The Defense Commissary Agency (DeCA) selected the commissary officer onboard Naval Station Rota as the recipient of the 2016 Blackwell Leadership Award during a ceremony inside the store, Feb. 7.

Rota Commissary Officer Don Mitchell stood in front of a large crowd as he accepted the award from DeCA Europe Director Norman Brown.

First presented in 1996, the annual award recognizes a DeCA employee who has demonstrated exceptional leadership, courage, and integrity in the performance of his or her duties.

"Don has always had a great leadership style; he's very caring with people and he's charismatic and has a great heart," said Brown. "This award is the most prestigious leadership award that we have in DeCA. Out of all the 33 stores in Europe and out of all the thousands of people we employ, we chose him as our nominee and he ended up winning the award."

Brown then read a letter to Mitchell from Director and CEO of DeCA Joseph Jeu which read, "With great pleasure, I congratulate you on the selection for the award. Your selection for this prestigious award is based on your demonstrated commitment to DeCA patrons and employees while serving as the commissary officer for Incirlik, Turkey and Rota, Spain. I am proud to have you as a member of the DeCA team."

Mitchell humbly accepted the award and wanted to thank his employees in Rota, as well as Incirlik, who made it possible for him to "make good things happen." He said it's never just one person who can truly make a difference; it takes a team where everyone works together.

The Blackwell Leadership Award is named in honor of the late Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Michael W. Blackwell. He served with the Air Force Commissary Service before the consolidation into DeCA in 1991, and he became the agency's senior enlisted advisor to the director March 1994-March 1995. Battling cancer, Blackwell retired from DeCA Feb. 9, 1995, after 22 years of service and passed away April 5, 1995, at age 44.

DeCA operates a worldwide chain of commissaries providing groceries to military personnel, retirees, and their families in a safe and secure shopping environment. Commissaries provide a military benefit and make no profit on the sale of merchandise. Authorized patrons purchase items at cost plus a five-percent surcharge, which covers the costs of building new commissaries and modernizing existing ones. By shopping regularly in the commissary, patrons save thousands of dollars annually. A core military family support element and a valued part of military pay and benefits, commissaries contribute to family readiness, enhance the quality of life for America's military and their families, and help recruit and retain the best and brightest men and women to serve their country.

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For more news from Naval Station Rota, Spain, visit www.navy.mil/.