CPPD 2012 Performance Award Winners set Bar High for Customer Service

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (NNS) -- The Center for Personal and Professional Development (CPPD) recognized its outstanding Navy College Offices, learning sites and reserve unit of 2012, command leadership said Feb. 8.

The CPPD Performance Quality Award Winners for Fiscal Year 2012 were the Navy College Offices in Bahrain; Naples, Italy; and Coronado, Calif; CPPD Learning Sites in Corry Station, Fla.; and King's Bay, Ga.; and the entire CPPD Reserve Unit.

"I'm pleased to recognize such an outstanding group of people dedicated to providing the best possible support for Sailors' personal and professional development," said Capt. John Newcomer, CPPD's commanding officer. "We're a small yet global command, and the performance of this year's winners shows the high level of commitment CPPD's team members have to helping develop Sailors who think critically, act responsibly and lead proactively - to make the best possible decisions on and off duty."

Navy College Office (NCO) Bahrain, which won in the small NCO staff category, provides educational outreach to the Naval Forces Central Command area of responsibility. NCO Bahrain conducted 150 briefings for more than 5,000 customers at 92 tenant commands, including Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Oman, Qatar, Isa Air Base and Yemen. Through combined efforts and coordination across regions, the office had a 98 percent enrollment completion rate, with more than 268 college graduates.

"This is an amazing level of customer service, especially considering the office staff consisted of one person for most of 2012," said Dr. Mary Redd-Clary, director of the Voluntary Education program, which is administered by CPPD.

Navy College Office Naples, which won in the medium NCO staff category, provides educational outreach to the local Naples area and Africa Command. The Naples team also provided technical guidance to the education services officer aboard the Sixth Fleet flagship USS Mount Whitney (LLC/JCC 20) in the preparation of education plans for ships using Navy College Program for Afloat College Education (NCPACE). The education plans were instrumental in the enrollment of more than 80 Sailors, 62 of whom received college degrees. As the European Regional Defense Language Testing Center, NCO Naples also logged 42 percent of Defense Language Proficiency Tests (DLPTs) administered in Europe and South West Asia.

Navy College Office Coronado, which took the NCO large staff category, provides educational outreach to the Coronado area and Point Loma. The team at this NCO distinguished itself by recording more than 12,180 combined completions and enrollments, which produced 252 college graduates. It also provided education services to more than 49,000 Navy personnel, hosted six education fairs, and coordinated more than 140 NCPACE courses for deployed Sailors. NCO Coronado also organized on-site instructor-led classes and facilitated outreach to more than 49 tenant commands.

"The educational professionals at all 35 NCOs give everything they have to helping Sailors find avenues to pursue their life-long education goals, which equips them with strong analytical skills and the ability to make informed decisions," said Redd-Clary. "For the Voluntary Education team, we are strongly committed to helping every Sailor we can, which is well demonstrated by the impressive accomplishments of these award winners."

The 2012 Performance Quality Award winners for CPPD's Learning Sites and Reserve Units also accomplished impressive metrics that supported the command's mission to develop and deliver education and training opportunities that build personal, professional and leadership competencies to achieve fleet readiness.

Learning Site Corry Station won the large learning site category for posting a 104 percent instructor utilization rate and 100 percent completion of all Personal and Professional Development Assist Team (PPDAT) visits that resulted in a 71.5 percent seat utilization rate of CPPD courses at that site. Nearly 80 percent of the site's instructors qualified to deliver more than one course of instruction in FY-12, and 44 percent of instructors completed requirements for their Master Training Specialist (MTS) qualification.

Learning Site Kings Bay won the small learning site category by posting similarly impressive statistics. This team had a 90 percent instructor utilization rate, and a 141 percent PPDAT completion rate resulting in a 70 percent seat utilization rate. More than 90 percent of instructors cross-qualified to deliver more than one course, and 47 percent of Kings Bay instructors completed their MTS requirements.

Although usually awarded to a single reserve unit, the entire CPPD Reserve Unit was awarded for its team effort in FY-12 that resulted in the unit's most productive year in its history, according to Newcomer. The Reserve Unit accounted for 25 percent of the overall CPPD mission by delivering almost 500 courses and graduating more than 9,000 Sailors while simultaneously reducing the command's travel costs.

"I am proud of the work CPPD's learning sites and our Reserve Unit have accomplished over the course of 2012," said Newcomer. "All of these team members play a vital role in executing CPPD's strategic mission and vision. Their efforts not only helped CPPD have one of the most productive years in the command's history, but also contributed to unparalleled mission readiness across the operational force."

While Newcomer is pleased with this year's performance, he still seeks to set the bar ever higher. "Competition was extremely tight this year, and there are many best practices that can be shared throughout the domain to make the FY-13 competition even better," he said.

CPPD is responsible for providing a wide range of personal and professional development courses and materials, including General Military Training, Navy instructor training, alcohol and drug awareness program training, suicide and sexual assault prevention, bystander intervention, and personal responsibility classes. CPPD's required leadership training is delivered multiple times throughout a Sailor's career via command-delivered enlisted leadership training material and officer leadership courses in a schoolhouse setting. CPPD also administers the Navy's voluntary education program, which provides Sailors with the opportunity to earn college degrees. CPPD additionally manages the United Services Military Apprenticeship Program (USMAP), which offers Sailors the opportunity to earn civilian apprenticeship certifications.

For more information about the Center for Personal and Professional Development (CPPD), visit https://www.netc.navy.mil/centers/cppd/.

For more news from the Center for Personal and Professional Development, visit www.navy.mil/local/voledpao/, https://www.facebook.com/pages/Center-for-Personal-and-Professional-Development/100056459206 and on Twitter @CENPERSPROFDEV.