Recently NAVSEA Commander Vice Adm. William Galinis and NAVSEA’s Executive Director Giao Phan announced the third cadre of the Inclusion and Engagement Council. Among the list of names is Norfolk Naval Shipyard (NNSY) Contract Specialist (Code 400) Alesha Ray; Nuclear Engineering and Planning Department (Code 2300) Admin Specialist Gail Joyner, Mid-Atlantic Regional Calibration Center Instrument Mechanic (Code 130) Norman Major and Naval Foundry Propeller Center (Code 1400T) Training Specialist Anthony Lawson.
"I am excited to have been selected to a council that serves not only Norfolk Naval Shipyard, but the entire NAVSEA enterprise,” said Ray. “I submitted a package because I believe that inclusion and engagement goes far beyond the representation of one’s culture, yet it is a call for action for individuals to improve the NAVSEA workforce experience and ensure all employees feel understood, respected and valued.”
Although both the mission and vision statements changed with each cadre, the goals have not. The council will identify and develop programs which further NAVSEA's efforts to promote:
--Workforce Diversity. Seek, recruit, and hire from a diverse, qualified group of potential applicants to secure a high-performing workforce which is drawn from all segments of society.
--Workplace Inclusion. Foster a culture that encourages collaboration, flexibility, and fairness to enable all individuals to contribute to their fullest potential and capabilities.
--Employee Engagement. Cultivate an environment where employees have a positive emotional commitment to the organization's mission and goals.
“As a strong advocate for equal and civil rights and equality, I want to present ideas that highlight the outreach from issues that are currently being felt throughout the country for the many different cultures, ethnicities, religious beliefs, and gender identities throughout the NAVSEA enterprise,” said Major.
The NAVSEA Campaign Plan 3.0 talks about fairness, equal opportunity and a level playing field for opportunities to build a team to compete and win. NAVSEA is the Force behind the Fleet and a diverse and inclusive workforce is the foundation of that force; it is a warfighting imperative. Diversity drives innovation by bringing together motivated, patriotic people from all corners of our great country to support our national defense. This team, as with the first two Inclusion and Engagement Councils, will help to guide NAVSEA toward a more inclusive and engaged work environment and help build a world-class team.
“I am optimistic to make NAVSEA more inclusive,” said Lawson. “I look forward to getting started and learning all I can and bring what I have learned in my personal and work life experience to the table.”
Past members of NAVSEA’s Inclusion and Engagement Council from NNSY and its remote locations include Industrial Engineer, Strategic Planning and Procurement Manager Michael Taylor (Cadre 1); Program/Management Analyst Sataunya Jefferies (Cadre 2); Electrical Engineering Technician Steven Watson (Cadre 2); and Naval Foundry and Propeller Center Training Instructor Sam Marvit (Cadre 2).
“NAVSEA leadership is fully invested in making NAVSEA a welcoming, inclusive environment in which people love coming to work,” said Marvit. “This is an amazing program and I am very excited to see what this year’s cadre achieves.”