleet

FORT GEORGE G. MEADE, Md. (NNS) – U.S. Fleet Cyber Command/U.S. 10th Fleet/Joint Force Headquarter – Cyber/Navy Space Command (FCC/C10F/JFHQ-C/NAVSPACE) announced the Civilians of the Year (COY) for calendar year 2021.

Vice Adm. Ross Myers, Commander, FCC/C10F/JFHQ-C/NAVSPACE, announced Mark Lanni as the 2021 Senior COY, and Karen Williams as the 2021 Junior COY.

Lanni, from Woodlawn, Md., was responsible for the renovation and construction of the command’s new Maritime Operations Center (MOC) watch floor, in which all the audio visual/multimedia (AVMM), virtual teleconference (VTC), and information technology capabilities were updated. He developed the plans, executed the contracts, and orchestrated the entire watch floor build out -- a $5 million dollar project. Lanni ensured operational continuity by overseeing the buildout of a temporary MOC in the Situation Room and was responsible for the effective relocation of personnel and information technology capabilities from the old watch floor to the temporary MOC watch floor.

Lanni, an information technology specialist/enterprise architect who has been with FCC/C10F since the command was stood up in 2010, describes what he does for the command as working with domain partners and ensuring FCC/C10F has up to date AVMM and VTC resources.

“I enjoy working with customers to try and help them understand the possibilities available to them while working in our unique environment,” said Lanni. “Setting and managing customer expectations can be challenging, but in the end they get a better experience and we all get to see the job through to the end.”

Lanni attributes his success to the support and confidence of his immediate supervisor which allowed him to work with multiple customers, contractors, and government agencies to ensure the long overdue refresh of the AVMM systems on the watch floor and in the Flag offices. He also credits Sailors from N64, Head Quarters Information Systems Support Center, on his success throughout the renovation process.

“The support I received from the N64 Sailors throughout the renovation was phenomenal. I worked side by side with these Sailors from day one when we started to dismantle the old watch floor up until the watch moved back into the new space. Without the support of N64 leadership and the N64 Sailors, I would not have had a chance to have been selected as Civilian of the Year.”

Williams, a native of Temple, Texas, credits a strong work ethic, initiative and drive as the keys to a successful career. Williams took the initiative in researching to support the command’s transition from the Commercial Virtual Remote environment to the Flank Speed platform. She created and organized the Office of Compliance and Assessments (OCA) directory in Flank Speed and scheduled over 150 virtual meetings in support of the OCA’s mission and daily battle rhythm. During a severe manning shortfall, as the only qualified Windows Database assessor, Williams completed two Command Cyber Operational Readiness Inspections, four Command Cyber Readiness Inspections and one Cyber Security Inspection, concurrently training and qualifying newly on-boarded personnel.

“I feel that I am always one of the first people to volunteer, and I don’t shy away from responsibilities,” said Williams. “I feel honored to have been selected for Junior Civilian of the Year. I am a retired Information Systems Technician (IT) who served in the U.S Navy for 20 years and feel blessed to have the opportunity to continue to serve in a civilian position. This recognition means a lot to me as I am appreciative to be part of an organization that recognizes hard work and commitment to the overall mission.”

FCC is responsible for Navy information network operations, offensive and defensive cyberspace operations, space operations and signals intelligence. C10F is the operational arm of Fleet Cyber Command and executes its mission through a task force structure similar to other warfare commanders. In this role, C10F provides support of Navy and joint missions in cyber/networks, cryptologic/signals intelligence and space.

For news and information from Commander, U.S. Fleet Cyber Command / U.S. 10th Fleet, visit www.FCC.navy.mil/ or follow us on Twitter @USFLEETCYBERCOM and on Facebook @USFLTCYBERCOM.

• Date Taken: 05.03.2022
• Date Posted: 05.03.2022 19:23
• Story ID: 419881
• Location: FORT MEADE, MD, US