Ceremony honors employees who volunteer their time in support of command ERGs

Ceremony honors employees who volunteer their time in support of command ERGs

By Ben Hutto, PSNS & IMF Public Affairs

Puget Sound Naval Shipyard & Intermediate Maintenance Facility's Command Culture and Engagement Council held its annual Employee Resource Group awards ceremony in the Shipyard Auditorium, Oct. 8, to celebrate command employees who volunteer their time to help others.

ERGs are voluntary, employee-led groups at PSNS & IMF whose aim is to foster a diverse workplace from all segments of society within the organization.

Leaders, champions and supervisors from 11 different ERGs were all recognized for the work they contribute to their various groups and to the shipyard.

"Your work is so valuable," said Chris Klinkert, director, Code 700, Lifting and Handling. "You all bring awareness to issues in the command that we would be blind to without you. More importantly, along with that awareness, you bring ideas for solving the issues and moving the command forward."

ERG groups have supported employees across the command in 2024, sending representatives to dozens of shipyard events, including the command's recent Pathway to Safety Event, two PSNS & IMF Hiring Fairs, Integrated Project Team Developments, and events conducted by PSNS & IMF shops and codes in support of their employees.

That support enabled ERGs to grow and send representatives to various learning conferences throughout the year, including the Federal Asian Pacific American Council conference, the Federally Employed Women conference, the League of United Latin American Citizens conference, the National LGBTQ Chamber of Commerce conference, the Blacks in Government conference and the Society of American Indian Government Employees conference. Attending the conferences allowed the ERG representatives to come back with important information and strategies to help their members thrive.

"Mission is what we do. People are who we are," said Jenna McGrath, program manager, Code 392, Submarine Program Office.

At the end of the ceremony, Capt. JD Crinklaw, commander, PSNS & IMF, addressed the group and thanked them for their contributions to the shipyard. He encouraged them to keep working to help make a more open environment where everyone can thrive.

"These groups allow us to build better teams and increase our ability to contribute," Crinklaw said. "They are critical to who we are as an organization."