ADR Awards

DON RECEIVES THE OPM DIRECTOR’S
AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING ADR PROGRAMS

The Director of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) honored the Department of the Navy’s (DON) Workplace ADR Program by presenting it with the Director’s Award for Outstanding ADR Programs. The award recognizes the DON’s program as “a first-rate example of the kind of good human capital practices that President Bush believes are central to delivering better and more cost effective services to the American people.”


L to R: John Dietrich, William A. Navas, Jr., Betty Welch, Thomas F. Kranz, and Mary A. Ryan (Click picture to see larger image) More pictures
Demonstrating the DON’s high-level commitment to ADR, the Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Manpower and Reserve Affairs) William A. Navas, Jr. formally accepted the award on behalf of the DON from OPM Director Kay Coles James. Also present on the stage on behalf of the DON were the DON’s Dispute Resolution Specialist, the Honorable Thomas F. Kranz, the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Civilian Personnel / EEO) Betty S. Welch. These notables were supported on stage by their officials charged with the daily program operations, Ms. Mary A. Ryan, the Workplace ADR Program Manager, and John A. Dietrich, the Deputy Dispute Resolution Specialist and ADR Counsel.

The DON ADR Program gratefully acknowledges this honor, and recognizes that the Director’s Award has improved employment practices for employees throughout the federal government by spurring friendly competition for this coveted award. This year, approximately 40 agencies submitted nominations, and three were selected. The DON ADR Program extends its hearty congratulations to the other two winners of this year’s award, the USDA’s Farm Service Agency and HHS’ Washington-Baltimore Area Shared Neutrals Program.

Finally, but perhaps most importantly, the DON ADR Program thanks the hard working DON employees who daily promote the use of ADR to resolve workplace disputes and conflicts “at the earliest stage feasible, by the fastest and least expensive method possible and at the lowest possible organizational level prior to litigation.” (See Secretary of the Navy Instruction 5800.13, “Alternative Dispute Resolution,” 11 December 1996.) Five DON representatives stood on the OPM stage, but hundreds of employees make ADR a reality in the DON. Bravo Zulu to all!

View the OPM Director's Award Nomination for the DON ADR Program.