CRANE, Ind. – A Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division (NSWC Crane) employee was recognized with a U.S. Navy award for building effective teams. Dr. Julie Shaff won the Art Diaz Memorial Award for Naval Acquisition Development Program (NADP) Entry Level Employees at a ceremony on October 16 in Washington, D.C.
The Art Diaz Award is designed to honor an individual who best exemplifies the spirit, collaboration, and teamwork that Arturo “Art” Diaz lived by throughout his career. Diaz created a list of an effective team’s characteristics as a daily reminder of what it takes to succeed. This list, “22 Attributes of a Good Team,” quickly spread across Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) as a benchmark for success.
Jaimie Brock, a Branch Manager at NSWC Crane and Dr. Shaff’s supervisor, says Dr. Shaff has made significant contributions to their division’s morale and collaboration, enhancing their effectiveness in their mission.
“Dr. Shaff’s skill at bringing positivity to the workplace, building high functioning teams, and producing results on assignments is unparalleled,” says Brock. “Enabling others and encouraging the heart are key characteristics of Dr. Shaff’s success. She is a ready and willing participant on any team project and does a great job of applying project management techniques in order to deliver products on time and within budget.”
Brock says it is important to have a highly intelligent and skilled workforce, but the work is most effective when individuals work together.
“Dr. Shaff has a litany of experience in leading teams, effective collaborations, and getting the job done on time while encouraging those around her to enjoy the journey,” says Brock. “She excels at finding analytical solutions to difficult problems and always keeps our mission to the Warfighter front and center.”
Dr. Shaff, an Operations Research Analyst at NSWC Crane, says it is an honor to be recognized.
“I strive every day to be a good team member and provide meaningful impact,” says Shaff. “My supervisor, Jaimie Brock, has enabled me to be successful and has provided me with learning opportunities to make me a better leader. It is encouraging to know I am on the right track, but there is still work to be done. We have to keep moving forward.”
Shaff is the first NSWC Crane employee to win the Art Diaz Award. While building teams, she improves analytical and technical processes through rigorous logistics and research. Her favorite attribute from Diaz is, “Good teams don’t fight with each other, they fight for each other.”
NSWC Crane is a naval laboratory and a field activity of Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) with mission areas in Expeditionary Warfare, Strategic Missions and Electronic Warfare. The warfare center is responsible for multi-domain, multi- spectral, full life cycle support of technologies and systems enhancing capability to today's Warfighter.