HEADQUARTERS, NAVAL AIR SYSTEMS COMMAND, PATUXENT RIVER, Md. – Three individuals and four teams from NAVAIR were recognized as winners of the Department of the Navy’s (DoN) annual Financial Management Awards at a ceremony held at the Pentagon on June 18.
These awards recognize the high quality and creativity of the financial management workforce across the DoN. Winners were rated on their fiscal stewardship, including cost/manpower savings, cost avoidance and maximizing dollars spent, as well as their ability to demonstrate innovation by showing a clear improvement in workforce readiness, business processes, applying technology and streamlining automation solutions, among other criteria.
“What we’re here to recognize today is really those folks who went above and beyond, either as an individual, as a team, or as both. This year, we had more nominations than any other year,” said Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy, Financial Management Systems, Gregory Koval, during the awards ceremony.
“What we’re here to recognize today is really those folks who went above and beyond, either as an individual, as a team, or as both. This year, we had more nominations than any other year,” said Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy, Financial Management Systems Gregory Koval, during the ceremony.
This year’s NAVAIR DoN Financial Management Award winners are:
Individual Awards
Outstanding Trainee Award:
- Charles Vallandingham, financial management analyst, Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD), Patuxent River
Contribution to Business Processes and Internal Controls:
- Tess Butner, financial management analyst supervisor, F/A-18 and EA-18G Program Office, Patuxent River
Contribution to Optimize Stewardship in the Budget Process:
- Andrew Frossard, financial management analyst supervisor, Fleet Readiness Center East (FRCE), Cherry Point, North Carolina
Team Awards
Contribution to Enhancing a Highly Skilled, Engaged Financial Management Workforce:
- The Knowledge, Networking, Orientation, Workshop (KNOW) for Financial Managers Team, NAWCAD Patuxent River
- Team members: Mandy Miedzinski (team lead), Crystal Thomas, Laura Kwitowski
Contribution to Business Processes and Internal Controls:
- Conversion and Fixed-Price Document Process Improvement Team, FRCE Cherry Point
- Team members: Jennifer Bean (team lead) and Alana Erevia
- Purchase Requisition Robotic Process Automation Team, NAWCAD Patuxent River
- Team members: Kari O’Brien (team lead), Shelbee Mattingly (team lead), Taylor Bowles, Meredith Condle, Tracy Vandergriff, Jennifer Garner, Virginia Louis, Robin Rotzinger, Karyn MacMillan, Summer Daniels, Gretchen Peth, Christopher Flynn, Jennifer Zucaro, Michael Corley, Janet Pope, Ryan MaGovern, Dennis Maloney, Jonathan Johnson, Carolyn Hughes, April Coates-Thompson, Maryellen Russo, Joe Cheseldine, Allyssa Brown, Paul Becker, Ashton Obrien, Shon Hash, Jesse Roberts, Shelby Bean
Contribution to Optimize Stewardship in the Budget Process:
- Control Account Project Team, NAWCAD Patuxent River
- Team members: Amy Peele (team lead), Jennifer Bowles, William Watts, Betty Larnerd, Amanda McElhenny, Brittany Nelson, Rebecca Walker, Anne McGee, Victoria Ellie, Kenny Taitano, Judi Hill, Vickie Stinnett, Rachael Bowles, Christie Bean-Smith, Debra Powers, Frances Settler, Kelly Lynch, Brandy Powell, Heather Grey, Ashley Wood, Joseph Goldsborough, Cynthia Simms, Aaron Ramsey, John Breitmaier, Christina Weeks, Marissa Papier
Butner said she was humbled and thankful to be acknowledged among the many dedicated professionals.
“This recognition not only reflects the hard work and dedication I strive to bring every day but also motivates me to continue serving with integrity and excellence alongside my incredible team,” she said.
Vallandingham agreed, stating, “It feels good to see all my hard work pay off.”
Frossard said the award affirms the behaviors NAVAIR leadership encourages in the workforce: breaking barriers, challenging the status quo and ensuring all voices are heard when elevating concerns.
“At my core, I truly believe in ‘the answer is in the room’ philosophy—sometimes, you just have to find the right room,” Frossard said. “The success we have achieved is a direct result of collective resilience, strategic collaboration and an unwillingness to settle for anything less than the best for our mission. This recognition is a testament to the strength of my team and our shared commitment to driving progress, optimizing resources and reshaping expectations of what we think is possible for the warfighter downrange who is dependent on us.”
Miedzinski also thanked her team, comprised of past and current Business Financial Operations Department (BFOD) employees, who continue to share their creative ideas, knowledge and dedication toward employee development.
“Thank you for your dependability, amazing work ethic and contributing to the success of the KNOWFM entry-level training program,” Miedzinski said. “To date, you have shared your knowledge and time to train 97 team members of our BFOD workforce. Congratulations to all the team members on this major accomplishment.”
Mattingly said the award validated her team’s dedication to finding innovative solutions that improve operational efficiency.
“We’re proud to have developed a robotic process automation solution that not only saves time and money but also empowers our team to focus on higher-value tasks,” she said. “This is a significant accomplishment for our team and NAWCAD, and we are grateful for the opportunity to contribute to the success of the organization.”
Peele said the award was a testament to her team’s dedication and expertise in ensuring responsible and effective resource management.
“This recognition highlights the positive impact of the initiative [using new control accounts], reinforces our commitment to continuously optimizing our financial management processes and is a powerful affirmation that the work we do matters and contributes directly to our mission,” she said.
Find more information about the DoN’s annual Financial Management Awards here.
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