Members of the CH-46E program office (PMA-226) acquisition team, winners of the 2010 NAVAIR Small Business Advocacy Group Award: (L to R): Brian Alexander, Operations Officer, PMA-226, Andy Wilkinson, Deputy Program Manager, PMA-226, Jessica Vallandingham, Contract Specialist, Janice Woehrer, Contracting Officer, Angela Padgett, AIR 1.3 Department Head, Rhonda Link, T58 Business Financial Manager, PMA-226, Keith Sanders, Assistant Commander for Acquisition, AIR 1.0. Not present, Kris Laspada, Lead Business Financial Manager, PMA-226, Dewana Jarona, Contract Specialist, PMA-226, and Jon Winchester, Airframes Deputy Program Manager, PMA-226. (Photo: NAVAIR)
PATUXENT RIVER, Md. (October 14, 2010)—The acquisition team of the CH-46E program office, PMA-226, located at Cherry Point, N.C. was awarded the 2010 NAVAIR Small Business Advocacy Group Award during a ceremony here Sept. 21.
The award was presented to the team for exceptional achievement in promoting NAVAIR’s strategic priorities of current readiness, future capability and people, and the team’s contributions to the advancement of the Small Business Program. “This the first time that AIR 1.0 has won this noteworthy award, and this team definitely earned it,” said Keith Sanders, assistant commander for Acquisition (AIR-1.0).
According to Jill Moore, deputy director, NAVAIR Office of Small Business Programs here, the award recognizes teams and individuals who have significantly contributed to working with small businesses around the country. ”This team worked very hard to involve small businesses from the very beginning. They did their market research, they got our office involved and they are setting the example of how a program office can benefit from working with small businesses,” said Moore.
PMA-226 worked with veteran owned small businesses and service disabled veteran owned small businesses for critical replacement parts for the CH-46E and services needed by the program office. PMA-226’s winning team includes people from different competencies, contracting officers, small business experts and have people based here and at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, N.C. Despite the different locations, they worked together, partnered with small businesses to deliver key capabilities to one of the Marine Corps workhorses, the CH-46E helicopter.
“I could not be prouder of my team for winning this small business award,” said Lt. Col. Paul Riegert, PMA-226 program manager. “The companies we work with are agile, responsive, and effective. They provide critical contract service support and replacement parts for the CH-46E that are high quality and they are delivering them on time and on budget. Their skills and talents are contributing to the overall advancement of safety and sustainment initiatives to enhance the performance of the CH-46E helicopter in order to keep it operationally effective until replaced by the MV-22 Osprey.”
PMA-226 is in Air 1.0 and provides complete life-cycle management of the H-46 helicopter and T58 turbo shaft engine.
Source: Naval Air Systems Command