Meritorious Service Award
This is an early to mid-career award for meritorious contributions to AFCEA and the community, and for professional accomplishments. AFCEA contributions will be more heavily weighted than professional performance in the decision process. Winners are selected by the AFCEA International Awards Committee. Nominees for this award are evaluated through December of the previous year.
The Meritorious Service Award nomination will be graded on the following:
AFCEA participation and contributions
- Details of specific initiatives taken to strengthen AFCEA at an operational level, such as recruiting, sponsorship and/or development of events
AFCEA recognition
- Nominees for this award are usually winners of Distinguished Young AFCEAN and Emerging Leadership awards, and are ranked accordingly during the voting process
- Other AFCEA recognition including at the chapter level
Professional Accomplishments
- Exceptional career professional performance in the fields of communications, electronics, intelligence, and information systems
Recognition
- Other professional awards/achievements
Criteria
- Must be a current AFCEA member
- Must have been active in AFCEA for at least two years before being nominated for this award
- Must have held at least one position on an AFCEA board/committee at the chapter level
- Must be able to document a minimum of three significant AFCEA achievements in the past two years
- If a previous Emerging Leadership winner, the award must have been won at least two years prior to being nominated for this award
- Cannot have previously won this Meritorious Service Award
- Individual cannot nominate themselves
- Nomination must be endorsed by the nominee's AFCEA Regional Vice President (RVP)
2019 Meritorious Service Award Winners
Top from left: Joshua Copeland, Sheena Freeman, Alisha Kelly, Joe Haulton, Lloyd McCoy, Larry Minnick
Bottom from left: Lt Col Karen L. Rolirad, USAF (Ret), Kelly Wenner, Ivan M. Johnson, Patrick Marr, Lt Col Phil Parker
Lt Col Raymond H. Chester, Jr., USAF
USSTRATCOM
Greater Omaha Chapter
Joshua Copeland
General Dynamics Information Technology
ArkLaTex Chapter
Matthew John Darnell
Integrated ComTel
AFCEA Hawaii
Sheena Freeman
Automation Anywhere
Belvoir Chapter
Joe Haulton
Tampa-St. Petersburg Chapter
Ivan M. Johnson
Novel Applications of Vital Information Inc.
Belvoir Chapter
Kevin Kaufman
Verizon
Kaiserslautern Chapter
Alisha Kelly
Trace Systems, Inc.
Northern Virginia Chapter
Patrick Marr
United States Air Force
Lexington-Concord Chapter
Daniel Mathews
ENSCO
Los Angeles Chapter
Lloyd McCoy
immixGroup
Northern Virginia Chapter
Larry Minnick
Centurum, Inc.
Hampton Roads Chapter
Lt Col Phil Parker, USAF (Ret)
DataPath, Inc.
Rocky Mountain Chapter
Lt Col Karen L. Rolirad, USAF (Ret)
Military and Veteran Services Center, Bexar County, Texas
Alamo AFCEA
Vincenzo Vitiello
WICODE Srl
Rome Chapter
Kelly Wenner
Adobe Inc.
Northern Virginia Chapter
2018 Meritorious Service Award Winners
Top from left: Jeff Thompson, Kenneth Edmundson, Eric Strauss, Jim Crawford, Doug Vanderlip, Lt Col Callistus Elbourne, USAF, Debbie Miller, Michael Plantenga
Bottom from left: Linda Tanzo Alvarado, MSgt Amanda Bradley, USAF, Emily Rausch, Yvonne Vermillion, Kimberly Cranson, TSgt Anne King, USAF
Linda Tanzo Alvarado
San Diego Chapter
Col Scott Beidleman, USAF (Ret)
Millennium Engineering and Integration Company
Los Angeles Chapter
Michael Bowen
Praxis Engineering
Aberdeen Chapter
MSgt Amanda Bradley, USAF
AFIMSC, Detachment 4
Kaiserslautern Chapter
Kimberly Cranson
MIKEL, Inc.
Lexington-Concord Chapter
James M. Crawford
Palmetto Chapter
Kenneth E. Edmundson
CDO Technologies, Inc.
