 |
MCRC Civilian Receives Commanding General's Highest Award
(February 25, 2011) |
|
|
| MARINE CORPS BASE QUANTICO, Va. (MCN - 2/23/2011) — The
iconic image of a Marine recruiter in dress blues makes it
easy to forget the nearly 300 civilians of Marine Corps
Recruiting Command working just as hard behind the scenes to
take young adults from the couch to the yellow footprints. |
Elizabeth Montalvo (center), deputy assistant chief of staff G-1, Marine Corps Recruiting Command, is joined by her family Feb. 11, 2011 after being awarded the Navy Meritorious Civilian Service medal. Montalvo's son, Maj. Eric Montalvo (pictured second left), will be joining II Marine Expeditionary Force for their upcoming deployment to Afghanistan. |
|
One of those
civilians was recently honored for her service to
MCRC and the recruiting mission.
Elizabeth
Montalvo, deputy assistant chief of staff G-1, MCRC,
was awarded the Navy Meritorious Civilian Service
Award Feb. 11.
“She is extremely dedicated
to her job,” said Vickie Hall, management support
coordinator, MCRC. “She looks at the whole picture;
how things will affect individuals as well as the
command.”
“Her drive to keep MCRC ahead of
the curve with all the changes to the civilian
manpower management systems made her stand out,”
said Lt. Col. Jasper Senter, Marine Corps
Administrative Analysis Team, Manpower and Reserve
Affairs. “I wouldn't have been as successful at what
I was doing without her.”
Senter, MCRC's
former assistant chief of staff G-1, recommended
Montalvo for the award, which according to Manpower
Management Division Military Awards Branch (MMMA) is
the |
|
military equivalent of the Legion of Merit. |
|
According to Kimberly Sylke, Civilian Personnel
Programs Civilian Workforce Management Branch, Manpower and
Reserve Affairs. to receive the NMCA, the achievements or
service must "be truly exceptional when measured against the
position requirements of the individual and should far
exceed the contributions and service of others with
comparable responsibilities."
It is the third highest
award for civilians in the Department of the Navy and the
highest award that the commanding general of MCRC could have
given.
The award highlights Montalvo's continued
dedication to the Marine Corps. She served in the Marine
Corps for 23 years, retiring as a major before assuming her
current duties.
Montalvo received this honor for her
efforts in seamlessly leading MCRC's transition from the
General Schedule to the National Security Personnel System
and back to the General Schedule pay system. These systems
are used to determine pay and performance standards for
Department of Defense civilian employees.
The NSPS
replaced General Schedule in 2008. On Oct. 29, 2009,
President Barack Obama signed the National Defense
Authorization Act of 2010, repealing NSPS and paving the way
for the return of its predecessor.
“My team created
the process to do the transition,” said Montalvo. “The
challenge was to make sure the transition didn't cause any
disruption in pay or the careers of the people who work
here.”
The law mandated that the transition did not
result in employees making less than they did under NSPS.
To ease the transition, the Interim Performance
Management System was developed by the Department of the
Navy and implemented in May of 2010.
Implementing
the system involved developing spread sheets and online
training tools to prepare workers for what was to come.
After creating the tools, it was Montalvo's job to get MCRC
civilians up to speed on the transition.
“I went to
the recruiting regions and districts to educate everyone
about the transition,” said Montalvo.
Because MCRC
was so successful in transitioning from GS to N.S.P.S, it
was the first command to implement the IPMS.
“The
transition was made in record time and with no loss in pay,”
said Montalvo.
“She stayed out in front of all the
changes encompassing the civilian manpower management
programs,” said Senter.
Despite her accomplishments and
recognition, Montalvo remains humble and focused on her
mission.
“It's a privilege to work alongside
Marines,” said Montalvo. “I don't do it for awards.” |
Article and photo by USMC LCpl. David Flynn
Marine Corps Recruiting Command
Copyright 2011 | |
Reprinted from
Marine Corps News
Comment on this article |
|
