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COMMODORE GREANOFF INSPIRATIONAL LEADERSHIP AWARD RECIPIENT
ALCOAST 125/07
R 151632Z MAR 07 ZUI ASN-A00074000018 ZYB
FM COMDT COGARD WASHINGTON DC//CG-00//
TO ALCOAST
BT
UNCLAS //N16790//
ALCOAST 125/07
COMDTNOTE 16790
SUBJ: COMMODORE GREANOFF INSPIRATIONAL LEADERSHIP AWARD RECIPIENT
1. I AM PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE THAT MS. CHRISTELLA (CHRIS) GRESS FROM
GRAND ISLAND NEW YORK, IMMEDIATE PAST FLOTILLA COMMANDER OF
FLOTILLA 35, DISTRICT 9 EASTERN AUXILIARY REGION (9ER), HAS BEEN
SELECTED AS THE FIRST COMO CHARLES S. GREANOFF INSPIRATIONAL
LEADERSHIP AWARD WINNER. THIS AWARD SERVES TO ANNUALLY RECOGNIZE
THE MOST DISTINGUISHED AUXILIARY FLOTILLA COMMANDER AND PARALLELS
OUR EXISTING INSPIRATIONAL LEADERSHIP AWARDS FOR OFFICERS, CHIEF
PETTY OFFICERS (E-7), AND CIVILIANS.
2. MS. GRESS DEMONSTRATED EXEMPLARY PERFORMANCE AS A FLOTILLA
COMMANDER IN 2006 AND HAS BEEN DESCRIBED AS ONE WHO NOT ONLY GETS
TASKS ACCOMPLISHED BUT TRULY MOTIVATES OTHERS. IN 2006 ALONE, MS.
GRESS DEDICATED OVER 800 HOURS OF HER TIME, AVERAGING 15 HOURS
WEEKLY, TO THE AUXILIARY WHILE HOLDING MULTIPLE COLLEGE-LEVEL
TEACHING JOBS, WORKING ON A DOCTORAL DISSERTATION, AND VOLUNTEERING
IN HER COMMUNITY.
3. AS A NEWLY ELECTED FLOTILLA COMMANDER, MS. GRESS MADE MORALE HER
PERSONAL PRIORITY AND STROVE TO DEVELOP THE SENSE OF COLLECTIVE
IDENTITY AND PRIDE ESSENTIAL FOR SUCCESSFULL MISSION EXECUTION.
SHE WAS THE DRIVING FORCE IN DEVELOPING AND EDITING A FLOTILLA
NEWSLETTER THAT EMPHASIZED ENCOURAGING ARTICLES AND PHOTOS
PROMOTING STRONG, POSITIVE, LEADERSHIP EXAMPLES. THE NEWSLETTER
INSPIRED THE EFFORTS OF OTHER FLOTILLAS AND WAS RECOGNIZED AS THE
DISTRICT 9ER OUTSTANDING PUBLICATION IN 2005.
4. MS. GRESS HOSTED TEAM EXERCISES TOGETHER WITH FELLOWSHIP EVENTS
AT HER HOME AND ENCOURAGED FLOTILLA SUPPORT OF COMMUNITY EVENTS
CONTRIBUTING TO A HEIGHTENED SENSE OF COMMITMENT AMONG FLOTILLA
MEMBERS. UNDER HER LEADERSHIP, FLOTILLA INVOLVEMENT HAS INCREASED
BY BOTH WELCOMING NEW MEMBERS AND INCREASING ACTIVITY AMONG
EXPERIENCED MEMBERS. ACTIVELY MENTORING NEW MEMBERS, ELECTED
OFFICEHOLDERS AND THOSE ASSUMING NEW STAFF POSITIONS, MS. GRESS
CLOSELY FOLLOWED THE STATUS OF MEMBER QUALIFICATIONS AND ASSISTED
WITH CURRENCY REQUIREMENTS. IN ADDITION, SHE WORKED CLOSELY WITH
MEMBER TRAINING OFFICERS AT FLOTILLA, DIVISION, AND DISTRICT LEVELS
TO ASSURE THAT PROPER AND FREQUENT TRAINING WAS PROVIDED FOR ALL
MEMBERS. HER EFFORTS YIELDED TANGIBLE RESULTS AS MEMBER
INVOLVEMENT INCREASED IN PROGRAMS INCLUDING VESSEL EXAMINATIONS,
PUBLIC EDUCATION, OPERATIONS, AND AIDS TO NAVIGATION. WHETHER
WORKING WITH FOTILLA MEMBERS ENGAGED IN MISSION EXECUTION OR
COLLABORATING WITH DIVISION-LEVEL COMMANDERS TO ACHIEVE CONSENSUS,
SHE HAS BEEN DESCRIBED AS A NATURAL MOTIVATOR WITH THE ABILITY TO
BUILD ESPRIT DE CORPS.
5. THROUGH PERSONAL INTEGRITY, ETHICAL CONDUCT, HUMILITY AND
GENUINE RESPECT FOR OTHERS, MS. GRESS HAS EARNED THE HIGH ESTEEM
AND ADMIRATION OF FOLLOWERS AND PEERS ALIKE. HER INSPIRED
LEADERSHIP DRAMATICALLY UNDERSCORES THE VALUE WE PLACE ON PEOPLE AS
OUR MOST VITAL RESOURCE AND HER DEMONSTRATED LEADERSHIP REINFORCES
THE IMPORTANCE OF OUR CORE VALUES OF HONOR, RESPECT, AND DEVOTION
TO DUTY. I APPLAUD THE EFFORTS OF MS. GRESS AND THE OTHER GREANOFF
INSPIRATIONAL LEADERSHIP AWARD NOMINEES. THEY TRULY DEMONSTRATE
THAT PEOPLE ARE THE FOUNDATION FOR SUCCESSFUL MISSION EXECUTION.
6. ALTHOUGH THIS WAS THE FIRST YEAR FOR THIS INSPIRATIONAL
LEADERSHIP AWARD, I WAS PLEASED TO FIND THAT QUALIFIED NOMINEES
WERE IDENTIFIED FROM FLOTILLAS ACROSS THE COUNTRY. HONORABLE
MENTION IS EXTENDED TO THE FOLLOWING FINALISTS:
A. GREGORY GAMACHE DISTRICT 7, FLOTILLA 11-1
B. ALFRED VERDI DISTRICT 11-SOUTHERN REGION, FLOTILLA 12-4
7. THE SELECTION PANEL WAS COMPRISED OF THE FOLLOWING MEMBERS:
A. MITCHELL MUTNICK (COAST GUARD AUXILIARY)
B. CAPT BRIAN KELLEY (SECTOR BALTIMORE)
C. CAPT MICHAEL SULLIVAN (CG-3RPD)
D. CAPT VINCENT DELAURENTIS (CG-12B)
E. SAM KIM (CG-512)
F. MCPO ANN TUBBS (CG-00B)
8. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON THE INSPIRATIONAL LEADERSHIP AWARD
PROGRAM IS AVAILABLE ON THE CG-133 WEB SITE, WWW.USCG.MIL/LEADERSHIP (UNDER INSPIRATIONAL LEADERSHIP AWARDS).
9. MS. GRESS WILL BE RECOGNIZED AT THE INSPIRATIONAL LEADERSHIP
AWARDS PRESENTATION CEREMONY TO BE HELD AT CG HEADQUARTERS IN THE
NEAR FUTURE.
10. INTERNET RELEASE AUTHORIZED.
11. ADM T. W. ALLEN, COMMANDANT, SENDS.
BT
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