Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) named its 2021 Mentors of the Year as part of its National Mentoring Month observance on January 27. Out of 53 nominations, 10 employees received the honor.

Initiated in 2013, to earn a Mentor of the Year award, peers or mentees nominate mentors through a written submission that identifies how the mentor represented leadership, skill, productivity, and improved morale and workforce retention. NAVAIR recognizes mentors for their ability to align their development and mentoring skills with the mission of Naval aviation.

In the virtual presentation’s opening remarks, Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division (NAWCWD) Ranges Director Thomas Dowd noted the importance of mentoring for the community, especially with the shifting dynamics of the population within NAVAIR.

“Mentoring is a critical tool in workforce development and engagement, as well as knowledge sharing and relationship building,” he said. “I hope that it is a tool you are currently taking advantage of today or plan to in 2022. I would especially encourage you to become a mentor if you aren’t already.”

The keynote address presented by Natalie Nixon, a creativity strategist and president of Figure 8 Thinking, focused on the event’s theme, “Unleash Curiosity, Creativity & Innovation at Work.” Nixon shared her insight on how NAVAIR can use creativity to enable future-friendly transformation, while navigating uncertain terrain.

According to Nixon, creativity is becoming more prominent in the way we think about current and future work experiences, especially for the younger generation who may value the quality of work environment over financial benefits.

She gave practical ways employees can apply creativity into their life and work, including inviting others outside of their department to meetings to raise different types of questions. She used techniques focusing on inquiry, improvisation and intuition to apply this creativity in today’s environment.

“Putting too much pressure on ourselves is one of the biggest mental blocks we can do,” she said. “Creativity is the way you can refrain ordinary situations and processes and hack though them. You could reframe how you are going to have the next meeting with your team. Through these small shifts is how creativity happens.”

Each Mentor of the Year award-winner submitted a video acceptance that was played during the virtual event.

Naval Air Warfare Center Training Systems Division (NAWCTSD) Ready, Relevant Learning Content Conversion Branch Head Karl Miehl has been part of the NAVAIR workforce for 14 years. He currently has eight mentees and helps them evaluate their current work and how that work promotes career growth.

“I think mentoring is really about taking the knowledge you have gained and the skills you’ve acquired through your work and through a career and passing that along to people who are coming up behind you,” he said.

By recruiting, hiring, and managing over 40 interns, Operations Research Leader John Seaton has enhanced Commander Fleet Readiness Center (COMFRC) headquarters’ talent base and team strength.

“I think it is truly important to take care of people, to motivate them, to coach them,” he said. “It’s not just about business and the mission, those are incredibly important, but you are not going to meet that without people fulfilling their potential.”

The NAVAIR headquarters winner Future Vertical Lift (FVL) Maritime Strike Program Lead and FVL Marine Corps Deputy Team Lead Erin Lesko believes that having multiple mentors is a key factor for employees to remember.

“The purpose of having somebody at your level as a mentor is that you’re able to exchange on a daily basis because of the time constraints,” she said. “Then somebody that is one to two levels up from you so that you get that perspective of where you want to grow, and you hear about their lessons learned all along the way.”

After more than 25 years in the NAVAIR workforce, Aircraft Launch and Recovery Equipment (ALRE) Technical Director Robert McRae understands that daily tasks and commitments are an important part of the job but taking the time to develop junior level employees is equally important.

“The friendships that you will experience developing your mentees will last throughout your career,” he said. “I have heard people talk about legacies with respect to their careers. When I look back and I see employees that I have impacted with my mentoring, I view that to be my biggest contribution to NAWCAD, and I view that as my legacy.”

The complete list of winners of the national award are listed below: 

• NAVAIR Headquarters: Erin Lesko
• NAWCAD Patuxent River: Tony Spadarella
• COMFRC HQ: John Seaton
• NAWCAD Lakehurst: Robert McRae
• Fleet Readiness Center (FRC) Southeast, Jacksonville: June Bliss
• FRCE Cherry Point: Angela Bell
• NAWCWD China Lake: Robyn Newcomb
• NAWCWD Point Mugu: Michael Szczerbinski
• FRCSW North Island: Senior Chief Joslyn Jones
• NAWCTSD Orlando: Karl Miehl

Mentoring Month is a campaign held each January to promote mentoring in the U.S. For more information about NAVAIR’s career development programs, visit https://jobs.navair.navy.mil/training.