Recognized for their exceptional leadership and hard work, eight DLA Energy 

employees were selected for the agency’s 55th Annual Employee Recognition 

Awards for the calendar year 2022. The awards ceremony was held in the McNamara 

Headquarters Complex auditorium Jan. 26.

The 55th Annual Employee Recognition Awards included 57 employees and teams 

from across the agency who earned awards in various enterprise-wide categories. 

Read more about their accomplishments in this DLA news story.

Outstanding DLA Person of the Year

Melissa Rodriguez, 

DLA Energy Americas West

DLA Leader of the Year Award 

Michael Maclean

DLA Energy International Agreements

Small Team Award

Red Hill Fuel Redistribution Contracting Team 

Shane Banks, Shedric Crump, Bruce DeSoto, Micherie Dougherty, Kirk 

Gamblin, Ki Mun, and Richard Rines (award accepted by Micherie 

Dougherty)

Acquisition Support 

Team of the Year 

Acquisition Workforce 

Development 

Andrew Berger, Laceenis Fordham, Rosilyn Gerald, 

Charles Hudson, Ashleigh Johnson, Ditu Kasuyi, 

Randy Kelley, Imani Mitchell, Marybeth Sandman, and 

Robert Scott

Acquisition Workforce Team Achievement

DLA Energy Direct Delivery FEPC Team

David Andrews, Clifton Broughton, Stephanie Koessel, Orlando Merritt, 

Norman Mitchell, and Mark Palombo, Robert Simms, Tonya Sterling, and 

Bryan Sveum (award accepted by Jamaal Rose)

 Shane Bank

 Bulk Petroleum Supply Chain Services

Acquisition Workforce Individual Achievement

(not present)

DLA 55th Annual Employee Awards

Walter Hegan

DLA Energy Europe and Africa

DLA Employee of the Quarter

(not present)

Air Force Capt. Ioan Gaitan

DLA Energy Korea

Service Member of the Year

(not present)

ENERGY CONNECTION

Core Values: Leadership, Professionalism & Technical Knowledge through Dedication to Duty, Integrity, Ethics, Honor, Courage & Loyalty

Team Energy,

 Happy New Year Team. I’m so excited for all the 

opportunities that await us in 2023 and blessed 

to have the best team possible. DLA Energy’s 

success is attributed to dedicated teamwork and 

collaboration. During last week’s Donuts with 

the Deputy with our non-supervisory GS-13s 

and below, we discussed this Harvard Business 

School article, Secrets of Great teamwork. My 

goal is for DLA Energy to build teams based on 

today’s challenges and, more importantly, be 

fully prepared to solve future challenges. 

 As the article states, teams are more diverse, 

dispersed, digital and dynamic, and we need to 

adjust to meet those challenges. For teams to 

thrive, we need a compelling direction, shared 

mindset, strong structure, and a supportive 

context. I encourage team members to be 

creative, don’t be afraid to find friction points 

and work to remove barriers. Motivate each 

other. Acknowledge one another and help each 

other through struggles.

 Speaking of teamwork, I recently participated 

in an Environmental Protection Agency and 

DOD Red Hill town hall and Open House at the 

Oahu Veterans Center in Hawaii. The meeting 

offered the public the opportunity to voice their 

concerns associated with the current defueling 

and closure plans for Red Hill, as well as hear 

how the Navy is working to provide safe drinking 

water. About 160 citizens attended offering a 

good dialogue, suggestions, and conversations. 

At the end of the evening, many attendees 

commented on how they felt this event was 

beneficial and a step in the right direction. 

 It is important that we all remember we are 

human first. I embrace the analogy that life is 

like a roller coaster. It has its ups and downs, 

but it’s our choice to scream or enjoy the ride. 

As we work through operational, workplace or 

even personal issues, remember to be courteous 

to one another, consider other viewpoints and 

embrace differences. 

 Together, we are better.