Montgomery Chapter
Lt Col Callistus R. Elbourne, USAF
U.S. Pacific Command
Hawaii Chapter
Serdar Erkoca
BUPAT LTD
Turkiye Chapter
Harold Haney
Greater Omaha Chapter
Sqn Ldr Darren Jones
Royal Air Force
London Chapter
TSgt Anne King, USAF
55th Strategic Communications Squadron
Greater Omaha Chapter
MCPO Jose Macedo, PRTN
Portugal Chapter
Col Shane Matherne, USAF
Air Force Reserve Command
Middle Georgia Chapter
Debbie Miller
Celestar Corporation
Tampa-St Petersburg Chapter
Dr. Mario Nardi
Leonardo S.p.A.
Rome Chapter
Linda Newton
Rome Chapter
Michael Plantenga
Northrup Grumman
Los Angeles Chapter
Emily Rausch
Diligent Consulting
Alamo Chapter
SMSgt Barbara Schleben, USAF (Ret)
Air Force Nuclear C3 Center
ArkLaTex Chapter
Eric P. Strauss
Connected Logistics
Belvoir Chapter
Jeff Thompson
AT&T Global Business Public Sector Solutions
Belvoir Chapter
LCDR Douglas Vanderlip, USNR
Navy Reserves
Hampton Roads Chapter
Yvonne Vermillion
Vermillion Enterprise Solutions, LLC
Dayton-Wright Chapter
2017 Meritorious Service Award Winners
CAPT Alaattin Zafer Betoner (Ret)
AZB Danismanlik Savunma
Turkiye Chapter
CDR Neil Bourassa, USN (Ret)
Avineon, Inc.
Alamo Chapter
Sanford S. Ching
State of Hawaii Department of Education
Hawaii Chapter
David Dodds
Integrated Computer Solutions
Dayton-Wright Chapter
Linda Drake
BAE Systems, Inc.
Northern Virginia Chapter
William Foote
DTSI
Alamo Chapter
Lt Col Lane Gilchrist, USAF (Ret)
Alpha Omega Group
Los Angeles Chapter
Tamara Greenspan
Oracle
Northern Virginia Chapter
Jennifer Havermann
Raytheon
Central Maryland Chapter
David Hiltz
BAE Systems, Inc.
Lexington-Concord Chapter
Col Dean Hullings, USAF (Ret)
ForeScout Technologies
Rocky Mountain Chapter
Betsey Hutton
ICF Olson
Bethesda Chapter
CAPT Bill Krayer, USN (Ret)
ThunderCat Technology
Northern Virginia Chapter
Fiorella Lamberti
Leonardo Company
Rome Chapter
Lt Col Srikant Mantravadi, USAF (Ret)
Leidos
Rocky Mountain Chapter
Capt Tan Nguyen, USMC
USSTRATCOM/J6
Greater Omaha Chapter
Tommy C. Pope
Sumaria Systems, Inc.
Montgomery Chapter
Jaap Van der Lelie
KPN Critical Communications
The Hague Chapter
Maj Andrea M. Walthour, USAF
94th Communications Squadron
Atlanta Chapter
MSgt Carlton J. Young, USAF
Air Force Life Cycle Management Center
Montgomery Chapter
2016 Meritorious Service Award Winners
MGySgt Arthur Allen III, USMC
III Marine Expeditionary Force G-6
Thomas L. Allen
Alamo Chapter
Y.Suat Bengur
ASELSAN A.A.
Turkiye Chapter
Jessye Chancey-Higginbotham
Software Engineering Services
Greater Omaha Chapter
Dr. Mauro Cigarini
SELEX Integrated Systems/Finmeccanica S.p.A.
Rome Chapter
Brian C. Coffey
CACI, Inc.
Augusta-Fort Gordon Chapter
Brandt Cosgrove
Venatore LLC
Tampa-St. Petersburg Chapter
Mario de Lucia
Aerospace and Defence Consultancy
Rome Chapter
Kathy Devereaux
S4 Inc.
Lexington-Concord Chapter
Marla Dial
Alamo Chapter
James Evans
Iron Bow Technologies
Belvoir Chapter
Eng. Pedro Carrilho Filipe
CEIIA
Portugal Chapter
Thomas Galligan
DataPath
Atlanta Chapter
Kasie Gates
USAF Life Cycle Management Center
Lexington-Concord Chapter
Martin L. Harbolt
Hewlett Packard Enterprise
Fort Knox Gold Vault Chapter
Linda Herrell
Aerospace Corporation
Los Angeles Chapter
Luke Hill
Fort Knox Network Enterprise Center
Fort Knox Gold Vault Chapter
Christian Hoehner
Data Coalition
Bethesda Chapter
Lt Col Vanessa S. Johnson, USAF (Ret)
Forescout Technologies
Rocky Mountain Chapter
Naina Leo
Octo Consulting Group
Bethesda Chapter
Wendy Maurer
LRH Group
Quantico-Potomac Chapter
Marilyn Moysey
Johnson Technology Systems, Inc.
