ALCOAST 165/18 - MAY 2018 2017 COAST GUARD CIVILIAN EMPLOYEES OF THE YEAR (CEOY) AND NON-APPROPRIATED FUND EMPLOYEES OF THE YEAR (NAF EOY) AWARD SELECTIONS

R 010720 MAY 18
FM COMDT COGARD WASHINGTON DC//CG-1//
TO ALCOAST
UNCLAS//N12451//
ALCOAST 165/18
COMDTNOTE 12451
SUBJ:  2017 COAST GUARD CIVILIAN EMPLOYEES OF THE YEAR (CEOY) AND
NON-APPROPRIATED FUND EMPLOYEES OF THE YEAR (NAF EOY) AWARD SELECTIONS
1. It is my distinct pleasure to announce the following recipients of the
2017 CEOY and NAF EOY Awards.
    a. Mr. Donald R. Benson, Jr., CEOY WS-15, CG Yard;
    b. Mr. Martin J. Hecker, CEOY GS-15, CG-459;
    c. Ms. Alexandre K. Brink, CEOY GS-13, CG Yard;
    d. Mr. Alvaro M. Vasquez, Jr., CEOY GS-12, SMTC Camp LeJeune;
    e. Mr. Michael A. Guzman, CEOY GS-7, TRACEN Petaluma;
    f. Mr. Kenneth W. Johnson, CEOY WG-8, CG Yard;
    g. Ms. Nicolete Ivanovsky, NAF EOY NF-5, CSC CGX/Air Station Borinquen; and
    h. Ms. Ann Marie Schwab, NAF EOY NF-3, CSC CGX/Air Station Borinquen.
2. Mr. Donald R. Benson, Jr., a WS-2801-15, Electro Group Assistant General Foreman
at the USCG Yard, Baltimore, MD, is responsible for overseeing the Yard Electronics,
Electrical and Ordnance Shops. Mr. Benson supervises 105 employees and manages $25
million per year in cutter renovation and repair projects, electronics installation
“road shows” and heavy weapons system overhauls for the entire Coast Guard fleet. 
Mr. Benson is commended for his outstanding leadership, professionalism, and
dedication to duty.
3. Mr. Martin J. Hecker, a GS-0801-15, Offshore Patrol Cutter Ship Design Manager/
Supervisory General Engineer, at Coast Guard Headquarters, Office of Naval
Engineering (CG-459), Washington, D.C., serves as the lead technical authority
systems integrator for planning and execution of the OPC Acquisition and as the
Deputy of CG-459, supports technical review of all major surface acquisitions in the
Coast Guard, including the Heavy Polar Icebreaker and Waterways Commerce Cutter. He
manages 60 engineers including civilians, military and contractors. Mr. Hecker is
commended for his leadership and expertise.
4. Ms. Alexandre K. Brink, a GS-0510-13, Supervisory Accountant at the Coast Guard
Yard, is responsible for the management and oversight of the Reports, Reconciliation
and Budget Division of 6 civilian personnel. Her division is responsible for
reconciling and preparing monthly financial data and reports for one of the three
Coast Guard accounting locations as well as the acceptance and processing of all CG
Yard Program Orders. Ms. Brink is commended for her outstanding leadership,
professionalism, and dedication to duty.
5. Mr. Alvaro M. Vasquez, Jr., a GS-0301-12, Advanced Marksmanship Instructor at CG
Special Missions Training Center (SMTC), Camp Lejeune, NC, oversees three SMTC courses,
maintaining oversight of approximately 440 students annually; is accountable for $3M of
property; and leads 26 instructor and support personnel consisting of active duty,
reservists, and contractors. Mr. Vasquez is commended for his high standards for
performance, professionalism, and dedication to the mission.
6. Mr. Michael A. Guzman, a GS-0081-07, Firefighter/Engineer at Coast Guard Training
Center Petaluma in Petaluma, CA, is responsible for fire protection and emergency
rescue response capabilities to safeguard Training Center Petaluma’s 1200 personnel
including 200 tenant members and 120 families situated within the installation’s
830 acres, and 826,000 square feet of facilities from natural and manmade disasters.
Mr. Guzman is commended for his enthusiasm, initiative, compassion, and dedication to duty.
7. Mr. Kenneth W. Johnson, a WG-4701-08, Shipfitter/Welder at the Coast Guard Yard
in Baltimore, MD, is responsible for steel hull plate fabrication, welding, and
sheetmetal fabrication. He is responsible for removal and installation of bulkheads,
deck coverings, furniture, ventilation, air-handling equipment and insulation during
cutter, boat and Other Government Agency (OGA) vessel maintenance availabilities and
renovation projects at the CG Yard.  Mr. Johnson is commended for his outstanding
professionalism, skills, positive impact to CG, and dedication to duty.
8. Ms. Nicolette Ivanovsky, a NF-1101-05, Regional Manager for Region 2, CG
Community Services Command in Aguadilla, PR, is the CGX Regional Manager for 12
stores in Puerto Rico and Florida. She directly oversaw sales of over $55m in 2017.
Ms. Ivanovsky is commended for her positive attitude, selflessness, service to the
Coast Guard, and her unwavering commitment to the CG core values of Honor, Respect
and Devotion to Duty.
9. Ms. Ann Marie Schwab, NF-0080-03, Loss Prevention and Business Intelligence
Analyst/Field Investigator at the Coast Guard Community Services Command in
Aguadilla, PR, serves as a member of the Loss Prevention team for the CG Exchange
System. She is responsible for protecting non-appropriated funded (NAF) assets by
monitoring store assets as well as the shopcgx.com website. Ms. Schwab is commended
for continuously demonstrating honor, respect and devotion to duty, dedication to
mission, and compassion.
10. The diligence and dedication of our highly skilled civilian employees greatly
contributed to the accomplishment of the Coast Guard's operational mission
readiness. These exceptional employees represent a small yet impressive snapshot of
the quality of our dedicated civilian workforce.
11. I would like to thank all the commands that submitted over 80 nominations for
both the CEOY and the NAF EOY Awards combined. All nominated have my heartfelt
gratitude for their dedicated service. 
12. All award recipients will be recognized on 08 May 2018 at a ceremony to be held
at USCG Headquarters. Please join me in congratulating Mr. Benson, Jr., Mr. Hecker,
Ms. Brink, Mr. Vasquez, Mr. Guzman, Mr. Johnson, Ms. Ivanovsky, and Ms. Schwab for
truly exemplifying the Coast Guard's core values of Honor, Respect, and Devotion to Duty.
13. RDML William G. Kelly, Assistant Commandant for Human Resources, sends.
14. Internet release authorized.