NAVAL AIR WARFARE CENTER WEAPONS DIVISION, CHINA LAKE, Calif. - Self-discovery, self-awareness, practice and patience were among the underlying themes as 60 Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division employees were honored for completing step 1 of the command’s Professional at all Levels leadership program during Sept. 14 and Sept. 19 ceremonies at Point Mugu and China Lake. 

“Years ago, a group of leadership teammates and I were assigned to participate in a NAVAIR initiative … that would enable and foster a more collaborative culture,” recounted Susie Raglin, director of Corporate Operations and graduation keynote speaker. “We went on to try to figure out what it would look like to emphasize building relationships. We had grown up to believe or were taught that building relationships is a personality trait, but that’s not true. Building relationships is a skillset. A foundational piece of building that relationship skillset is looking at ourselves.”

A command-sponsored program, PaaL is open to NAWCWD employees in all levels of the organization with emphasis on current and future supervisors and leaders. 

Each of the three steps of the program incorporates a series of cohort sessions with personal and group coaching. The first step of the program teaches participants about leading themselves and others. Further steps teach how to lead a team, a team of teams, and organizations.

“What I want you to realize is that this type of learning is a journey,” Raglin said. “Some days and some moments are better than others. Please, treat yourself with kindness, patience and compassion because the learning never stops.”

Mark Stockmyer, the master of ceremonies and a previous PaaL graduate, presented the graduating classes with a simple challenge and quote. 

“I want you to take all this self-discovery back to your teams and workgroups,” he said. “I’m going to close with one of my favorite quotes by Maya Angelou, ‘I did, then, what I knew how to do. Now that I know better, I do better.’ After PaaL step 1, you know better, so do better.” 

PaaL step 1, cohort 12 graduates from Point Mugu are: Kristin Ash, Victor Chan, Matthew Dillon, Matthew Gerner, James Huynh, Patricia Lutfi, Nathaniel O’Grady, David Omoto, Yogesh Patel, Jessica Ralphs, James Robinson, Jared Rowe, Laura Salazar, Todd Sohn, Loc Tai and Bretton West.

PaaL step 1, cohort 13 graduates from China Lake are: Colby Begin, Janet Bird, Fred Canonoy, Elissa Carey, Lori Casperson, Stanley Collins, Kimberley Couture, Lisa Davis, John Dunagin, Dina El Deeb, Ross Falen, Heather Frid, MargaretKieunGa Gean, Scott Hansen, Kathryn Harr, Mark Harris, Miriam Horning, Matthew Keehan, Ike Matsunaga, Shiloh Morgan, Irma Ponce and Alexandra Shearer.

PaaL step 1, cohort 14 graduates from China Lake are: William Bednarek, Keith Bennett, Peter Carrillo, Linda Dodson, Dawn Drake, John Faria, Zachary Fava, Brandon Ferguson, Daniel Griffith, Jason Hoffman, Jennifer Hoffmann, Joseph Kalman, Margie Kunkel, Katie McKellar, Melissa Merzlak, Jeffrey Prevost, Ryan Raglin, Megan Rawson, Erik Sisco, Bobbie Tucker, Brittany Wells and Angela Zamarron.