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Fort Drum officials recognize contributions of Lean Six Sigma program, participants – w/pic – 79 picas

Thursday, 18 February 2010

Steve Frith
Lean Six Sigma belts' projects have saved millions of dollars for Fort Drum during the past fiscal year. From left are Col. Kenneth Riddle, Fort Drum garrison commander; Patrick Witham, green belt, Directorate of Emergency Services; Lawrence Goins, green belt, Directorate of Resource Management; Matthew Blount, green belt, Directorate of Logistics; Joseph Fedorko, green belt, Office of the Staff Judge Advocate; Diane McMullen, green belt, DHR; Mary Ann Koch, green belt, Directorate of Public Works; James Garrett, black belt, Plans, Analysis and Integration Office; and Judith Gentner, deputy to the garrison commander.Pfc. Michael Syner
Lt. Col. Michael Slocum and Command Sgt. Maj. Rigoberto Hernandez uncase the colors of the 1st Attack Battalion, 10th Aviation Regiment, 10th Combat Aviation Brigade during a ceremony Feb. 5 at Wheeler-Sack Army Airfield. The battalion has been assigned to 10th Mountain Division (LI) since the fall of 2008, when Soldiers deployed with 10th CAB in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom 09-11.

Fort Drum and Lean Six Sigma program officials recently took time to recognize employees whose efforts resulted in $5.6 million in savings and cost avoidance (a measure of efficiency improvements) generated by the program during fiscal year 2009.

Jim Garrett, Lean Six Sigma program manager and LSS black belt, presented a ceremonial check to Col. Kenneth Riddle, Fort Drum garrison commander, and Judy Gentner, deputy to the garrison commander, during a luncheon Feb. 3 at the Commons.

More than 50 people attended the luncheon, which the Plans, Analysis, and Integration Office’s Business Transformation team organized to recognize the hard work and contributions of all members of the program who had contributed during the year. Project team members, resource managers and LSS belts received Department of the Army certificates of appreciation and LSS program lapel pins for their efforts.

“I really appreciate the fact that PAIO even thought to recognize individuals involved in the LSS program. It’s great motivation and good for morale,” said Denise Wallace, Fort Drum equal employment opportunity officer.

“It was wonderful to be recognized for the input on an LSS project,” said Cait Schadock, National Environmental Policy Act program manager and a project team member.

Riddle presented comments about the program’s many accomplishments for FY 2009, including exceeding its training goals for green belts by 140 percent, exceeding certification goals by 300 percent and surpassing the financial goal of $4.1 million with a total of $5.6 million for the year.

The garrison commander said he was at first skeptical of the program, concerned that it might be another method to take resources or jobs from the work force. He told the audience he has become a believer in the program, and that Fort Drum is doing things properly with the program here.

Garrett closed the event by asking everyone to continue to provide the Business Transformation Team with improvement ideas, to allow the program to continue making jobs easier and to stretch scarce resources as far as possible.

He said program leaders would like to present an even larger check at the FY 2010 program recognition luncheon, but they need everyone’s continued support and ideas to do so.

Anyone who has an idea for improving a process or stretching resources (staff’s time, money or other resources) may submit it through his or her supervisory chain, through the LSS ICE card or through e-mail to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

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