JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, N.J. – Two engineers and one Sailor were recognized for their contributions to the U.S. Navy during an annual award ceremony at Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD) Lakehurst on the Lakehurst side of base July 18.

The Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) Support Equipment (SE) and Aircraft Launch and Recovery Equipment (ALRE) Department (AIR-4.8) hosted its annual awards ceremony to formally recognize its Innovator of the Year, New Employee of the Year and Sailor/Marine of the Year.

“Through this awards program, AIR-4.8 leadership is seeing firsthand the power of employee recognition, the drive towards innovative processes and products and the importance of the technical and engineering work being performed across all of our NAVAIR sites,” said NAVAIR SE/ALRE Department Director Kathleen P. Donnelly during her opening remarks.

The NAVAIR SE/ALRE Department received 65 nominations from across four NAVAIR locations, an increase from last year’s awards, said Donnelly.

Gilberto C. Garcia (AIR-4.8 Jacksonville) was named Innovator of the Year for his support to the Electronic Consolidated Automated Support System (eCASS) acquisition effort as a key member of the eCASS Integrated Product Team.

The Innovator of the Year Award recognizes an employee who actively promotes innovation and is dedicated to the invention and implementation of new concepts and ideas for the NAVAIR SE/ALRE Department.

Daniel J. Golematis was named New Employee of the Year for his work as a mechanical engineer on the Advanced Arresting Gear (AAG) program.

The New Employee of the Year Award honors an employee with 1-3 years of Government civilian service who provided significant contributions to the department and demonstrated proactive leadership.

NAVAIR SE/ALRE Department Military Director Capt. Bradley Kidwell presented the Sailor/Marine of the Year Award to ABEC Nicole L. Sears for her support to the Test Division’s ALRE Operations and Maintenance Military Branch. Sears was instrumental in the first-ever aircraft fly-in arrestments for the AAG test program, said Kidwell.

The Sailor/Marine of the Year Award recognizes a military member who has made a significant contribution to or led a technical project, and is a self-starter who takes initiative and accepts additional responsibilities.

Other AIR-4.8 award nominees included:

Innovator of the Year: Nicholas M. Cavaliere, Michael B. Fountain, Marc G. Friedman, James L. Malden, James Oxley and Glenn M. Shevach.

New Employee of the Year: David A. Alston, Peter M. Cerasoli, Noah J. De La Hunt, Andrew J. Furlong, Tyler J. Heil, Sean E. Husband, Gary S. Kane, Maxim Lazoutchenkov, Alexander J. Talarico and Amanda L. Winkelmayer.

All military personnel from the NAVAIR Test Division’s ALRE Operations and Maintenance Military Branch were eligible for the Sailor/Marine of the Year Award.