Courtesy Photo | Henry Frohlich, department head of Weapons Systems Procurement at Naval Air Warfare...... read more read more
For the fifth consecutive year, the Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division at China Lake has led the Naval Air Systems Command’s Mentor of the Year program with the highest number of nominations—10 this year.
Henry Frohlich, department head of Weapons Systems Procurement, is the 2024 winner for China Lake, making this the procurement group's second winner in the past three years.
“I thought it was a joke,” Frohlich said. “I was on travel in D.C. and received a text saying that I had won. So, I sent some texts and made a couple of calls, and I found out it was true!”
Frohlich began his career with NAWCWD in 2010 as a contract specialist and, within a few short years, worked his way up to contracting officer on the procurement team.
Throughout his career, he has been known for offering not just professional guidance but also personal support. Frohlich believes that getting to know those you mentor on a personal basis can have the greatest impact.
“I think getting to know people, their goals, and what they like to do can really make mentoring easy and a positive way to help people.”
The overarching goal of mentoring is to provide mentees with the tools to become better versions of themselves, both in their work and personal lives.
Within the organization, there are many different ways one can mentor, both formally and informally, which Frohlich has demonstrated throughout his career.
For the last three years, Frohlich was a PaaL coach, a program that transitioned to Leadership EDGE. He continues to mentor first-time coaches so they can eventually lead their own groups.
He provides ongoing career planning advice to help colleagues reach their professional goals. Whether it’s a move or a rotation within the organization, Frohlich encourages them to take on additional responsibilities and more complex work to improve their technical skills.
Upon identifying a gap in leadership training and mentoring for journey-level employees—since not everyone can participate in or commit to JLDP/NLDP-type programs—Frohlich launched a book club called the Procurement Leadership Forum. The first book selection was Extreme Ownership by former Navy SEAL Jocko Willink.
As a result, 10 to 30 teammates read the book on their own time and then attended biweekly leadership discussions to apply its principles to their teams and themselves.
“We just started Season 2 of the PLF and are reading the book When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing,” Frohlich said.
Mentoring comes naturally to Frohlich, but he attributes his success to his own mentors.
“Having Deputy Director for the Procurement Group Sandra [Scharns-Stevens] as a mentor, who herself won this award just a couple of years ago, really helped me develop and want to challenge myself to be a great mentor,” Frohlich said.
“Henry is keenly aware of each of his teammates’ strengths,” wrote Stevens, who nominated Frohlich.
“When a teammate needs mentoring, Henry pairs personnel in a mentorship relationship, promoting a mentoring culture and improving work products and efficiency,” Stevens said.
Frohlich’s mentorship expands beyond the procurement group, enhancing organizational awareness across the command.
He established a six-week, 14-topic course, with presenters from across the procurement group offering professional development opportunities and increasing overall organizational awareness for participants.
Frohlich’s nomination package highlighted a participant who shared that these investments would have a direct impact on their ability to collaborate in the future.
Another mentor who had an impact on Frohlich was Collin Kyte, director of the Weapons Systems Procurement Group.
“Having an attrition rate drop from 27% to just 3% in five years shows that what he is doing is working,” Frohlich said.
He added, “Collin has a genuine care for helping people be the best that they can be, and that’s what it takes to be a good mentor.”
Frohlich advocates for mentoring and encourages those who may not have considered it to step into mentorship and coaching roles.
If you want to become a mentor or be mentored, Frohlich’s advice is to reach out to your leadership. “Whether it is your immediate supervisor or someone who works close to you, there is always going to be someone available to help.”
Frohlich is excited to see how NAWCWD will grow with the leadership courses available and hopes to see the organization continue to lead mentorship efforts within NAVAIR.
| Date Taken: | 02.18.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 02.18.2025 13:23 |
| Story ID: | 490962 |
| Location: | CHINA LAKE, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Web Views: | 179 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Frohlich Leads the Way for China Lake Mentoring, by Deidre Patin, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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