Photo By Corum Byers | Heather Valiga, a branch head in the Contracting and Acquisition Department at Naval...... read more read more
BETHESDA, Md. – Heather Valiga, a branch head in the Contracting and Acquisition Department at Naval Surface Warfare Center Carderock Division, has received the Rear Admiral Grace M. Hopper Division Honor Award for her leadership and innovation in Navy contracting. The award marks a career milestone for the Carderock veteran and underscores a year of significant process improvements recognized by command leadership.
The award is presented to Carderock employees who exemplify technical excellence, innovation and commitment to improving Navy operations. Rear Adm. Grace Hopper, the award’s namesake, was a pioneering computer scientist and Navy rear admiral known for her trailblazing work in programming and her ability to simplify complex technical challenges. The award celebrates employees who reflect her legacy of creative problem-solving and continuous improvement.
Valiga learned that she had received the award in a memorable way. While on a family trip to Disney World, she received an unexpected call from Carderock’s Acting Technical Director, Dr. Paul Shang. “At first I assumed that maybe there was an issue that needed resolving,” Valiga said. “I was very relieved and excited to learn I was receiving the award instead.”
For Valiga, who began her career with Carderock as an intern nearly 20 years ago, the award is both a personal honor and a reflection of her team’s commitment to making complex work more manageable for everyone involved.
“I pride myself on questioning whether there’s a better way to do things,” she said. “Everybody worked together very well to tackle and complete this work, which was hard while still having a full workload. So, to be recognized for the effort we’ve put into improving our processes and making things more efficient is exciting.”
Valiga was recognized for spearheading a series of initiatives to streamline acquisition, standardize documentation and improve compliance across Carderock’s contracting office. Her efforts included a major overhaul of source selection templates following changes to Department of Defense policy. This resulted in solicitation documents that require roughly 30% less editing and a more efficient review process, according to the award nomination.
Collaboration was central to the efforts, Valiga said. She credits early and open communication with policy and legal teams for helping to prevent bottlenecks and ensure smoother reviews. “All the collaboration up front really helps. You get to know what other reviewers are looking for, which makes the reviews a lot smoother and more predictable,” she said.
Amid the return-to-office transition, Valiga took on the challenge of moving more than 3,000 contract files from unapproved shared drives to compliant storage. She organized the massive task by division and developed a clear timeline and plan to ensure records were inspection ready.
Her approach to leadership centers on supporting people, not just processes. “I like the opportunity to make things easier and more efficient,” she said. “It improves morale, reduces frustration, and helps everyone like contracting as much as I do.”
Asked what advice she would offer others facing similar challenges, Valiga encourages both initiative and teamwork. “Don’t be afraid to jump into something, even if you don’t have all the experience or a ready solution. Research it, collaborate, and find a creative way to solve it. You’ll learn a lot, and it’s rewarding,” she said.
Valiga hopes her work will inspire others in the organization to take ownership of process challenges and embrace a mindset of continuous improvement. “There’s always room to grow,” she said. “It’s not just about compliance; it’s about making things work better for everyone.” She looks forward to building on recent process improvements as she continues to lead within Carderock’s contracting office.
| Date Taken: | 08.28.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 08.28.2025 12:33 |
| Story ID: | 546779 |
| Location: | BETHESDA, MARYLAND, US |
| Web Views: | 15 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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