JACKSONVILLE, Fla. –
Steven Spielberg once said this about mentoring: “The delicate balance of mentoring someone is not creating them in your own image, but giving them the opportunity to create themselves.”
No one understands these ideals better than Joshua Dowler, the 2020 Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) National Mentor of the Year Award winner for FRCSE, and Fleet Readiness Center Southeast’s (FRCSE) 2020 Dora Quinlan Mentor Award winners, Savanna Massey and Aviation Electrician’s Mate 1st Class Brian Woolford.
To earn these awards, a mentor must be nominated by their fellow peers or their mentee through a written submission.. Each narrative must identify how the mentor has represented leadership, skill, productivity, and how they improved morale and workforce retention. Mentors are recognized for their ability to align their development and mentoring skills with the mission of Naval aviation.
Dowler was nominated by coworker and mentee Sean O’Toole. The two have shared an informal but highly impactful mentor and mentee relationships since O’Toole was hired nearly three years ago.
“I am so honored to receive the NAVAIR National Mentor of the Year Award for FRCSE,” said Dowler. “I know there are many great mentors within the organization that make a huge difference every day. My receipt of this award is a great reflection of the hard work and dedication that my mentee continuously brings to the job, coupled with his thoughtfulness to nominate me in the first place. I’m honored to be recognized in this way.”
All recipients accepted their honors at a small presentation on site at FRCSE due to COVID-19 restrictions.
Dowler will also be recognized during a virtually broadcast ceremony called NAVAIR’s Mentoring Across the Organization event, an annual celebration that takes place during mentoring month.
“I am usually not one that does well with public recognition, but for me, there is nothing more gratifying than being recognized by my peers for mentorship,” said Massey. “In the multigenerational workforce we are in today, there is a high turnover rate. Mentorship is vital to the continuous evolution of the depot now more than ever.”
Both awards hold plenty of prestige, as each is recognized across COMFRC and NAVAIR. The Dora Quinlan Award is named after the first mentor ever recognized at FRCSE. Sadly, Dora lost her battle with cancer in 2016.
“A dedicated mentor can combine commitment and passion to help inspire, mold and influence others, and that is exactly the case for these award winners,” said FRCSE’s Commanding Officer, Col. Fred Schenk. “Each of these individuals has combined skilled mentoring with individual expertise and a commitment to the warfighter. They are more than deserving of this great honor.”
About Fleet Readiness Center Southeast
Fleet Readiness Center Southeast (FRCSE) is Northeast Florida and Southeast Georgia's largest maintenance, repair, overhaul and technical services provider, employing more than 5,000 civilian, military and contract workers. With annual revenue exceeding $1 billion, the organization serves as an integral part of the greater U.S. Navy, Naval Air Systems Command, and Commander, Fleet Readiness Centers by maintaining the combat air power for America's military forces.