CRANE, Ind. – A Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division (NSWC Crane) leader was recognized for supporting his employee during her career in the Navy Reserves. Kelly Siffin, Chief of Contracting at NSWC Crane, received the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserves (ESGR) Patriot Award, which acknowledges efforts to provide flexible schedules, time off prior to and after deployment, caring for families, and granting leaves of absences if needed.
“This award is a serious honor,” says Siffin. “It is important because our people are our most important resource at Crane. There is a significant segment of our team who serve in the Reserves or Guard; It’s important they know they don’t have to worry.”
Lisa Good, a Contracting Officer at NSWC Crane, is a Deputy Chief of Contracting office in her unit in the Navy. Good says she nominated Siffin to recognize him, his leadership, and the entire Crane team.
"My supervisor, Mr. Kelly Siffin, and the entire NSWC Crane Contracts Department have been remarkably supportive of my deployments over the years,” says Good. “I have witnessed that same compassion extended to other Guard and Reserve members who were also called to active duty. It is because of Kelly's leadership, support, and encouragement that I can go downrange and still maintain a level of confidence that my career progression will remain intact. As a Department of the Navy civilian, Mr. Siffin clearly appreciates the value my firsthand experience as a citizen-sailor brings to the workplace and continues to provide top-notch support of my uniformed service."
Siffin says this award shows that Crane is a place where people are invested in the mission, in their team, and their coworkers.
“Good is very knowledgeable and professional,” says Siffin. “She works hard, focuses on the customer, is good at her job, and leads her people. This award has my name on it, but it is about Crane and the Department as a whole. It is a team operation. Our people watch out for each other because it’s the right thing to do. It’s great that our department supports their teammates in uniform.”
Siffin says the Reserve and Guard workforce at Crane provides unique insight.
“In some cases we have people at Crane doing procurement and supporting customers that involve technologies they might use when they are in the field or on duty,” says Siffin. “Good learns a great deal about people, management, and technical processes when she’s deployed. That is extremely valuable. The more our employees know and understand why things work a certain way, the more efficient and effective they can be at their job. Even though Good leaves Crane for deployment, she returns with a wealth of knowledge and shares that with her team at Crane to collaborate and learn from each other.”
About NSWC Crane
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.
Join Our Team! NAVSEA employs a highly trained, educated, and skilled workforce - from students and entry level employees to experienced professionals and individuals with disabilities. We support today's sophisticated Navy and Marine Corps ships, aircraft, weapon systems and computer systems. We are continuously looking for engineers, scientists, IT and cyber specialists, as well as trade and other support professionals to ensure the U.S. Navy can protect and defend America. Please contact NSWC Crane Human Resources at crane_recruiting@navy.mil.