The Mike Monroney Aeronautical Center’s AsCEnD (Aeronautical Center Employee Development) program is a competitive, 7-month employee development pilot program for employees who work at the Mike Monroney Aeronautical Center. The program was designed to broaden participants’ knowledge of the MMAC’s mission, structure, and business activities within key organizations across the campus - developing them into MMAC Brand Ambassadors. The program heightens employee engagement by familiarizing the participants with the Center’s operations through: briefings, workshops, team-building events, tours, and projects. The focus is on collaboration, a cost-effective mindset, communication, and culture as it relates to the MMAC. The first AsCEnD cohort is set to graduate on January 28th.
The AsCEnD program was an idea that came from the Center’s Employee Engagement Committee in 2018, and was enthusiastically supported by the Center’s Director and Deputy Director. The Quality Systems and Business Resources Staff (AMC-3) office administered the program. It was launched and initially run by Onekia Smallwood. The AsCEnD program follows the FAA Order 1400.8A Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Program. Applicants must be full-time, non-supervisory employees of the MMAC, have a minimum of two years Service Computation Date (SCD) prior to December 31, 2018, and have at least one year of FAA MMAC experience by the application submission deadline. Temporary Employees are not eligible to participate and employees must have management endorsement. There is no cost to employees to participate.
The first cohort had over 100 applicants, with only 24 selected to participate. Due to the overwhelming response in the first application period, program management is considering holding two cohorts concurrently in the future. The intent is for the program to start up again once employees begin physically returning to work at the Center. This is due to the importance of in-person learning and on-site tours, and organizers anticipate including two or three new organizations to participate in the program.
The first cohort kicked off the program in October of 2019 and continued in person with tours of the Logistics Center, the Civil Aeronautical Medical Institute, and the Academy, as well as briefings on Individual Development Plans, Communication and Leadership, and informative sessions on various Center functions. The group was able to attend in-person sessions until February of 2020 when news of COVID-19 hit and a large percentage of Center employees began to telework. As the cohort’s Capstone project, they worked with interim program manager Rod Vargas and the Center’s Communication team to write, produce and record a "message of hope" video, which provided hope in the wake of the unfolding global health crisis. The video consisted of AsCEnD members reciting the poem "Wings of Hope," which was shared in a Broadcast message.
In April of 2020 Debbie Uglean took over as the AsCEnD Program Manager, and worked with AMC-3 manager Rod Vargas to learn how to run the program. "Although in-person sessions are the best scenario for this program, it was not fair to the group to leave them hanging without program closure," stated Uglean. The decision was made to complete the program virtually in order to maintain momentum and keep the team engaged. The remaining two sessions were held in December and were led by David Yeley of the FAA Academy, and various program managers in the Office of Facility Management (AMP). The group will be attending the January 27th Center Management Team’s virtual meeting and will then graduate on January 28th. Due to the virtual completion of the program, graduates will be invited and included in physical sessions that were missed during the next cohort. Graduates will also have the opportunity to help shape future AsCEnD programs, and will form the first AsCEnD Alumni group - which will continue program interaction, and will give support to others who are going through the program.
The program has received praise from participants, with comments such as:
"The AsCenD program has been a great opportunity to network, grow professionally, and learn more about various organizations. I would absolutely recommend the program for anyone interested in learning more about how the numerous organizations across the MMAC work to accomplish the FAA’s mission."
"The AsCEnD program is an excellent opportunity to expand our horizons concerning the various MMAC areas and/or a deepen your understanding of what each of the areas participates for the FAA and DOT missions."
"APPLY! You do not know what you are capable of until you challenge yourself. This program exposes you to things you may not be comfortable with, but at the same time, uses your unique skills and talents to inspire those around you. So what are you waiting for? Apply and see what you can share with others, and find out what you did not know that you were capable of!"
The application period for the next AsCEnD cohort(s) will be announced once the decision to safely continue the program has been made. More information on the program can be found here:
https://ksn2.faa.gov/arc/amc/ee/ascend/SitePages/Home.aspx
or by reaching out to Debbie Uglean.
