Lakehurst NAVAIR Organization Wins National Honor

The Naval Civilian Managers Association of Lakehurst recently was named as the organization's outstanding chapter of the year, the NAVAIR Office of Public Affairs announced.

Members were honored at the annual NCMA conference in Alexandria, Va., held in June. Lakehurst topped chapters from across the country because of "their proactive involvement with the surrounding community and their support to leadership on base," said Tom Worsdale, public affairs officer for NAVAIR, in a news release. 

"They sponsored career days, science fairs, mentoring and shadowing programs and aided in curriculum development. They also provided scholarship money to the Lakehurst Elementary School, students from the Ocean County Vocational Technical School and a student from Manchester High School," Worsdale said in the release. The organization also worked with Berkeley schools to collect supplies for troops overseas. 

The organization's members have "worked very hard" over the past year through educational outreach programs to become a positive community presence, said chapter President John Schmelzle in a statement.

"We’ve also made great strides to foster employee recognition and leadership networking programs here at Lakehurst," he said.

The chapter, which grew from about 100 members to over 140 during the 2011-12 year, represented NAVAIR at the held in May at the Wrightstown section of the installation. There, members served as spokespersons and ambassadors for mission activities, according to the release.

A management organization of senior civilians in naval activities, the NCMA was formed in 1947 and operates under the belief that American interests can be served by a strong Navy, according to the release. This is done through promoting the efficiency and effectiveness of installations and working with the surrounding community.