Belvoir Chapter
James A. Muller
Hewlett Packard Enterprise
Hawaii Chapter
Lt Col William E. Page, III, USAF (Ret)
TASC, an Engility Company
Los Angeles Chapter
Major Abraham P. Redoble, Jr. USAF
USSTRATCOM/J65
Rocky Mountain Chapter
Col Jenniffer Romero, USAF
Joint Staff J7
Hampton Roads Chapter
Jennifer Stacey
Lockheed Martin
Central Maryland Chapter
SMSgt Neil Stewart, USAF
AFLCMC/HIB
Montgomery Chapter
Adrianna Templeton
Bering Straits Native Corporation
Dayton-Wright Chapter
Rhea Tobin
San Diego Chapter
Alexa Tsui
Northern Virginia Chapter
2015 Meritorious Service Award Winners
Valerie Arris
US Coast Guard
Southern New England Chapter
Rick Lipsey
Lipsey Cyber Consulting, LLC
Alamo Chapter
MSgt Gregory Buthorne, USAF
55th Communications Squadron
Greater Omaha Chapter
Leslie McIndoe
Hewlett-Packard
Washington DC Chapter
SMSgt Matthew Console, USAF
1st Combat Communications Squadron
Kaiserslautern Chapter
SMSgt Lynne Mills, USAF (Ret)
Tidewater Chapter
Treci Dimas
CSC
Hampton Roads Chapter
Kameke Mitchell
Montgomery Chapter
Carlo Falessi
Rome Chapter
Gineen Platt
US Air Force Academy
Rocky Mountain Chapter
Andi Fehl
Octo Consulting Group
Belvoir Chapter
Randy Ramos
Global Business Solutions, Inc.
Pensacola Chapter
Yolande B. Fong
Hawaii Chapter
David Scarbalis
CA Technologies
Northern Virginia Chapter
Julie Goetz
TEK Systems
Atlanta Chapter
Zafer K. Selcuk
Aselsan Inc.
Turkiye Chapter
Gresford Gray
Resources Global Professionals
Northern Virginia Chapter
Major Katherine Stowe, USAF
Air Force Life Cycle Management Center
Lexington-Concord Chapter
Julie Harris
Deloitte Services LP
Dayton-Wright Chapter
COL Kathleen J. Swacina, USA (Ret)
Tiber Creek Consulting
Atlanta Chapter
Petr Hruza
University of Defence, Czech Republic
Czech Chapter
Dr. Josef Vesely
Ministry of Interior, Czech Republic
Czech Chapter
Rich Leino
Smartronix
Quantico-Potomac Chapter
Paul Wilbur
Subsidium, Inc.
South Caroina Low Country Chapter
Walter Lewis
Exeter Information Technology Services
South Florida Chapter
2014 Meritorious Service Award Winners
MSgt Nicole Alley, USAF
10th Intelligence Squadron
Tidewater Chapter
Frederick W. Mooney
Verizon
Rocky Mountain Chapter
Cathy Burtless
Interior Showplace Ltd
Hawaii Chapter
Brian Murphy
ReliaQuest
Tampa-St. Petersburg Chapter
Mark Christensen
Crystal Clear Technologies
Tampa-St. Petersburg Chapter
Erdinc Oguz
ASELSAN A.S.
Turkiye Chapter
Col. Eng. Mihail-Liviu Cosereanu
ACTTM
Bucharesti Chapter
Rod Pohlmann
Rocky Mountain Chapter
Col Aldo Giannatiempo, IAF
Rome Chapter
ChiLai Poon
Array Information Technology
Northern Virginia Chapter
Diane James-Poole
Engility
Lexington-Concord Chapter
Palmer Sims
Teradata
Hampton Roads Chapter
Jay Kanavos
The MITRE Corporation
Lexington-Concord Chapter
John Skudlarek
National Telecommunications and Information Administration
Northern Virginia Chapter
Dr. Ing. Milan Kny
Police Academy
Czech Chapter
Jay Storms
Smartronix, Inc.
