# Quarterly leadership award recipients set the pace for their teams

/ Published March 17, 2023
Richmond, Va., 
The Defense Logistics Agency Aviation Quarterly Leadership Award recipients for 4th quarter 2022 stand out for several reasons, and chief among them is operational excellence.

Senior award recipient Joshua Waller is deputy director for DLA Aviation at Cherry Point in North Carolina, where he supports depot-level maintenance, repair and overhaul at Fleet Readiness Center East for the US Navy and United States Marine Corps.

“Trusted by leadership and employees alike, Josh is able to translate strategic guidance into operational objectives for his team and execute at a very high level through open communication, giving his employees the right latitude to operate, and the right support to ensure mission success,” said Waller’s nominator, Navy Cmdr. David Odom, Director, DLA Aviation at Cherry Point.

Odom added that Waller recognizes employee potential early and fosters an environment to maximize employees’ unique contributions and self confidence through mentoring and cross-training opportunities.

Waller also maintains a robust recognition program to attract and retain the best talent. In 2022, he submitted 94 individual and team awards to recognize more than 150 employees, which Odom said has improved morale and retention, and driven a greater interest in leadership and management opportunities at Cherry Point.

“I get to work with an outstanding team here at Cherry Point from the Commander on down. I really could not think of a better group of people to work in support of,” Waller said. “As a leader, it is my job to support the workforce just as much or more as it is for them to support me. They make everything happen every day, hour, and minute. This recognition serves the mission as a whole in the same way. This is not just a win for me, this is a win for my entire Directorate at Cherry Point. They continue sustained excellence supporting aircraft, engines, and components for the customer. As my favorite DLA Line of Effort states, our team really exemplifies:  Warfighter Always!”

Junior award recipient Carlos Diaz is many things to many people, and the impact of Diaz’s work and leadership has prompted many of his employees to sing his praises within DLA Aviation’s Planning Programs Directorate.

Diaz is a material planner supervisor who encourages his team members to exercise healthy work-life balance while providing training opportunities to improve efficiency and help employees excel.

Team member William Burns said, “From day one Mr. Diaz has created a team culture with a positive working environment. He gives me the guidance and direction that has helped me improve and grow in the DLA community.”

Angela Cherry, also a member of Diaz’s Aviation Bearings team, said Diaz works hard to ensure that his employees get the training they need. “If any one of us needs assistance, he steps in with his ‘can do’ spirit, offering training and insight and delegating when necessary.”

“A properly structured, hands-on training encourages employees to think outside of the proverbial box, coaxing them to experiment with and explore the problems, tools, and substances they'll work with regularly in their day-to-day operations,” said Diaz. “I normally ask my employees to offer suggestions. No one knows better than your employees what could be done to improve their own individual work-life balance situations.”