FORT LEE, Va., 2015-3-23 — /EPR Retail News/ — The Defense Commissary Agency presented its 2014 Equal Employment Opportunity Awards March 3.
“As an agency we are dedicated to promoting fairness, objectivity and equality within DeCA’s workforce,” said DeCA Director and CEO Joseph H. Jeu. “Our award winners personify our commitment to equal employment opportunity.”
Leader of the Year: Gabriel Lugo, commissary officer, Pensacola Commissary, Florida. Lugo’s leadership nurtured a diverse workforce of 83 percent minorities and women, representing more than 37 percent of supervisory and work leader positions, far surpassing population equity. He also hired eight employees with targeted disabilities, with exceptional success.
Employee of the Year: L.C. Williams, sales store checker, Fort Hood II Commissary, Texas. Williams serves as a liaison between DeCA and the Fort Hood Equal Employment Opportunity Office, working to resolve disputes and complaints. He remains active in community outreach, representing the store at newcomers’ events, post-wide holiday charity projects and special observance programs.
Organization of the Year: Central Area, Zone 4, Eglin Commissary, Florida. Led by Zone Manager Monique Mullin-Mings, this zone championed awareness and total team involvement in the agency’s equal employment opportunity objectives, including employment of individuals with targeted disabilities and promoting opportunities for employees by focusing on merit, diversity and inclusion.
Disabled Employee of the Year, announced in June 2014: Jenobia Pitts, Patrick Commissary, Florida. Pitts, diagnosed at age 2 with cerebral palsy, decided early on never to let her disability interfere with experiencing life to its fullest, and she recently finished her master’s degree in business.
“[Ms. Pitts’] dedication … and true compassion for others has fostered an atmosphere of mutual cooperation … throughout the surrounding military community,” read her nomination package. Pitts represented DeCA for the Department of Defense Disabled Employee of the Year ceremony in the Pentagon in October 2014. She was one of 19 government civilians and military members recognized during the event.
Also, during October, National Disability Employment Awareness Month, DeCA was one of six organizations honored by the state of Virginia as a champion in disability employment.
NOTE: To see photos of DeCA’s EEO Award recipients, go to our Flickr page.
About DeCA: The Defense Commissary Agency operates a worldwide chain of commissaries providing groceries to military personnel, retirees and their families in a safe and secure shopping environment. Authorized patrons purchase items at cost plus a 5-percent surcharge, which covers the costs of building new commissaries and modernizing existing ones. Shoppers save an average of more than 30 percent on their purchases compared to commercial prices – savings amounting to thousands of dollars annually. A core military family support element, and a valued part of military pay and benefits, commissaries contribute to family readiness, enhance the quality of life for America’s military and their families, and help recruit and retain the best and brightest men and women to serve their country.
Media Contact:
Kevin L. Robinson
(804) 734-8000, Ext. 4-8773
kevin.robinson@deca.mil