Quantico-Potomac Chapter
Ladislav Kollarik
Corinex Group
Slovak Chapter
Reginald Vaughn
TTI, Inc.
Belvoir Chapter
Ares Koumis
Rocky Mountain Chapter
Sharon White
The Home Front Cares
Rocky Mountain Chapter
2013 Meritorious Service Award Winners
Brad Barker
Master Key Consulting
Bethesda Chapter
Dr. James Pasch
The Joint Staff
Hampton Roads Chapter
MSgt Donald Blackmon, USAF
DISA-Europe
Stuttgart Chapter
Rhonda Richardson
Air Combat Command
Tidewater Chapter
Maggie Cook
Navanti Group LLC
Northern Virginia Chapter
William Robinson
Alamo Chapter
Erin Donlan
PESystems, Inc.
Lexington-Concord Chapter
Eric Sloan
22nd Century Technologies
Montgomery Chapter
Gerard Elzinga
NATO HQ C3
Belgium Chapter
Bud Vazquez
Raytheon
Lexington-Concord Chapter
MSG Rebecca Fisher, USA
HQ Southern Command J6
South Florida Chapter
Casey Weinstein
Gartner
Dayton-Wright Chapter
Brenda Howard
Raytheon
Augusta-Fort Gordon Chapter
Stephen Windom
CSC
Rocky Mountain Chapter
Clifton Jenkins
Lockheed Martin
Hawaii Chapter
Wanda Williams
Rocky Mountain Chapter
1st Lt Cali Knowlden, USAF
5th Combat Communications Group
Middle Georgia Chapter
Joseph Wotton
IBM
Tampa-St. Petersburg Chapter
Jason March
Natoma Technologies
Northern Virginia Chapter
Mary Allison Yourchisin
Intelligent Decisions
Tampa-St. Petersburg Chapter
2012 Meritorious Service Award Winners
Candace Akerson
Air University/A4/6
Cindy Brown
Pratt Brown & Associates
Michelle Brown
Essential Data Corporation
Ryan Cox
Gartner
Matt Czarnecki
Capgemini Government Solutions
Cengiz Ergeneman
ASELSAN Electronics Industry A.S.
Adam Feingold
Lockheed Martin
Shannon Hagy
DMI
Patti Hamilton
Hamilton Consulting Solutions
Garth Hedger
ViaVet
Joyce Jenkins-Harden
Computer Sciences Corporation
Chuck Kelleher
Brandon Technology Consulting, Inc.
Roy King
Booz Allen Hamilton
David Landry
AFCEA Atlanta
Capt Andrew Levy, USAF
1st Airborne Command and Control Squadron
Padam Maheshwari
LGS
Col Paul Patton, USAF (Ret.)
CACI
Capt Gilberto Perez, USAF
52 CBCS
Danna Plewe
Wright-Patterson Air Force Base
Eric Schneider
Gunter Air Force Base
Alan Shoemaker
The MITRE Corporation
Steven Simkins
Air Combat Command Directorate of Communications
Col Mike Sinisi, USAF (Ret.)
Electronic Consulting Services Inc.
Leslie Steele
InterImage
Johnnie Young
Federal Reserve Bank
Marco Zompetti
Electronic Systems Center (ESC/HSGB)
2011 Meritorious Service Award Winners
Mitch Abel
LGS Innovations Inc.
Linda Baldwin
Computer Sciences Corporation (CSC)
Lexley Bender
DSA Inc
Barbara Ellen Bridges
Par Excellence
Cheryl Brown
General Dynamics IT
Mechall Brown
HP
Diane Carnes
MacB Enterprise Solutions Inc
Daniel Curtis
Curtis Consulting
Robert Damen
Raytheon
Larry Davidoff
Boeing Space and Intelligence Systems
Gregg Gorman
GigaTrust
Ewell Griswald
601st Mission Support Group
Scott Hardiman
Electronic Systems Center
Dale Hempel
University Alliance Corporation
Glenn Hernandez
U.S. Coast Guard
Sam Jones
AFCEA NOVA Chapter
Jeffrey Katz
IS&GS Defense, Lockheed Martin
James Lee
Information Technology Group, Inc.
Dennis Lisherness
55th Communication Group
Samuel Milford II
DISA-Europe
Janel Nelson
USSTRATCOM/J883
Dennis O'Connell
Greater Omaha Chapter
Eric Oltman
Concurrent Technologies Corporation
Lt Col Laura Pope, USAF (Ret.)
