In the words of poet and playwright Oscar Wilde, "And all at once summer collapsed into fall," and it did, as we have recently observed. The cooler temperatures and the crisp harvest skies are a welcome relief after experiencing historically hot, dry temperatures. As nature makes its transition, so do we as many of us will be returning to the office on October 3rd while continuing our efforts of employing a hybrid workplace.
It seems everyone is eager to reconnect, catch-up and get back into some type of routine. As we have learned, keeping our social connections is more important than ever. Just being together can help lower anxiety and depression. It can help regulate our emotions and can lead to higher self-esteem and empathy while ultimately improving our immune systems. This proves that it’s healthy for us to resume some normalcy.
This month we are proud to celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month and honor the culture and histories behind it. It’s a time to educate, recognize and celebrate the Hispanic culture and its achievements. The diversity of our nation remains one of our greatest strengths.
Congratulations are in order to the Office of Facility Management for helping the Aeronautical Center to recently earn ISO 50001 Ready achievement and to be recognized by the Department of Energy for having established consistent strategic planning and tracking of energy reduction and sustainability goals. The Aeronautical Center has a reputation for having a robust energy program, and a highly motivated energy team. This recognition aligns with them being able to lead by example with their structured energy management system.
Congratulations! This is a huge accomplishment, and we are continually proud of Facility Management personnel as they continue to improve our environment and make the entire Center shine.
Hopefully some of you were able to join the virtual DOT Town Hall on September 23rd. Polly Trottenberg, Deputy Secretary of Transportation talked about being able to travel and meet with different employees around the country, including Oklahoma and how great it’s been to reconnect with the amazing folks all over the country who are doing incredible work. I couldn’t agree more.
This year marks the 10th year of the Office of Finance and Management (AFN) organization. To learn more about the history of how our organization was formed, please watch this informative video "AFN Shared Services: 10 Years of Excellence." As part of this campaign, we highlighted 10 Things You Should Know about MMAC, and it is worth reading. The AFN town hall is scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 12th so please mark your calendars.
Anyone who deals with contracts, and financial management is glad to see September come and go due to the work frenzy at the end of the fiscal year. We are so appreciative for their efforts too and the Center is doing quite well in moving toward our financial goal of saving $20M by 2025.
The calendar continues to be filled with exciting activities such as the re-opening of the Aero-Fitness Center, the annual Combined Federal Campaign kicks off this month, and soon we’ll be having a groundbreaking ceremony for the FAA’s first Solar Array Farm on Aeronautical Center grounds. We are excited about being back together, and the growth and success that’s occurring around the Center. We couldn’t do it without you. Thank you for staying dedicated to the mission during these challenging times.
Your flexibility and patience are appreciated as we move forward.
Kindly,
Michelle Coppedge
Director, Mike Monroney Aeronautical Center
