Press Release

Linda G. Wright, NAVFAC, Receives "Alley" Career Achievement Award from Javits-Wagner-O'Day Program

August 5, 2005
For immediate release
Contact: Stephanie Lesko
Public Affairs Specialist
Phone: (703) 603-2146
Fax: (703) 603-0655
E-mail: slesko@jwod.gov

Arlington, VA-Linda G. Wright, Associate Director, Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization, Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC), Washington, D.C., was selected by the Javits-Wagner-O'Day (JWOD) Program to receive the prestigious E. R. "Dick" Alley Career Achievement Award. This award was established in 1998 by the Committee for Purchase From People Who Are Blind or Severely Disabled in honor and recognition of the late E. Richard "Dick" Alley who provided more than 25 years of dedicated service to the JWOD Program as the Committee's Deputy Executive Director.

"Ms. Wright is one of the most widely recognized ambassadors of the JWOD Program," said Steve Schwalb, Committee Chairperson. "Through her tireless efforts to identify new JWOD opportunities within NAVFAC she epitomizes the principles for which Dick Alley stood." As a result of Ms. Wright's support, NAVFAC JWOD opportunities in the service area nearly quadrupled between 1992 and 2004, and currently provide jobs for nearly 1,000 people with severe disabilities.

During her 31 years of support for the Program, Ms. Wright has continually advocated for a NAVFAC/JWOD partnership, the first such between the JWOD Program and one of its customers. The partnership stresses responsiveness and flexibility in meeting contracting officers' changing needs while at the same time creating additional jobs under the JWOD Program. Examples of Ms. Wright's commitment to the partnership include the JWOD training she has provided to NAVFAC personnel and her development of a JWOD Services Contracting Guide for field contracting officers.

Ms. Wright believes that sufficient opportunities exist to support both the JWOD Program and small business interests. Inclusion of JWOD Program representatives in her NAVFAC annual small business symposia is an opportunity for those two communities to explore collaboration in the Federal arena. Ms. Wright helps educate NAVFAC personnel that people who are blind or have other severe disabilities are a reliable workforce, fulfill a wide array and product or service needs for Federal customers and their prime contractors, and are capable of meeting or exceeding industry quality standards. Through her leadership, NAVFAC has entrusted JWOD employees to perform highly-skilled service contracts such as ones at the Bremerton Washington Naval Complex. At this location, JWOD employees at Skookum Industries, of Port Townsend, WA, were given the opportunity to perform asbestos abatement services following the JWOD Program's earlier success there in providing grounds maintenance services.

The Alley Award recognizes individuals who have provided extraordinary achievement and sustained effort in utilizing the Federal procurement system to create employment and training opportunities for people who are blind or have other severe disabilities under the JWOD Program. It is the highest honor awarded by the Committee and is presented to one recipient annually. Ms. Wright was formally presented this award at the NISH National Training Conference in New Orleans, LA, in May 2005, and will be recognized at the National Industries for the Blind (NIB) National Training Conference in Baltimore, MD, October 30-November 1, 2005.

The Committee for Purchase From People Who Are Blind or Severely Disabled is the independent Federal agency that administers the Javits-Wagner-O'Day (JWOD) Program, which creates jobs and training opportunities for persons who are blind or have other severe disabilities. Established by Congress, the JWOD Program is a public-private partnership through which the Federal Government uses its acquisition policies to support this important socioeconomic objective. National Industries for the Blind (NIB) and NISH (creating employment opportunities for people with severe disabilities), are two national nonprofit organizations designated by the Committee to help Federal agencies and nonprofit organizations that employ persons with severe disabilities participate in the JWOD Program.