NEWPORT, R.I. - The Center for Service Support (CSS) announced that retired Master Chief Machinist's Mate (SS) John M. Smith was selected as the Civilian Employee of the Year Feb. 7.
Smith credited his success with pursuing what interested him the most: education.
"Going into the education field was a natural fit for me," said Smith, who serves an instructional systems analyst at CSS headquarters in Newport, R.I. "I conducted two separate instructor tours while on active duty and taught in traditional school houses 10 years following my retirement in August 2000. I really enjoy being involved in education and training people.
"You must be passionate about the career field," said Smith. "You won't be happy if you work in a career field you hate. I didn't enjoy my first post-Navy job and that's why I transitioned back to my roots in education. It's what I enjoy and what I love to do."
Smith encourages sailors to use the many resources provided by the Navy to pursue their interests.
"Active duty sailors have numerous resources to help them achieve their goals," said Smith. "Use all of them and it will set you up for success in the future. Take advantage of them and it will make your career choices much easier."
Chief Machinist Mate (SW/EXW/AW) Brian Bertolino, CSS 3-M training manager cites Smith’s drive and exceptional technical knowledge for his selection.
“John is an amazing co-worker said,” Bertolino. “He understands all the dynamics of the curriculum and how they impact our Sailors serving in the fleet. He is an amazing leader and mentor at CSS.”
Bertolino also credited Smith as a key figure in developing operational and functionality curriculum for key applications in the Maintenance Figure of Merit (MFOM).
MFOM, initially developed in 2003, standardizes how maintenance communities prioritize job requests, measures the importance of each using a numerical scale of 0-100, and provides a priority ranked Consolidated Ship's Maintenance Plan (CSMP).
"The training he’s helping to develop ensures Sailors managing these systems are proficient," said Bertolino. "We will use MFOM in many of our classrooms and nearly all our ships. He has been on the ground floor in the curriculum’s development. He is leaving an indelible mark on the thousands of sailors attending our schools and learning sites. He is an integral part of the CSS team."
CSS and its learning sites provide sailors with the knowledge and skills needed to support the fleet's warfighting mission. More than 300 staff and faculty work hand-in-hand with the fleet and are dedicated to ensure training is current and well executed on behalf of 10,000 sailors who graduate from CSS courses annually in the administration, logistics and media communities.
For more news from Center for Service Support, visit www.navy.mil/local/css/.