# Senior Leader Summit concludes,  recognizing excellence

/ Published Oct. 28, 2019
BATTLE CREEK, Mich., 
The 2019 Defense Logistics Agency Disposition Services Senior Leader Summit came to a close October 25 after a week of discussions focusing on how to improve the customer experience for the warfighter.

The summit covered all aspects of the DLA Disposition Services business, with the goal of improving safety and agency culture while saving the taxpayers money.

To wrap up the summit DLA Disposition Services Director Mike Cannon took the stage to present the annual site awards.

But before he announced the winners, he addressed his audience. “Last year I said, our relationship with the US Army has never been stronger,” Cannon said. “This year I can also say our relationship with the US Navy has never been stronger.”

He also said that he had just received word from DLA Headquarters that the excess to disposal plan was approved and will be the first change in the DLA business cycle in 12 years. Once implemented, it will result in improvements in the DLA Disposition Services process and better prepare the organization for auditability.

Cannon then presented six Time in Service awards to employees with a combined total of 175 years’ experience.

Next up was the Customer Service Excellence awards followed by the Best Site awards. Cannon remarked that there were so many places being awarded not because he wanted to give out a lot of awards but that the competition was just that tight.

Cannon asked the leaders who accepted the awards on behalf of their sites to gather their teams together once they get back and take a group photo with the award to share with him, after all it is because of the team that the site received the award.

The final round of awards was a late addition to the event. The inaugural Battle Creek Staff Super Star Awards was suggested by the field leadership attending the summit the night before for additions to next year’s summit. However, Cannon felt that leadership was right, and these superstars should not have to wait a year before being honored. Selections were made by the leadership team just hours before the presentation.

“It’s time to go out and lead our people to excellence,” said Cannon, concluding the summit.

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# Customer Service Excellence Awards

      - DSD Southeast: DLA Disposition Services at Lejeune
      - DSD Pacific: DLA Disposition Services at Pearl Harbor
      - DSD Mid-America: DLA Disposition Services at Colorado Springs
      - DSD Europe Africa: DLA Disposition Services at Grafendorf
      - DSD Central: DLA Disposition Services at Arifjan
      - DSD Northeast: DLA Disposition Services at Meade

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# Best Site Awards – Small Site

5th place: DLA Disposition Services at Ft. Sill

4th place: DLA Disposition Services at Anniston

3rd Place: DLA Disposition Services at San Diego

2nd Place: DLA Disposition Services at Guam

And winning the **best small site** for 2019 was **DLA Disposition Services at Anchorage.**

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# Best Site Awards – Medium Site

5th place: DLA Disposition Services at Pendleton

4th place: DLA Disposition Services at Jacksonville

3rd Place: DLA Disposition Services at Pearl Harbor

2nd Place: DLA Disposition Services at Meade

And winning the **best medium site** for 2019 was **DLA Disposition Services at Colorado Springs**.

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# Best Site Awards – Large Site

5th place: DLA Disposition Services at Hill

4th place: DLA Disposition Services at Bragg

3rd Place: DLA Disposition Services at Riley

2nd Place: DLA Disposition Services at Norfolk

And winning the **best large site** for 2019 was **DLA Disposition Services at Columbus.**

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# Battle Creek Staff Super Star Awards

      - Carlos Torres, Contracting
      - Patrick Bagi, Human Resources
      - Nina Ekblad, Operations
      - Doug Mulvaney, Operations
      - Brian Smith, Operations
      - Tina Lilly, Resource Management
      - Hillary Casari, Resource Management
      - Stacey Pilling, Resource Management
      - Gerry Charlton, Business Support
      - Julie Thompson, Finance
      - Franny McClenney, Finance
      - Bernie Solovey, Contracting
      - Rowdy Gibson, Installation Management
      - Keoni Taylor, Contracting
      - Tim Pham, Business Support