Photo By Daniel DeAngelis | Norfolk Naval Shipyard Environmental Monitoring Supervisor Sandra Walton performs her...... read more read more
Norfolk Naval Shipyard’s (NNSY) Occupational Safety, Health, and Environmental (OSHE) Office (Code 106) Environmental Monitoring Supervisor Sandra Walton started her adult life entering NNSY’s apprenticeship program in 1984. She graduated in 1988 as a sheet metal worker in Shop 17, the Sheet Metal Mechanic shop.
“I joined the apprenticeship program knowing it was a great opportunity to learn a trade with benefits,” said Walton. “The sheet metal trade was fun, interesting, and I love placing parts together like a puzzle.”
As someone who craved higher learning and bettering herself, Walton took college night courses and graduated from Norfolk State University in 1987 with a major in Sociology with emphasis in Criminal Justice. She was laid off from NNSY due to a Reduction in Force (RIF) in 1994.
“I had to come up with a new game plan and that’s okay. It gave me a chance to reorganize my priorities,” said Walton. “While I was laid off I worked at BAE Shipyard, Norfolk State University Police Department, and other professional duties with law enforcement."
A few years later, she entered the apprenticeship program once again, this time graduating as part of the Fabric Worker Shop (Shop 64). It was at this time her interests started to change and she saw another way to contribute to NNSY’s mission.
“I decided to change course and work in a different area at NNSY,” said Walton. “This decision took me to the Occupational Safety, Health, and Environmental (OSHE) Office (Code 106) where I first became an Environmental Protection Assistant.”
She rose through the ranks becoming an Environmental Protection Specialist and eventually to her current job, Environmental Protection Specialist Supervisor.
“I’m now the Environmental Monitoring Supervisor, responsible for monitoring and sampling the storm water under the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Clean Water Act,” said Walton. “Also, my area of responsibility includes Hampton Roads Sanitary District (HRSD) monitoring NNSY‘s sewer system since this section holds the permit.”
In 2022 she earned her master’s degree in Occupational Safety & Health/Environmental Management from Colombia Southern University with the help of NNSY’s tuition assistance program. She is taking the steps necessary to reach her goal of becoming a branch head.
Her career highlights include NNSY receiving the HRSD Gold Award while serving as HRSD Program Manager in which her efforts contributed to maintaining a 100 percent conformance. The Program Manager Nikicha Boone and her team consisting of James Berry, Kenneth Clarke, Andre Braxton and Walton played a major role in maintaining strict permit compliance and preventing pollution, despite daily discharging on an average 1,000,000 gallons of wastewater into HRSD’s system. This earned NNSY HRSD’s Pollution Prevention Partner Award in 2020 and 2021.
Helping to improve the natural environment isn’t the only thing she does to give back to society. “I love helping the community, my church, my family, and others,” said Walton. “I have assisted with the Federal Managers Association (FMA) at a local food bank and handed out food to the homeless and feeding the needy.”
Walton added, “I have volunteered for Code 106 annual Earth Day event at NNSY as well as Family Day.”
Her list of service continues with she is a member of the Department Command Resiliency Team, the Command Resiliency Team, the Federal Women’s Program and at one time being a chairperson for the Code Combined Federal Campaign. “I am also a member of the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. where I volunteer for community outreach programs as well.”
Walton will have been married to Melvin Walton for 40 years this May. She is a proud parent of two daughters and one son, with four grandchildren.
“I love my family to the moon and back and what makes working here at NNSY all the more special is I work for an organization where my husband, who also works in the Welding & Non-Destructive Test Engineering Division (Code 138)," said Walton. “Although we work in different areas of the shipyard, we have another common thread that we get to share with each other.”
Over the course of her 36 years of service at NNSY, she has gained a vast wealth of knowledge and much experience. When she meets a new NNSY employee she likes to give them what she feels is the best advice to share with them. “Stay positive. Be patient. Ask questions. Learn your job,” said Walton. “But most of all, learn from your mistakes. This will give you the experience needed to become successful at NNSY.”
| Date Taken: | 02.13.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 02.14.2023 16:16 |
| Story ID: | 438486 |
| Location: | PORTSMOUTH, VIRGINIA, US |
| Web Views: | 60 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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