# DLA Headquarters employees, teams earn 13 annual recognition awards

/ Published Dec. 16, 2021
FORT BELVOIR, Va., 
Ten employees and three teams at Defense Logistics Agency Headquarters are recipients of the agency’s 54th Annual Employee Recognition Awards. The awards recognize leadership and hard work in support of the agency’s mission in 13 categories.

Four DLA Headquarters employees were among the Top Ten DLA Employees of the Year. As part of the DLA Enterprise Fire Protection Project acquisition team, Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Brennan Pedraza carried out complex acquisitions normally expected of someone with more experience in the contracting career field.

Christine Sineath, a medical lead for Logistics Information Services who creates, maintains and cancels National Stock Numbers, achieved a production rate exceeding 150% during the current rating period with no quality issues.

Army Col. Brian Kuhn of DLA Logistics Operations developed industry partnerships that helped the nation respond to COVID-19 while being detailed to the Health and Human Services Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response. 

DLA Acquisition’s Tim Stark expanded the agency’s industry engagement strategy by increasing leadership engagement with industry partners and improving demand collaboration with suppliers.

In the DLA Leader of the Year Awards category, Claude Bailey III from DLA Logistics Operations was awarded at the team leader and project leader level. He provided on-site support to HHS for personal protective equipment and vaccine development. 

The DLA COVID-19 Coordination Team won the large team award for leading the agency through change during the pandemic. Members modified onboarding procedures and workplace practices for white-collar and blue-collar employees and created the plan for rolling out vaccination policy throughout the agency.

Recognition for military members included Air Force Capt. Zachery Teague. As national account manager and chief of customer engagement strategy for the Air Force, Teague was a primary focal point between DLA Headquarters and the Air Force and Space Force. 

The award for Safety Professional of the Year went to Ernesto Chee-Chong from DLA Logistics Operations. While deployed with DLA Support Team – Afghanistan, he ensured tactical and operational safety practices were incorporated in closures of DLA sites. 

The DLA Senior Security Professional of the Year was Anthony Biafore from DLA Intelligence. The multi-functional security specialist supported multiple regional commands and led to program enhancements in areas ranging from operations security to information security. 

Acquisition Support Professional of the Year for teams went to DLA Information Operations’ Acquisition Support Office, which supported $825 million in acquisitions and provided guidance on complex acquisitions spanning the Adaptive Acquisition Framework, Acquisition of Services, and Business Systems Requirements and Acquisitions. 

The final awards for DLA Headquarters were in the information technology excellence category. Stacey Evans was named IT Program Manager of the Year and Teresa Smith was named IT Person of the Year. The Cyber Defense Analysis Team was also named IT Team of the Year. 

A pre-recorded ceremony honoring the recipients is scheduled to be released via Facebook in January.