06.03.2025 –
Naval Surface Warfare Center, Philadelphia Division (NSWCPD) honored nearly 100 employees during its Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 Third Quarter Awards Ceremony on June 3, 2025.
The hybrid ceremony recognized NSWCPD personnel for career service milestones, Scientist and Engineering Development Program (SEDP) graduates, Navy Civilian Service Award recipients, as well as acknowledged winners of the 2024 Warfare Centers Awards. In addition, Letters of Appreciation and Certificates of Appreciation were presented to select NSWCPD employees for exemplary work in their field.
The event also included a promotion ceremony where an enlisted Sailor, Dayton L. Newland, was promoted to First Class Petty Officer by order of NSWCPD Commanding Officer Capt. Joseph Darcy. The Frocking Ceremony and promotion recognized Newland's exemplary service and increased responsibility.
“My two favorite things to do as Commanding Officer are first, administering the Oath of Office to our new employees; it’s emotional being there at the beginning of someone’s career when they take a solemn oath. Second is recognizing the success of our employees as they share their expertise making the fleet better. Thank you for joining me here today as we congratulate the excellence of our colleagues,” Darcy said.
“The excellence we have here is recognized not just at the local command, but also at the national Warfare Center and NAVSEA level. To see that we have achieved recognition through all of your hard work really speaks to the technical and business acumen that we have here. We are true leaders at our craft, and we should all be proud of our role and how we impact the Navy every day,” added NSWCPD Technical Director Nigel C. Thijs, SES.
NSWCPD employees receiving Career Service Awards included four with 40 years of service, two with 35 years of service, one with 30 years of service, and ten with 25 years of service.
Robert Sgroi and Theodore Strahan received certificates honoring their graduation from the SEDP.
Department of the Navy Civilian Service Achievement Medals were presented to Scott Storms and Patrick Violante.
Storms was recognized for his efforts in identifying and resolving multiple logistics issues with Additive Manufacturing (AM). He was a critical contributor in getting the Helo Hanger Door Bracket and Ventilation Diffusors officially provisioned as the first metal parts in the supply system. Storms also continues to provide significant leadership to the operability of AM in the fleet. Additionally, Polymer Additive Manufacturing is fully operational due to his efforts.
Violante was recognized for his outstanding performance where he directly supported the execution of the Maritime Sustainment Technology Innovation Consortium and the $13 million budget executed in 2023 and 2024, with an estimated additional $10 million expected in 2025. He performed as the primary liaison between Naval Systems Engineering and Logistics Directorate (SEA 05), NSWCPD, and the Maritime Industrial base, seamlessly engaging with in-service engineering agents, funding testing, and executing tasks that significantly aided the AM operability at industrial and organic levels. He also collaborated to achieve production, installation, and approval for operational use without deviation of critical additive manufactured parts for the United States Navy.
NSWCPD honored five individuals and four teams as winners of the 2024 Warfare Centers Awards, recognizing their exceptional contributions to naval readiness and innovation. These awardees spearheaded initiatives that enhanced warfighting capabilities, delivered millions of dollars in cost savings to the U.S. Navy, and streamlined mission execution. Their efforts spanned a broad spectrum, from modernizing critical systems to fostering a safer and more effective workforce.
The awards celebrate achievements in seven key areas: Talent Management, Cybersecurity Posture, Innovation, Collaboration, Knowledge Sharing, Technical Support Services, and Warfighting Readiness.
Leanne Molino received the Alan J. Dean Award for Talent Management, for developing the Staffing and Recruitment Tracking Tool, forging partnerships with universities, implementing trade programs, and improving hiring processes to advance the mission and vision of NSWCPD.
The Digital Transformation Team, including Maria Fassnacht, Diane Fricker, and Angela Peña, earned the Innovation Award for optimizing business operations, leading to a 50 percent improvement in readiness posture.
Also winning the Innovation Award was NSWCPD’s Navy Common Actuator Team who developed a Navy-owned actuator design covering 30,000 assets and enabling future additive manufacturing, a significant advancement in naval engineering. This team comprised of a wide range of experts, such as actuator specialists, acquisition professionals, and financial leads. Team members included Kathryn Avanzato, Dustin Bordelon, Edward Carter, Mark Cybulski, Desiree Deshmukh, Timothy Donnelly, Matthew Fohner, Mia Korngruen, Stephen Marchunt, Philip Marino, Joseph McCloskey, Alicia McPeters, John Miller, Edward Mitchell, Michael Nolan, David Rosmarin, Rosemary Shuman, G. Malek Smith, Timothy Speck, Richard Staryniski, Kyle Steets, Richard (Chad) Strong, Anthony Walls, and Annette Woodson.
Norman Stoddard garnered an individual Innovation Award for his pivotal role in the Unit Exchange Pit Stop Strategy, a diesel maintenance breakthrough that slashed maintenance time by 120 days.
Mark Grant received the Knowledge Sharing Award for his exceptional leadership in disseminating critical logistical information and enhancing data analysis, contributing significantly to the transformation of Navy equipment.
The Machinery Control Systems Modernization Team was honored with the Technical Support Services Award for successfully completing the first Contract 3 hardware modernization on USS McCampbell (DDG 85). Team members included: Adam Beckedahl, Nicholas Carmen, James Chang, Robert Clemens, Michael Gahn, Luke Garvey, Michael Golen, Richard Griggel, Harold Hill, Rhett Hockenbury, Markus Kern, Paul McGlade, Samantha Moffatt, Peter Nguyen, Terry Oestreich, Stephen Piotrowski, Alexander Ramos-Colon, Stephen Rivera-Lau, Joseph Roman, Humberto Sanchez, Douglas Schmitz, Harshal Shah, and Man Kim Yang.
Nicholas Pensabene also received the Technical Support Services Award for his rapid troubleshooting and repair of the Littoral Combat Ship 17's main reduction gear in a forward-deployed operating area.
The Dahlgren Bridge Light Team, which included NSWCPD's Daniel Weissgerber, received the John C. Mickey Award for Collaboration for their joint effort in mitigating light pollution risks on Navy ship bridges, significantly improving nighttime operational safety.
Joseph Amadoro contributed to the Warfare Centers Headquarters' Automated Technical Representative Tool Team, which won the Warfighting Readiness Award for developing a crucial tool that streamlines repair response times, enhancing fleet readiness.
Additionally, numerous NSWCPD employees received Letters of Appreciation “written by various stakeholders acknowledging NSWCPD personnel for their hard work and commitment to ensuring the Navy’s mission is met,” as explained by the event’s emcee NSWCPD Human Resources Specialist Celynda Cortez. Among the recipients were: Bryan Pine, Mark Cotler, Ruth Coval, Martin Downs, Shaun Hatcher, Genessa Hawk, Steven Mann, William Markey, James Scott, Cassandra Pachell, and Clayton Sizemore; the Rudder Team, including: Tyren (TJ) Newberry, Angela Peña, Eric Mscisz, Benjamin Pierson, and Robert Tronzo; and the Bridge Team, including: Nicole Hanley, David Rosmarin, Mathias Haegele, Basim Iqbal, Kristianna Desmarais, Ilana Gorberg, Mark Politi, and Amy Balog.
NSWCPD plays a vital role in research, development, testing, and engineering support for Navy surface ships and submarines. The organization also leads cybersecurity efforts for all ship systems. These awards highlight the dedication and ingenuity of NSWCPD's workforce in ensuring the Navy's continued strength and effectiveness.