By NAVAIR Public Affairs

Last week Joe Davies sat in his kitchen talking to his 22-year-old daughter about career opportunities.

"I told her that civil service is not what people think," said Davies, who has worked 24 years at the Naval Air Systems Command Depot in North Island, Calif., most recently in the Performance-Based Logistics part of the business office. He wanted his daughter to understand why he has made a career working for the government.

"Sure, you can make more money on the outside," he said. "But when something happens like 9-11, you know you are contributing - you know you are helping to protect our freedoms - and there's tremendous satisfaction in knowing you are making a difference."

Stella Davies agrees. She has been married to Joe for seven years, but has also put in more than 20 years working at the North Island Depot.

"NAVAIR has been good to us - we've been so enriched," she said. "We've been very fortunate to have been given the opportunities we've had."

Stella's opportunities began when she joined the apprentice program and became certified as an aircraft mechanic. From an apprentice, to an artisan, to a production supervisor, to a components management position, to her present duties as a Deputy Competency Manager, Davies feels her varied experiences have given her a unique perspective as she recruits, trains, selects, promotes and provides human resources support.

"Without our personnel, the greatest technology in the world is of little or no value," she said. "I ensure that we have the finest artisans, managers and support personnel to deliver the platinum standard in advanced warfare technology."

Joe, too, began his NAVAIR career in the apprentice program first as an electronics apprentice and journeyman, then as a supervisor, to his present position in Performance Based Logistics.

"My job deals exclusively with developing depot and industry partnerships," he said. "These partnerships significantly enhance our capabilities and, more importantly, deliver advanced warfare technology to the Warfighter quickly and more efficiently in terms of overall cost."

Both Davies' have seen a lot of change during their years with NAVAIR. But they both agree that the focus of their work has never changed.

"We're here to serve the Warfighter," said Joe. "Our duty is to provide the knowledge, expertise and experience needed to keep our technology cutting-edge for the men and women of our military."

"Everyone here wants to do a good job and put out a great product," Stella added. "Lives depend on it."

Both Davies' have been selected into NAVAIR's Senior Executive Management Development Program (SEMDP). Stella was chosen in 2000, and Joe last year. The five-year program is designed to hone leadership skills and to broaden knowledge of NAVAIR and its contributions to naval aviation.

"SEMDP has truly afforded me the opportunity to expand my horizons that would not otherwise be possible if I weren't in the program," explained Stella, who last year participated in a four-month rotation at NAVAIR headquarters in Patuxent River, Md.

Joe looks forward to a SEMDP rotation as an opportunity to strengthen his weaknesses and prepare him for leading corporate initiatives.

"I'm on the cutting edge of improving our performance and supporting the Warfighter," he said. "I'm being developed for more leadership responsibilities, and I'm serving the country I love - what more could I want?"

Perhaps one thing would be to see his daughter following in his footsteps - something that is happening as she recently was accepted to the same electronics apprentice program her father went through 24 years ago.

"I can't imagine a better place to work," said Stella. "We're thrilled to have our child become part of the NAVAIR family."

NAVAIR provides advanced warfare technology to the American Warfighter. Located in eight principal sites around the country, NAVAIR provides precision naval aviation technologies in sensors, aircraft, weapons, training, launch & recovery systems, and communication. NAVAIR warfare technology is delivering transformational service to the US Navy, to all other Department of Defense services, as well as military organizations of allies around the world. For more information about the Naval Air Systems Command, go to www.navair.navy.mil.

Photo by Bill Bartkus, NAVAIR Public Affairs, North Island

For a high resolution version of the photo, please call 301-757-5116.

Photo Caption: Joe and Stella Davies have 45 years of combined service to NAVAIR. Both began as apprentices and both are now in NAVAIR's Senior Executive Management Development Program (SEMDP).