Stellar Solutions, Inc.
Steven Schwerdtfeger
625 Strategic Operations Squadron
Yalcin Onyuru
TARGET Group
Michael Wallace
Technology Associates International Corporation
Michelle Youngers
Raytheon Trusted Computer Solutions
2010 Meritorious Service Award Winners
Heidi Aronofsky
Northrop Grumman
Col Klaus Assion, GEAF (Ret.)
Bonn Chapter
LTC Obediah Blair, USA
DISA PAC - Japan
Trinidad Capelo
US Army Forces Command
Horace Carney
Kratos Defense Group
James Corcoran
66th Air Base Wing
Elaine Dauphin
CSC
Cheryl Davidson
Ft. Monmouth Chapter
Colleen Dilly
Data Computer Corporation of America
William Dwyer
Greentree Group
Maj Angela Freeman, USAF
HQ Air Mobility Command/A6
Maj Douglas Freeman, USAF
HQ Air Mobility Command/A6
Robert Frye
Alabama Information Technology Consulting
Kenneth Hirlinger
General Dynamics Information Technology
Benito Hobson
Integrits Corporation
Sandra Iwai
DISA - Europe
Craig McComb
Aeronautical Systems Center
Rick Michael
Copper River Information Technology
Capt Martin Murray, UKAR
Royal Corps of Signals
Colin Nash
Deep Secure
Tony Nicholls
Royal School of Signals
Lisa Pandolf
Chenega Technology Services Group
Arletta Powell
US Army Forces Command
Lt Col Floyd Sherrod, USAF
DISA
Simon Wilkinson
Gartner
Harold Youra
Alliance Solutions
2009 Meritorious Service Award Winners
William Allen
82 CSS/SCMJ Air Combat Command
Mary Benko
DISA - Europe
Joseph Birenbaum
55 Strategic Communications Squadron
Fernando Duarte Carvalho
Ministry of Science, Technology & Higher Education
Chris Cusano
Next Tier Concepts
Rocha de Matos
AIP Portugal
Christine Downing
Northrop Grumman
Kelley Duchesne
The Boeing Company
Esra Erkan
Aselsan Electronic Industry Inc.
Christopher Gandy
HQ US FORSCOM
Charles Giasson
LGS Innovations, LLC
Sheryl Glore
45 SCS
Lisa Hou
AFCEA Hawaii Chapter
Deborah Huffman
US Army Signal Center
Bill Jones
Data System Analysts
Patrick Kelly
Sonalysts Inc.
Whit Ludington
Lockheed Martin Corporation
Robert Martin
ACC/A6CK
Capt William Miklo, USAF
55 Communications Squadron
Capt Robert Patt, USAF
333d Training Squadron
Ray Reinhard
ATSC
Roger Smith
U.S. Army PEO STRI
Lee Terrell
Wyle Information Systems Group
Carl Unholz
Warner Robins Logistics Center
Chris Yorke
Compucat Europe Limited
2008 Meritorious Service Award Winners
Frances Duntz
Electronic Systems Center
Maj William Hibbard, USAF
USSTRATCOM/J964
Mary Barranti
HQ U.S. Army Reserve Command
Alvie Johnson
CherryRoad Technologies
Col Carl Block, USAF
5th Combat Communications Group
MSgt Keith Jordan, USAF
10 IS/SCOO
Tresa Chastain
Booz Allen Hamilton
Richard Moore
Air Combat Command
Witold Cieslewski
AFCEA Polish Chapter
Maryann Pucilowski
AFCEA Ft. Monmouth Chapter
Col Norris Connelly, USAF (Ret.)
AFCEA Northern Virginia Chapter
Charles Rich
Leviton Voice & Data
Cheryl Davidson
Harris Corporation
Claude Roche
EADS
Jan Fitz
950 ELSG/KG, AFMC
SMSgt Glen Saxon, USAF
435 Communications Squadron
Michael Fitz
951 ELSG, AFMC
Bill Stewart
IBM
Bill Galvin
FCI Inc.
Patricia Teschke
Harris Corporation
Thomas Gucwa
Air Force Research Laboratory
David Waite
SAIC
1st Lt Stacie Hartert, USAF
55th Communications Squadron
Joseph Yavorsky
Harris Corporation
H. Wayne Henry
HQ U.S. European Command
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