Fleet Readiness Center East (FRCE) recently named a logistics employee the command’s 2025 Supervisor of the Year for their commitment to boosting productivity and fostering a work environment focused on support and growth.

The Supervisor of the Year Award is presented to individuals who exhibit exceptional leadership, foster a positive work environment and achieve impactful results for the command and the warfighter. FRCE Commanding Officer Capt. Randy Berti recognized production control supervisor Hilton Chapman Jr. as this year’s FRCE Supervisor of the Year, noting his dedication to supporting the mission.

“Hilton has stepped up recently, taking on a much bigger role that has helped us continue our support of warfighter readiness,” said Randy Berti. “He went from managing production control for one aircraft line to managing production control for all aircraft lines at FRC East. He leads with an emphasis on teamwork and motivates his teammates to grow into the best versions of themselves, all in support of the mission. His hard work and dedication to FRC East have not gone unnoticed.”

Chapman began his career at FRCE as a production controller in 2012, after working as a contractor at the facility for three years. In 2022, he assumed his first supervisory role at the depot as the V-22 production control supervisor. Chapman now serves as the production control supervisor for all aircraft lines maintained by FRCE, including the V-22, H-53, C-130, F-35 and F/A-18 lines. He said while he is honored to be selected for this achievement, he credits his success to the hard work and dedication of the individuals on his team.  

“It’s been a journey and I’ve learned a lot throughout my time here,” said Chapman. “I am very proud to have been selected for this award, but this is a group effort. I have a good group of people on my team who want to work, and I am very proud of them. They make my job easy – I don’t think I could ask for anything more than that.”

Chapman said the foundation of his leadership style is built on fairness, mutual respect and open communication – principles he believes are essential for boosting productivity and morale.

“Having a good relationship with your coworkers and fostering a positive environment is really important because when you do, they’re going to do whatever they can to help and get the job done,” said Chapman. “We are all human, and we make mistakes. It happens. What’s important is how we respond, especially those of us in leadership. When I came into this position, I was determined to be different. My motto is to treat people the way you want to be treated. I think that goes a long way and my teammates respect me for that.”

Industrial Product Management Branch Head Leon “Frenchie” Lafreniere, who serves as Chapman’s supervisor, said Chapman leads with strength and purpose, recognizing the importance that production control plays in the depot’s operations.

“I have put a lot of extra responsibility on Hilton in the last couple of months and he has handled it really well,” said Lafreniere. “He is deserving of this award. Production control directly supports the work we do at this facility. It’s like the internal post office that makes sure aircraft components, parts and general supplies get where they need to go – from bringing them into the depot and tracking them the entire time they’re here, to sending them back out to the fleet when they’re done. It’s an important part of FRC East’s operations. He has been doing a great job, and his efforts are noticed.”

V-22 production controller Shanna Cannon said she nominated Chapman for this award because he is an exemplary leader who genuinely cares about the well-being of his team and provides consistent support.

“Having been a part of his team for nearly four years, my views and perceptions of the depot have been significantly shaped by his just, fair and impactful leadership style,” said Cannon. “I’ve worked with a lot of supervisors – all of which have been great – but with Hilton, I know he genuinely cares about his employees. He’s there for us whenever we need him and is often out interacting with us. Hilton clearly communicates his expectations and when offering constructive feedback, he not only identifies areas for improvement, but also celebrates our hard work and excellence, which helps create a motivated and engaged team.”  

Cannon said Chapman places a strong emphasis on mentoring and training and often seeks out development opportunities that can help the employees on his teams grow within their roles.

“Hilton has fostered an environment among our teammates to help uplift and push each other to learn,” said Cannon. “If you’re willing to put the effort in and learn, he is willing to share that knowledge and help you grow. He also encourages more experienced employees to guide their less experienced colleagues along the way.”

Chapman said he prioritizes professional growth because he believes it is crucial part of building a successful and productive team.  

“When I first started here, if I was in a specific position, I only knew how to do the tasks assigned to that position. When you section everyone off like that, it limits your team’s success,” said Chapman. “Say a group of people are off work for whatever reason; If they are the only ones who know how to do their jobs, then you’re hurting yourself because it causes delays and can impact production.

“Which is why if I have someone who wants to learn how to do more, I make sure to take the time to help them,” Chapman continued. “That way if someone is out, they could pick up the slack and we won’t miss a beat. I would never stop anyone from learning. It helps them grow and become better candidates for advancement and helps our team get more done.”   

Chapman plays an active role in workload management, Cannon said, often working closely with his teams to manage requests and maintain sustainable and balanced workloads.

“He is very good about knowing what is being asked of his team and redirecting requests when needed,” Cannon said. “When tasks come our way, he helps us figure out how we can best manage them and spread the load throughout our team. If he notices a specific station is swamped, he will pull someone from somewhere else to support. For example, after a new induction, the parts cage is often inundated with hundreds of parts that come in all at once. Hilton will have me grab someone else to help, that way I’m not overextending myself and our artisans aren’t waiting too long for the parts they need to do their jobs.”

Production controllers work closely with the depot’s engineers and artisans to ensure they have the necessary parts and equipment for aircraft maintenance. When FRCE does not have what is needed on hand, production controllers submit procurement requests and track each item through the process. Cannon said Chapman played a key role in introducing a new electronic tracking system to the production control team’s operations that made it easier to monitor requests for parts. She added that Chapman’s advocacy for the program helped the team embrace the change.

“Production control pushes requests for orders and tracks everything. From beginning to end, we are in the trenches with the artisans, making sure they have what they need to get the aircraft in and out,” Cannon said. “While the new system required extensive collaboration between many, Hilton was a key advocate for the shift, inspiring his team to embrace the new technology and adapt to change. The tracking system, established under Hilton’s supervision, has now become a model for all aircraft lines at FRC East.”

By increasing the visibility of the status of the procurement requests, the tracking system has allowed the team to adopt a more proactive approach to acquiring materials, streamlining operations and boosting efficiency, said Chapman.

“We can see all the incoming parts, everything that has come in and out of the depot,” said Chapman. “It’s made so that everybody, not just production controllers, can see what’s going on with their parts. With it, you can click on a specific aircraft and see a list of all the parts that have been ordered, including which have been received, which have already been issued out to artisans, who it was issued to, and when it was issued to them. It cut down a lot of back and forth and has limited the chances of a part being misplaced or double-ordered. It saves us time and money and gets aircraft back out faster, too.”

Knowing the depot’s workload directly supports warfighter readiness motivates Chapman to lead with purpose every day, he said.

“With the type of work that we do, everyone here at FRC East is depending on us to get them what they need to do their jobs and get aircraft and components back out to the fight,” said Chapman. “We can’t have anyone slacking; we all have to do our part. I’ve been very fortunate to have such a good group of people on my team. I am very proud of them and all that they do to support the mission.”

FRCE is North Carolina's largest maintenance, repair, overhaul and technical services provider, with more than 4,000 civilian, military and contract workers. Its annual revenue exceeds $865 million. The depot provides service to the fleet while functioning as an integral part of the greater U.S. Navy; Naval Air Systems Command; and Commander, Fleet Readiness Centers.