A MESSAGE FROM 

THE DEPUTY 

COMMANDER 

Mr. David Kless

Volume 3, Issue2 January 30, 2023
Feb 3: Coffee with Commander at 8:30am for GS-15s

Feb 6-10: Joint Petroleum Week

Feb 13: Supervisory Committee meeting*, 8am

Feb 14: Advisory and Integration Council meeting*, 8:30am

Mar 14: DLA Energy Virtual Lunch & Learn at 11:30am with guest 

 speaker Mr. Gregory Winstead, DLA Foreign Policy Advisor

*To join the committee and council meetings, contact DLAEnergyCAG@dla.mil.

Mark your calendars!

Have you seen your colleagues wearing those DLA Energy branded Polo 

Shirts? They are easy to maintain, professional and polished workplace 

shirts that go well with slacks, skirts, khakis or jeans. 

If you’ve been wanting one of your own, now is the time! 

The polos are back, but this year there is a wider selection of options to 

choose from – short sleeve, long sleeve, and fleece vests! 

All items are being sold to raise money for the 2023 DLA Energy Spring 

Festival & Holiday Party. The Energy Apparel Sale ends March 3, 2023.

Details in this announcement on Energy’s DLA Today homepage

Executive Development Program (EDP): FY23 EDP nomination 

recently closed, but J1 extending the nomination window to 

submit nominations for the following courses that had a lower 

than usual number of nominations: 

1. The Eisenhower School

2. LOGTECH Advanced Program in Logistics and Technology

3. Life Cycle Executive Leadership Program

The nomination suspense is being extended for these three 

courses only until noon on Tuesday, January 31. More information 

is available in this DLA Today announcement. 

Logistics for the 21st Century (Log21): Stay tuned... the 

nomination solicitation will likely be released next week. Packages 

expected to be due in mid-February.

OSD Sustainment Fellowship Program: Stay tuned... OSD is 

expected to release their annual solicitation in the next 2-3 weeks. 

Defense Civilian Emerging Leader Program: Stay tuned... 

anticipate releasing the nomination solicitation around March.

Career Development Opportunities

In February, the nation honors and recognizes the incredible 

achievements of African American citizens throughout history. 

Did you know originally the celebration was chosen for the second 

week of February to coincide with the birthdays of President Abraham 

Lincoln and the abolitionist Frederick Douglass? The celebration was 

expanded to a month in 1976, the nation’s bicentennial.

Stay tuned to www.dla.mil/energy for employee spotlights and 

special events honoring the observance.

OPSEC Awareness Month

January is National Operations Security Awareness Month. Take the 

time to remember the integral role YOU play in OPSEC for the agency.

This year’s focus is “Critical Information and Indicators.” Annually, 

DI produces a CIIL, which is 

posted in workspaces and shared 

electronically. To review the DLA 

Energy-specific list, go to Energy’s 

eWorkplace page and look under 

“Tools.” Here is the direct link to 

the list. Place special attention 

on methods of identification, 

protection, and handling of critical 

information and indicators.

The DLA Intelligence Winter Newsletter is important information 

about Counterintelligence, Insider Threats, media destruction.

ON SALE NOW! 

On Jan. 3, DLA Headquarters Public Affairs debuted a new electronic 

newsletter, LogPoints, highlighting some of the agency’s most 

important news stories. The All Hands email generated more than 

2,700 views of news and feature stories published in DLA Today and 

dla.mil. Stay tuned to your email for future monthly issues to stay up 

to date on news, events and employee accomplishments!

DID YOU KNOW?

A Dec. 23 executive order provides an across-the-board increase 

of 4.1% in the basic pay for General Schedule employees? 

View the new 2023 salary tables on OPM’s website

View the 2023 locality pay

SAVE THE DATE! 

DLA Energy Acquisition Workforce Development Team 

is planning a hybrid Black History Month Program 

on February 22 from 1:00 to 2:30 pm. 

 This year’s program will focus on celebrating the rich 

history of Historically Black Colleges & Universities and the 

contributions of their graduates to the Warfighter. 

 If you or a family member is a graduate of a HBCU, email the 

Acquisition Workforce Development Team by February 1.