Photo By Toiete Jackson | 240212-N-DG679-1023 JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (Feb. 12, 2024) (L-R) Fleet Readiness Center...... read more read more
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A room brimming with mentors, mentees and supporters was a telling sight – indicative of the impact that the 2023 Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) and Dora Quinlan Mentor of the Year Award winners have had on the Fleet Readiness Center Southeast (FRCSE) workforce.
Annually, NAVAIR honors one person from each of its 11 sites with the National Mentor of the Year Award, and FRCSE selects winners for its command-specific mentor accolade -- the Dora Quinlan Mentor Award. The Dora Quinlan Award is named after the first mentor recognized at the command who passed away from cancer in 2016.
Savanna Massey and Steven Singer took home the Dora Quinlan award, and Rick Eveson earned the NAVAIR title for FRCSE.
“Your exceptional mentorship has provided our workforce with an opportunity for professional growth and development, while increasing productivity and morale within the command,” said FRCSE’s Commanding Officer Capt. Al Palmer during a small ceremony recognizing the recipients. “The sage guidance, leadership and mentorship you have provided has enabled employees to perform their work more effectively and helped them progress in their careers. Your positive attitude and willingness to guide others illustrates the importance of mentoring in building and maintaining a healthy workforce.”
Award recipients take their place among the most distinguished mentors within the Naval Air Systems Command. Each recipient provided outstanding guidance and support to their subordinates or peers during the fiscal year.
NAVAIR presented its first National Mentor of the Year Award recognition in 2013, and each year since, the command honors the importance of mentors by presenting the award to recipients from each site. This year was record-breaking, with 86 nominations across the enterprise.
Rick Eveson is the F135 production line director and has been an FRCSE employee for nearly 30 years. Since beginning with the command in 1995, he has climbed the ranks, working with aircraft such as the F-14 Tomcat, P-3 Poseidon, H-60 Seahawk and F/A-18 Super Hornet before taking on his current role supporting the Joint Strike Fighter engine program at FRCSE.
Several colleagues nominated Eveson for the NAVAIR award -- each highlighted his notable professional attributes like interpersonal skills, emotional intelligence, leadership, adaptability and more.
“Rick’s unequivocal commitment as the key advisor to a professionally and culturally diverse group of cross-functional professionals at FRCSE is remarkable,” said Aaron Powers, FRCSE’s F135 production line deputy and Eveson’s mentee. “Throughout his career, Rick has championed mentorship and professional development by leveraging his transformational leadership style. He has developed supervisors, leaders, and followers through a commitment to the mentoring pillars of trust, respect, expectations and communication.”
Based on his experience, which spans almost 40 years, and feedback from peers and coworkers, it is clear that Eveson has always prioritized mentorship and professional excellence.
After accepting the title, Eveson was also recognized alongside the other site winners during NAVAIR’s 2024 National Mentoring Month event in January.
“This award probably means more to me than any because of how you get it,” said Eveson. “You get it from your subordinates, peers and coworkers for paying it forward. I think we all have an opportunity to mentor. If you have ears and a mouth, you have an opportunity. As a mentor, I end up being a mentee many times because you allow them to teach you. They often just need confidence and support to lead them down the path they’re scared of, and they’ll make you a proud leader.”
Highland Owens, an FRCSE senior avionics and calibration specialist, nominated Savanna Massey, marking the third time Massey has accepted the Dora Quinlan award.
During her almost nine years at the command, Massey has also climbed the FRCSE ranks. Serving formerly as the F-5 production line deputy director and now as the F-35 deputy, she isn’t a stranger to the mentor and mentee relationship.
“I don’t know how many of you knew Dora Quinlan, but to me, that’s the biggest compliment – what a fantastic lady and role model," Massey said. "I’ve been lucky to have some fantastic mentors, and for me, it’s about paying it forward the way my leaders have for me.”
Based on technical expertise and professional development alone, Steven Singer was nominated for the Dora Quinlan award, but his nominator, Vanessa White, an FRCSE lead readiness analyst who has also been his mentee for more than a decade, pointed out that he has been a mentor many times over.
“Steve willingly and voluntarily mentors peers and subordinates to not only help individual career progression, but to also advance Naval Aviation at all levels,” said White. “His mentorship is highly sought after at FRCSE, across NAVAIR and even by industry partners. His unwavering support and guidance have had a profound impact on the professional development and success of his mentees. Steve has mentored at least 50 individuals over the course of his career with FRCSE.”
Singer, who retired in late February with 42 years of federal service, was FRCSE’s F/A-18 Fleet Support Team lead logistician and a fundamental part of the command since 2007. He, too, has held many roles during his tenure.
“What I’ve found is that the more you train people, the easier your job gets,” said Singer. “You can count on them because you know they have learned it right. When someone needs something or asks a question, it’s important to give them the service they deserve, and I think mentoring provides that opportunity.”
To be considered for the award, mentors must be nominated by peers or mentees through a written nomination. The submissions must identify how the mentor improves morale and workforce retention and represents leadership, skill and productivity. The best mentors align their techniques to the mission.
“It’s our job to lead people to success,” Eveson said. “If I give them that, our return is in dividends and it’s truly unbelievable.”
FRCSE cultivates a business that safeguards and values the unique mentor and mentee relationship. These connections ensure that leadership skills and the flow of knowledge, fundamental to how the command conducts business, are preserved. Each FRCSE mentorship nurtures peer-to-peer support and employee development while continuing to shape a dynamic organization rich with potential.
About Fleet Readiness Center Southeast
Fleet Readiness Center Southeast (FRCSE) is Northeast Florida and Southeast Georgia’s largest maintenance, repair, overhaul and technical services provider, employing approximately 5,000 civilian, military and contract workers. With annual revenue exceeding $1 billion, the organization serves as an integral part of the greater US Navy, Naval Air Systems Command, and Commander, Fleet Readiness Centers by maintaining the combat airpower for America’s military forces.
| Date Taken: | 04.16.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 04.16.2024 09:48 |
| Story ID: | 468623 |
| Location: | JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA, US |
| Web Views: | 50 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Fleet Readiness Center Southeast recognizes mentor award winners, by Ashley Sherman, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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