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The Sea Services Leadership Association (SSLA) selected Kretchman as the recipient of the 2017 Master Chief Anna Der-Vartanian Leadership award for junior enlisted which honors the visionary leadership of service members whose ideals and dedication foster a positive working environment for reinforcing and furthering the integration of women into the Navy.
Kretchman distinguished herself from more than 70 nominees through her leadership of 187 maintenance technicians and management of nine of the toughest maintenance programs from the Commander, Naval Air Forces “Top 10” list of repeat program failures.
“It makes me feel great that she is recognized,” said Lt. Christopher Simpson, assistant maintenance officer at HSC 12. “She is a very quiet Sailor who doesn’t ask for any applause, any awards, or any recognition at all. So, for her to be recognized by her peers, her command, and Navy-wide was huge for me personally.”
While Kretchman was reading headlines on Navy.mil, she stumbled upon the results of the Navy’s visionary leadership award recipient story and discovered her name among those listed.
“I was overwhelmed at first,” said Kretchman. “I didn’t even know I was put in for the award. It was a huge honor.”
“We didn’t tell her that we were going to put her up for anything,” said Simpson. “We just see her work every day and saw an opportunity to put her in for this award, and the entire chain of command agreed. So, we put her in for the award and here we are.”
Kretchman will receive her honors at the Joint Women’s Leadership Symposium (JWLS), June 15-16, in Norfolk, Va. JWLS is hosted annually by the Sea Service Leadership Association (SSLA), and this year’s theme is “SSLA, Celebrating 30 Years; Charting Your Course, Navigating Your Future!”
“I want to say what drives me is that I want to do better and be better,” said Kretchman. “I want to make a difference even if it is a small difference. I am self-motivated in that sense that I want to do better, step outside of the box, and challenge myself.”
| Date Taken: | 05.01.2017 |
| Date Posted: | 12.21.2017 23:18 |
| Story ID: | 259949 |
| Location: | KANAGAWA, JP |
| Web Views: | 20 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, A True Visionary, by PO2 Michael Doan, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
