PHILADELPHIA, Pa. – Fourteen Naval Surface Warfare Center, Philadelphia Division (NSWCPD) employees were recently honored during the Command’s inaugural Command Awards ceremony since standing up as an Echelon IV Command.
This command awards program celebrated the highest achievements of NSWCPD’s workforce in categories including technical, operations support, innovation, and diversity, among others. The event was well attended by the awardee’s peers, supervisors and families.
“This is our first Command Awards ceremony since NSWCPD stood up as a division in 2015, and I couldn’t be happier to be given an opportunity to recognize our employees for their remarkable achievements,” said Capt. Dana Simon, NSWCPD’s Command Officer. “Since arriving on-board here at NSWC Philadelphia, I have been amazed at the diverse and incredible work that we accomplish on a daily basis. It was very difficult to narrow down the field of impressive nominees to determine the winners of the various awards categories,” he added.
NSWCPD’s award winners collectively increased the war-fighting capability of ships and systems, saved the Navy millions of dollars, and found more efficient ways to execute the Command’s mission.
Simon emphasized the importance of NSWCPD’s mission by relating the engineering Command’s daily taskings back to the fleet.
“The work that you all do is hard, but you do it because it is important … It is vitally important. Never forget the Sailors who depend on our committed and dedicated work, which ensures that they return home safely,” Simon said.
After the awards presentation, NSWCPD’s Technical Director Tom Perotti praised the work of all NSWCPD employees.
“I also want to recognize all of our employees, whether you are a nominee or not, [for] what you do in this organization is unrivaled, anywhere,” Perotti said. “Your contributions to our mission and to the mission of our Navy is why our country stands above the rest, protecting the freedom of the seas and our homeland.”
The award winners embodied the Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) strategic Foundational Lines of Effort as the “Force Behind the Fleet” by enabling a culture of affordability, empowering and equipping talented people, and creating High Velocity Learning environments.
“2019 was an outstanding year for the organization and I look forward to seeing what your accomplishments will be in 2020,” Perotti concluded at the end of the awards ceremony.
NSWCPD’s Command Award Winners included:
Lifetime Achievement, Cynthia Esposito-
For paramount contributions and significant impact to contract awards, substantially streamlining contract lead times, and providing insightful revisions to packages for the Electric Drive Test Facility, Advanced Weapons Elevator Test Facility, and DDG 51 Flight III Test Site.
Outstanding Achievement, Timothy Becker-
For co-leading the Platform Investigation Team (PIT) for DDG 51 class Integrated Bridge and Navigation System (IBNS) Design Review Board (DRB) following the collision of USS John S. McCain (DDG 56) and the container ship ALNIC MC resulting in outstanding contributions in over 200 critical corrective actions including revisions to IBNS contract configurations and Ship Change Documents (SCDs) and standardizing the communication of deficiencies of Ship Control Systems, plus Voyage Data Recorder (VDR) design, development and procurement for DDG 51 hulls.
Technical Achievement (Individual), Jacquelin Speck-
For leading the technical development and piloting of the Cyber Vulnerability Assessment Tool (CVAST) serving as a critical tool in assessing both ashore and afloat system’s risk against cyber-attack and through collaboration, the expansion of its modeling capability to Naval Air Systems Command systems.
Technical Achievement (Team), Steve Kolesar, Chris Dafis-
For development of the Power Recirculation Drive System (PRDS) as an energy savings alternative to current use of load banks or water brakes for dissipation of energy to the environment during electrical and propulsion systems testing at the Electric Drive Test Facility (EDTF). With the PDRS, power is recirculated through power electronic converters and electric machines resulting in significantly reduced input power demand (achieving overall power conversion efficiency greater than 95 percent). Planning is underway for PDRS to be part of a Digital Twin of the EDTF providing the reduction of system integration risk in future system operation and maintenance cycle decisions.
Exceptional Operations Support, Doris Tung-
For outstanding contributions spanning execution of hundreds of contracting actions (many of which were multi-million dollar complex procurements), restoration of proper oversight and operations of the Purchase, Travel, and Fleet Card programs, as well as serving as the lead for ERP contracting and Purchase Requisition workflow configuration and critical to the stand up of NSWCPD as Echelon IV Command, and allowed NSWCPD to achieve over $1 million in cost savings and avoidance due to the development and implementation of Contract Oversight initiative. Her innovative best practices are now used Navy-wide in Navy audits.
Innovation (Individual), Robert Morsa-
For implementing the Navy Common Core Controller (NC3) Retrofit Process, an innovative approach to sustain operational availability by recycling legacy Navy air system controllers, removing obsolescence, restoring critical functionality to the Fleet via technologically advantageous components, form-fit-function replacement. Significant life-cycle cost saving solutions of $4.2 million anticipated for the CVN Fleet, alone.
Innovation (Team), Daniel Caguiat, Eric Dunn, Amad Green, Tim Rockenbach-
For developing a unique troubleshooting solution for the LM2500 marine gas turbine engine and associated Digital Fuel Control (DFC) upgrade resulting in a major reliability improvement for DDG 51 class. The DFC team designed and constructed the unique, portable, compact, digitally controlled DFC test rig, allowing the NSWCPD subject matter experts, along with Regional Maintenance Center (RMC) to provide immediate and sustained key troubleshooting support.
Achievement in Diversity and Inclusion, Allison Hollish-
For her commitment to enrich the workforce by promoting diversity and creating a more inclusive work environment for all spanning multiple contributions that include participation in Employee Resource Group (ERG) events and hot topics panels, speed mentoring, co-lead of the Branch Head Forum where key concepts from Leadership in a Diverse Environment Event (LDEE) II is promoted, as well as her passion by support numerous STEM programs.
Distinguished Mentorship, Bartlomiej Kleczynski-
For exceptional mentorship skills and encouraging attitude that coworkers gravitate to resulting in his mentoring of over a dozen junior employees, several who now serve in leadership roles, teams that were successful in completing first sea trials of the LSD Ship Control System Government (SCG-GOV) system, and the development of the CVN SCS-GOV, as well as mentoring leads of the cross-division Ship Control Design Review Board of the 17 Navy ship class variants.
Outstanding Leadership, Jorge Gonzalez-Centeno-
For leadership as test engineer for DDG 51 Class Flight IIA and III software validation of the Machinery Control System (MCS) Electric Plant Control and electrical team lead responsible for test and evaluation of the Flight III Ship Service Gas Turbine Generator (SSGTG), both of which were critical to ensuring the successful, on-time delivery of DDG 51 Class destroyers.
NSWCPD employs approximately 2,700 civilian engineers, scientists, technicians, and support personnel doing research and development, test and evaluation, acquisition support, and in-service and logistics engineering for Navy ships. NSWCPD is also the lead organization providing cyber-security for all ship systems.
