NAVFAC engineers recognized for superior service

APRA HARBOR, Guam—Naval Facilities Engineering Command Marianas formally recognized its military and civilian Engineers of the Year during an awards ceremony on Oct. 28 at Naval Base Guam.

Naval Base Guam Public Works Department Facilities Engineering and Acquisitions Division director Lt. Cmdr. Henry Suter III was awarded Military Engineer of the Year for his outstanding leadership and noteworthy accomplishments; NAVFAC Marianas supervisory general engineer Kenneth Gould was awarded Civilian Engineer of the Year for his technical expertise and razor-sharp focus on mission.

“I am honored and humbled,” said Suter. “This represents an acknowledgement of what I have done, reflects the efforts and results of the teams I have led and the people I have worked with over the past year.”

Suter manages an office of 46 personnel and 128 facilities construction and renovation projects with collective contract values of approximately $300 million. During the year, Suter developed a scoring algorithm designed to objectively allocate facilities improvement funds to maximize mission readiness for the installation, and led his team to execute in excess of $15 million in facilities construction and improvement projects.

“I think my greatest accomplishment this year was introducing a leadership style to FEAD that empowered my team to succeed, and improved morale in the workplace,” he said. “New personnel are able to tell within a few days that although we are very busy there is a positive work environment.”

Gould is credited for improving office productivity while executing $74 million in construction projects. He is further recognized for resolving challenges by injecting efficiencies within the munitions and explosives of concern program, which led to dramatic improvements in project timing and costs.

“I am honored to be recognized for this prestigious award,” said Gould. “I would like to thank the team that I have the good fortune to work with here at resident officer in charge of construction Finegayan as this is a great recognition for them.”

Gould also improved processes resulting in cost savings of $6 million on construction projects and has dedicated more than 40 hours per quarter to training new field employees in construction.

“I believe that training and mentorship is imperative in order to build a strong team where every member is important and takes ownership in projects that promote team success,” Gould said.

In separate congratulatory letters from NAVFAC Marianas commanding officer Capt. Stephanie Jones, Suter and Gould were appreciated for their continued exemplary service.

“Suter’s exceptional professional engineering and leadership were instrumental in the successful execution of facilities construction and improvement projects supporting mission readiness for Naval Base Guam,” wrote Jones. “Gould’s selection attests to his technical knowledge, professionalism, mission focus and outstanding accomplishments while serving.”

Each year, NAVFAC Marianas selects a military and civilian engineer of the year by panel and submits selections to NAVFAC Pacific where their nominations compete to represent the Pacific area of responsibility in a higher award recognition program. NAVFAC Marianas has more than 500 highly skilled civilian federal service employees, 30 military officers, and 15 enlisted Seabees. (USN)