Two developing leaders from Norfolk Naval Shipyard (NNSY) and the Naval Foundry and Propeller Center (NFPC) were honored with their selection into the Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) Next Generation (NextGen) Leadership Program.

"The NextGen Program is the first of three leadership programs in our corporation which allow people to continue to grow professionally," said Nuclear Engineering and Planning Manager Curt Hart. "Participants get to experience leadership concepts through reading, exercises, mentoring, and shadowing leaders at their activity. In addition, they also get to participate in activities that spur innovation across NAVSEA."

Among those selected for Cadre III were NNSY Waterfront Engineer Jake McGeehan and NFPC Administrative Assistant Shelia Stokes, each bringing their own wealth of experience to the command as well as their own goals for the future.

"I have 20 years of experience in project management, training and development, and accounting," said Stokes. "I've had such a positive experience at NFPC and would love to continue to provide the same experience to others as a leader. I see so much potential and growth within my department. What better way to serve the department and the command than to start from the bottom, learn the ins-and-outs of every area, and grow within so that I can continue to do what I love, which is leading, mentoring, training, and development. This program will give me the tools and a pathway to grow over time and become a good leader for the organization."

Stokes continued, "This leadership program will help me learn more about others and myself. We are all leaders in some shape or form and this program will allow me to determine better ways and ideas of becoming a more effective leader. I will also have the opportunity to learn more about other styles of management and the areas NAVSEA supports. I recently finished Lean Six Sigma Green Belt Training and intend to incorporate that with the training I receive from the NextGen Program to develop my coaching skills, project management skills, and streamline processes for more efficient production practices within NAVSEA."

McGeehan graduated in May 2018 from Penn State University with a degree in Mechanical Engineering, before moving to Norfolk to begin his career at NNSY. "When I became part of Code 267, I was immediately taken in by many code members to be mentored and trained on the many ship systems we were responsible for," he said. "When I first heard about this program, I was curious to find out more. I spoke with a former code member who had participated in the Journey Level Leadership Program (the program a step above the NextGen Program) and he shared how great his experience had been in the program and highly recommended it. I knew that this program would give me a different opportunity to see how we as a shipyard operate and better my understanding of why we do what we do everyday."

McGeehan continued, "What I am looking forward to the most with the NextGen Program is the opportunity to connect and network with NAVSEA employees from different locations and jobs around the country and gain insights from their different perspectives. This program will allow me to expand my knowledge of why we do what we do here at NNSY, but I am also looking forward to learning about all the different things NAVSEA does to support the Navy's mission."

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