With 45 years of federal service (nearly 30 years of that time at the FAA), Sheree VanNoy has seen a lot of change, especially in how we keep employees engaged and interested in their work.
VanNoy joined the government in 1976 with the Department of Defense. It was at Kelly Air Force Base in Texas in the late 1980’s, during a reorganization of logistics and procurement operations, where she got her first experience with managing employee reactions to change.
"This was my first experience in seeing how people reacted to a major change in their workplace, and it was tough," said VanNoy. "I really felt that listening to our employees and incorporating some of their suggestions made this difficult transition more palatable."
Working to help leadership to understand issues facing the workforce was where VanNoy saw her future. In 1993, she joined the FAA as a management analyst for the FAA Logistics Center at the Mike Monroney Aeronautical Center.
In 2007, she transferred to the MMAC’s Quality Systems and Business Resources staff as a business planner, the position she holds today. This is where VanNoy uses her experience to support the MMAC leadership in employee engagement. She guides managers through the Gallup Q12 employee engagement process, assists teams in developing action plans, and provides consulting support to explain and interpret the survey results.
"I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished over the last six years, building employee engagement," said VanNoy. "I’d like to think my work is part of the reason the MMAC has been named one of the top places to work in Oklahoma for several years, and I want that to continue."
It’s obvious that listening to employees and working to improve their work experiences have long been VanNoy’s passions.
"Assessing employee engagement is so much more efficient and effective than it was when some agencies were doing long complicated organizational culture surveys in the 1980’s," VanNoy said. "We now understand how workplace culture and employee engagement drives higher productivity, and with the help of the FedView and Q12 surveys, we constantly work to improve the involvement and interest of employees in what they do to support our mission and our workplace."
VanNoy’s engagement work isn’t always on the clock – sometimes it’s volunteering. During the early days of the global health crisis, she used her sewing skills to make masks to protect her fellow employees as well as the homeless population in Oklahoma City.
"Because it was almost impossible to maintain social distance in a homeless shelter, I provided them with a big supply of my homemade masks," said VanNoy. "It was so important to help those who need it most, and that was my way of giving back." While VanNoy is not ready to retire just yet, she does have plans for leisure time.
The enforced quarantine of the global health crisis reminded her that she enjoys reading and binge-watching shows, and she plans to continue those activities when she has time. As a NASCAR fan for several years, VanNoy hopes to get to Bristol Motor Speedway in Tennessee to experience a race there. And she plans to continue pursuing her latest hobby - genealogy.
"I’ve traced both my parents’ families to Scotland," said VanNoy. "Thanks to that, one item on my bucket list is to visit the Scottish Highlands. I want to see the part of the world where my family is from, and to find a connection with that history."
VanNoy also plans to use that experience with genealogy to research more of her family’s history in Louisiana and the military, and maybe even write a book. "My mother’s aunt, a widow, had a son on the U.S.S. Indianapolis during World War II. It was sunk in 1945 in the Philippine Sea near Palau and had the greatest loss of life at sea from a single ship in the history of the U.S. Navy," said VanNoy. "He could have left the Navy before the final sailing, but he signed on for one last hitch so he could better provide for his family."
On top of that tragedy, her aunt lost another son in that war. She continued to live on the same land in Louisiana until her death in 1983. She raised her other three children, took care of the farm and a herd of cattle.
"I never heard her complain about anything," said VanNoy. A true Louisiana ’Steel Magnolia.’ "My parents came of age during the Great Depression, and were married just before World War II, so I would love to tell the story of my family history in a unique and personal way."
Until that happens, VanNoy is excited to continue her work in employee engagement.
"It’s been a great experience, helping to create an engaged workplace," said VanNoy. "Providing encouragement and support to our leaders, managers and teams increases productivity and motivates employees to give their best every day. I’m so happy to have played a part in our success."
