If anyone knows there’s no “I” in “team,” it’s Marci Spiotta.
Nominated for the 2012 Department of the Navy Acquisition Excellence Award in the Acquisition Professional of the Year category, Spiotta credits her co-workers and the teambuilding lessons she learned in NAVAIR’s Leadership Development Program (NLDP) for her success.
“This wasn’t just a ‘me’ award; it was the team,” Spiotta said. “The team took it as theirs also, which, for me, was the most special thing. That’s what I was probably most proud of, that they were so excited.”
James E. Thomsen, principal civilian deputy of the Office of the Assistant Secretary (Research, Development and Acquisition), congratulated Spiotta and the other award nominees in a letter for their dedication and acquisition excellence.
“Their [the nominees’] dedication, inventiveness and professionalism reflected the acquisition expertise that is renowned within the Naval Air Systems Command,” he wrote.
At the time of the award nomination, Spiotta was part of the Persistent Maritime Unmanned Aircraft Systems Program Office (PMA-262). She has since been promoted to co-lead of the CH-53K Integrated Program Team, a promotion she said she earned partly by applying her teamwork skills to her daily job.
The NLDP classes helped her learn from and about the behaviors of other people, she said, giving her the chance to observe and understand different perspectives. It also taught her the importance of appreciating the unique qualities of each of her co-workers, looking at them individually to help them achieve their goals.
–>
