Rear Adm. F.R. Luchtman, Naval Safety Center (NAVSAFECEN) commander, presented the 2021 Safety Professionals of the Year (SPOY) awards on Dec. 9.
 
Navy Lt. Cmdr. Jamerson Groves was the recipient of the Officer SPOY award and Senior Chief Electrician's Mate Willie Scott was the recipient of the Enlisted SPOY award. Luchtman congratulated the command award recipients for their outstanding accomplishments and presented them each with Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals.
 
The annual awards recognize service members stationed at NAVSAFECEN, who best represent the ever-growing group of dedicated safety professionals who serve as role models of professionalism and personal dedication. The officer and senior enlisted member recipients embody the core values of their service.
 
“Both Lt. Cmdr. Groves and Senior Chief Scott represent what is great about the Naval Safety Center,” said Luchtman. “Their dedication and day-to-day efforts ensure we are doing things that enable warfighting readiness and protect our most vital resources, our Sailors and Marines.”
 
Groves, originally from Suffolk, Virginia, has been in the Navy for nearly 20 years and assigned to NAVSAFECEN since January 2018, as an Aviation Safety Analyst. Groves is the organization’s Aviation Safety Programs Airborne Early Warning, Carrier-on-Board Delivery, and Fixed Wing Training Command Analyst. Groves led efforts to align naval policy, risk management and assurance to assist NAVSAFECEN and subordinate commands in establishing and improving their Safety Management Systems (SMS).
 
Groves knows the importance of the Safety Center’s mission and promoting safety culture throughout the naval enterprise. According to his leadership, he worked tirelessly to migrate mishap evidence, develop Risk Management Information (RMI) policy and procedures, provided quality control of over 350 safety reports, and conducted 18 unit safety assessments, directly contributing to readiness improvement throughout the naval enterprise.
 
“Without safe and healthy individuals, the Navy and Marine Corps team would be unable to achieve the objectives necessary to best serve our leaders and our country,” said Groves. “Having a culture of safety helps to ensure that we have capable Sailors and Marines working towards short-term goals that build the path to the desired end-state.”
 
Scott, the Enlisted SPOY awardee, is originally from Detroit, Michigan, and has been in the Navy for 23 years.  He reported to NAVSAFECEN in October 2019, and serves as an Afloat Electrical Systems Safety Analyst in the Knowledge Management Safety Promotions (KMSP) directorate.
 
Scott assumed the duties as Knowledge Management Afloat Division Head, normally an O-5 billet. As the Fleet Shipboard Electrical Systems subject matter expert, Scott discovered a risk control-related design omission by Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) that contained faulty procedural language in the draft Naval Ships’ Technical Manual (NSTM) Chapter 300. Scott was able to insert corrective language, and institutionalize future NAVSAFECEN participation in the NSTM risk design reviews.  
 
In his role at NAVSAFECEN, Scott said he understands the importance of safety in the day-to-day activities of the naval enterprise said he believes in the organization’s mission, and its vitality to the Navy and Marine Corps personnel. Scott said he while it is an honor to receive the nomination, it felt peculiar to get the recognition for an award in the first place given his rank.
 
“Real chiefs don’t compete with other chiefs, we simply do our best to lead, train, guide, and protect our Sailors,” said Scott. “Over the last nine years, I’ve groomed my top Sailors for countless Sailor of the Month, Quarter, and Year boards – and never once thought that one day I’d be competing!”
 
Scott, like so many of his NAVSAFECEN colleagues, continues to be passionate in his day-to-day efforts and knows how vital safety culture and risk management are to the naval enterprise.
 
“Our Navy and Marine Corps warfighters would NOT be capable, lethal, nor ready without the Safety Center's assistance recognizing, mitigating, and eliminating hazards and mishaps,” said Scott.”