USA: Ray Mabus Recognizes Acquisition Excellence

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Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus recognized more than 50 individuals and commands for improving Department acquisition processes with a combined cost savings to the government of more than $5.5 billion during a ceremony at the Pentagon June 13.

“I want to thank the whole acquisition community of the Navy and Marine Corps for everything you do to develop the best possible products for our Sailors and Marines on deployment or on patrol,” said Mabus.

The annual awards included this year’s Rear Adm. Wayne E. Meyer Memorial Award for acquisition excellence presented to Arthur Divens Jr., executive director of Amphibious, Auxiliary and Sealift Ships within the Program Executive Office, Ships. Mr. Divens led efforts to reduce costs for the Maritime Landing Platforms to save the Navy nearly $2.1 billion and preserve the shipbuilding capability of the Navy’s only West Coast shipyard. Among a number of other accomplishments, Mr. Divens led the acquisition work to rebuild the Iraqi Navy and served as a key member of the Navy’s evaluation of the shipbuilding sector divestiture by Northrop Grumman.

Other individuals recognized included Timothy McLaughlin of Naval Sea Systems for small business advocacy, Barbara Hickman of Marine Corps Systems Command for excellence in expeditionary contracting in support of Operation Unified Response relief efforts in Haiti, and Acquisition Professional of the Year, Louis Fabian, who serves as the Harvest HAWK mission kit lead engineer at Program Executive Office Air ASW, Assault and Special Mission Programs. In this role, he oversaw the integration of an intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) and weapons system into the KC-130J aircraft to meet a critical U.S. Marine Corps need, and enabled this innovative concept to be delivered to the warfighter in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in less than 18 months from program initiation.

Mabus also took the opportunity to reiterate his goals for the Navy in improving acquisition processes.

“We’re attacking cost growth, and we’re really looking at what the folks on the front lines need. It keeps coming back to the five acquisition principles that we announced over a year ago: clearly identify requirements, raise the bar on performance, rebuild the acquisition workforce, support the industrial base, and make every dollar count. Because of your efforts, the Navy and Marine Corps acquisition programs and processes keep getting better,” said Mabus.

Teams recognized for their work with small businesses included Military Sealift Fleet Support Command for exceeding all program targets in support to small businesses, including the Navy’s internal target for service-disabled, veteran-owned, small business awards by 216 percent; Naval Supply Systems Command for promoting acquisition opportunities for small businesses to support the needs of Sailors and Marines; and the Naval Air Systems Command Office of Small Business Programs for improving numerous procurement strategies resulting in seven awards to small businesses worth more than $200 million.

Naval Sea System Command’s Littoral Combat Ship Price Analysis Team won Competition Excellence Acquisition Team of the Year for its LCS proposal analysis leading to the largest naval ship procurement in four decades. Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Southwest received the Field Acquisition Activity Award for its excellence to bringing services to the customer at the right place and the right time, specifically in its support of the Marine Corps initiatives and a fast track award of the $349 million hospital replacement at Camp Pendleton.

The innovation excellence teams of the year were the Mobile Landing Platform (MLP) Team, of Naval Sea Systems Command, for their work to reduce per-ship costs and help ensure the long-term viability of shipbuilding programs on the West Coast; and the F/A-18 and EA-18 Multiyear Three Procurement Team, from Naval Air Systems command for their three-month effort to develop, negotiate and execute a multiyear procurement for the purchase of 124 aircraft, saving $590 million.

Receiving a standing ovation from the ceremony attendees for their support on the ground to the warfighter were the members of Operational Contract Team, I Marine Expeditionary Force (MEF). The I MEF team led requirements definition and validation for more than $600 million of supplies and services in Helmand Province Afghanistan, pioneering delivery of operational contract support for the Marine Corps.

The winners within each category are listed below:

Rear Admiral Wayne E. Meyer Award:
Mr. Arthur W. Divens Jr.,
Executive Director for Amphibious, Auxiliary and Sealift Ships, PEO Ships
Naval Sea Systems Command

Acquisition Professional of the Year:
Mr. Louis Fabian, Naval Air Systems Command

Expeditionary Contracting Award:
Barbara Hickman, Marine Corps Systems Command

Small Business Advocate Award:
Timothy McLaughlin, Naval Sea Systems Command

Office of Small Business Programs, Director’s Award:
Military Sealift Fleet Support Command

Office of Small Business Programs, Secretary’s Cup:
Naval Supply Systems Command

Department of the Navy Small Business Team Award:
Office of Small Business Programs, Naval Air Systems Command.

Team members were Emily Harman, Jill Moore, Ken Carkhuff, Paula Coxon, Wanda Norris, Argentina Thompson, Dawn Chartier, Pamela Lockhead and Herrick Hu.

Expeditionary Contracting Team Award:
Operational Contract Support Team, I Marine Expeditionary Force

Team members were Cpl. James Tomlinson, Sgt. Elmar Jenson, Sgt. Matthew Thompson, Sgt.Rogelio Vegas, Gy. Sgt. Cesar Swalm, Gy. Sgt. Michael Douglas, MSgt. Norman Tuzon, 1st Lt. Elena Darr, 1st Lt. Lamont Wilson, Maj.Jay Parker and Lt. Col. Macon Robinson.

Competition Excellence Acquisition Team of the Year:
Littoral Combat Ship, Price Analysis Team, Naval Sea Systems Command

Team members were Virginia Lustre, Harry Sherman, Matthew Vetting, Eric Hundley, Paul Sjoberg, Jozanne Summerville, Philip Mccormick, Kelly Myers, Anthony Blair, Derek Boltja, Kirby Aitken, Cmdr. Daniel Brintzinghoffer, Neal Benoit, Janae Holmes, Susan Coffin and Benjamin Costley.

Innovation Excellence Teams of the Year:
F/A-18 & EA-18 Multiyear III Procurement Team, Naval Air Systems Command

Team members were Capt. Mark Darrah, Lisa Nyalko, Geoff Tisone, Melanie Colvin, Kathy Mattson, Margaret Budd,
Jeff Guarnero, Dee Peters, Tom Fort, Dave Proctor, Shirley Franko and Suzanne Foster.

Mobile Landing Platform Team, Naval Sea Systems Command

Team members were Geoffrey Fuller, Silvester Mata, Mary Ann Gerberick, Timothy Gaffney, Erika Mansfield, Quang Quatch, Monica Durant, Michael Massa, Alexis Talley and Durga Nanan.
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Source: navy, June 15, 2011;