September 29, 2015
INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana - Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division’s (NSWC Crane) first female chief of staff has received Indiana’s most prestigious recognition of women in the state. The Indiana Commission for Women presents Torchbearer Awards to those who have stepped forward as leaders by breaking down barriers to women’s full participation while demonstrating achievement in the areas of their professional careers, community leadership and/or public service. Lawrence County’s Angie Lewis joined the ranks of those honored for their extraordinary contributions and pioneering spirits at a special awards ceremony in Indianapolis Wednesday evening.
NSWC Crane is the third largest employer in southern Indiana and the third largest Navy base in the world. As chief of staff, Lewis is critical in leading the approximately 3,000 federal employees and 1,700 support contractors who report to work there each day. “Angie’s influence and direction have played a major role in increasing diversity for the command,” said NSWC Crane Commanding Officer Capt. Jeffrey Elder. “She has worked diligently in increasing the percentage of female engineers and managers at NSWC Crane, and her support of the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Program has encouraged young women in southwestern Indiana to pursue careers in the sciences.”
In both her professional and her personal life, Lewis has made important and significant contributions to her community of Bedford and the state of Indiana. As president of the Limestone Girls Club, she helped integrate the last two separate Boys Club and Girls Club in the nation, creating the Boys and Girls Club of Lawrence County. By combining the capabilities of two separate, resource challenged organizations into one integrated organization, both girls and boys were able to better benefit from facilities, funds and programs for youth development. Currently, Lewis serves as president of the board of directors for the club, which recently reopened one of only three chartered teen centers in the state as part of an effort to reach middle and high school youths.
“It just feels good,” she said of her work with the Lawrence County Boys and Girls Club. “From my seat at Crane, I can see the importance of developing the workforce and creating tomorrow’s leaders. My work in youth development, both at Crane and in my community, really helps me to understand that you have to invest in these kids during their formative years to get them on a path where they will be able to fill the technical jobs available on base and in the surrounding communities.”
Lewis continues to balance her career, personal life and personal development while pursuing her PhD in workforce development in leadership. She is also a devoted wife and mother of two active daughters and two step-daughters. “My parents raised me to feel like I can do anything,” she explained. “I was never raised to think that I couldn’t succeed at Crane unless I was an engineer or that I couldn’t hold a certain position because I was a woman. I just never looked at life that way.”
Lewis is an active member of professional organizations including the Hoosier Hills Chapter of Federally Employed Women, the Southern Indiana section of the American Society of Naval Engineers and the Crane Chapter Federal Manager’s Associations. She is a strong supporter of Crane’s mentor program and recently received the Lawrence County Community Foundation’s Walk with Excellence in Government award.
In her capacity as chief of staff, Lewis directly supports NSWC Crane’s commanding officer and technical director and has played a lead role in cementing NSWC Crane as a national leader in Electronic Warfare, Special Missions and Strategic Missions. NSWC Crane is active in the community of Lawrence County, providing over $24.6 million in contracts and employing over 500 Lawrence County residents with salaries totaling approximately $68 million.