NAVAIR WD China Lake by Susan Read, Public Affairs Office.

In a ceremony held on October 27, 2004, the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) presented 70 participants in the Senior Executive Management Development Program (SEMDP) with plaques commemorating their completion of the program. NAVAIR Weapons Division honorees were Ms. Cindy Woods, Mr. Kenneth Hayes and Mr. William Walters.

Plaques were handed out by Dr. Alan Somoroff, NAVAIR Deputy Commander, Mr. Tom Laux, Program Executive Officer for Air Surface Warfare, Ms. Mary Glotfelty, Director of the Career Development Office, and Mr. Gary Kurtz, Deputy Commander for Corporate Operations. Graduates gathered at their respective work locations with supervisors, mentors, family and co-workers for an event linked by video teleconference. Receptions of lunch and light refreshments capped the celebration at each site.

The highly competitive SEMDP program provides mid- to senior-level civilian employees a structured framework in which to clarify their career goals, develop their managerial and executive capabilities, and enhance their technical and functional expertise. Selection for participation is made from applicants who have demonstrated a high level of management and leadership potential and initiative. Developmental activities are accomplished over a three to five year span while participants continue with regular job responsibilities.

Dr. Somoroff’s opening remarks recognized the efforts of the largest SEMDP graduating class ever and thanked all who supported them. He acknowledged that the program is intended to develop leaders and managers, and broaden their understanding of the environment and its stakeholders. “When we look over the past year, there are so many overarching points. The pervasive overarching point is affording the future for all elements of the Navy.” He went on to say that as the voice of the Fleet continues to become more prominent, we continue to hear words like efficiency, return on investment, performance-based models, human capital strategy, affordable risks and cost-wise readiness.

Dr. Somoroff emphasized that shared knowledge brings trust and change, and the most significant change is that our connection to Naval Aviation Enterprise brings us much closer to the Fleet. While maximizing the value of every dollar, the intent is to have successful mission and program performance, reducing costs while delivering products we’ve committed to. “We must combine efficiency, productivity and human capital now and in the future,” Somoroff concluded. “I invite you to join this adventure and follow out this course.”

Featured speaker Tom Laux noted that it was not long ago that he had been sitting where the graduates were. He expressed appreciation that each person had worked hard to get through the requirements while managing their “day” jobs, taking in all the rich things that the program has to offer. Basing the theme of his remarks on the concept of time and using a Latin quotation he described as concise and crisp – tempus fugate (time flies) –Laux related the fundamental forces of flying to time. Lift keeps us from standing in one place; weight keeps us from flying in our jobs; drag mires us in the “same old, same old” routine; and thrust allows us to get more good for the same effort, embracing the Lean and Six Sigma tools and processes of AIRSpeed to work smarter and more cost-effectively.

“You have demonstrated that you are wonderful learners,” Laux told the graduates. “Keep learning and lead the deployment of these process improvements.” As a final thought, he mentioned the Chief of Naval Operations’ invitation to join him by getting on his bus to make the Navy a better place to work. Laux added to the invitation by saying, “Let’s get on an airplane and make time fly.”

Photo caption 1: Ken Morton, Head, Warfare Analysis Department, presents Cindy Woods with a plaque commemorating her graduation from the SEMDP program.

Photo caption 2: Captain Alex Hnarakis, Commander, Naval Test Wing Pacific, is flanked by (L-R) SEMDP graduates Bill Walters, Carol Ecklund, Weapons Division SEMDP Administrator Lily Horton, Karen Magnelli and Son Nguyen.