During the annual national conference of the Naval Civilian Manger’s Association in Alexandria, Va., on June 20, 2012, the Navy Lakehurst chapter was honored by being named the nation’s outstanding chapter. Farhad Choudhury, chapter secretary (L) and John Schmelzle, chapter president (C) receive the award from Scott Butcher, national president (R).
NAVAIR Lakehurst’s Naval Civilian Managers Association named top national chapter
July 13, 2012, Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J. – At the recent annual conference of the Naval Civilian Managers Association in Alexandria, Va., the Naval Air Systems Command Lakehurst chapter was named the nation’s outstanding chapter of the year.
Competing with chapters from across the country, Lakehurst’s NCMA chapter was selected for their proactive involvement with the surrounding community and their support to leadership on base
.
Established in 1947, the NCMA is a management organization of senior civilians in naval activities dedicated to the principle that the interests of America can best be served by a strong Navy. They try to promote efficiency and effectiveness of naval installations and foster their standing within the community through the activities of chapter members.
In 2011-2012, the Lakehurst chapter made significant contributions through their educational partnerships with several area universities, colleges, technical schools and school districts. They sponsored career days, science fairs, mentoring and shadowing programs and aided in curriculum development. They also provided scholarship money to the Lakehurst Elementary School, students from the Ocean County Vocational Technical School and a student from Manchester High School.
Additionally, chapter members worked with the Berkeley school district to send care packages to troops deployed overseas. They represented NAVAIR at the recent JB MDL Open House acting as spokespersons and ambassadors for the NAVAIR mission activities at Lakehurst.
According to chapter president John Schmelzle, “our members have worked very hard this past year to become a positive presence in the community through our educational outreach programs. We’ve also made great strides to foster employee recognition and leadership networking programs here at Lakehurst.”
The chapter has also managed to increase membership in the past year from about 100 members to over 140. With the enthusiastic support of its members, the Lakehurst NCMA chapter has done an exceptional job promoting understanding and respect for the Navy mission at Lakehurst.