The finalists for WashingtonExec’s Pinnacle Awards were announced Oct. 13, and we’ll be highlighting some of them until the event takes place virtually Dec. 8.
Next is Government TEAM Program/Project of the Year finalist Nancy Brown on behalf of the Redstone Facilities Unit. Brown, who’s with the FBI, talks key team achievements, primary focus areas going forward, mentoring the next generation of government leaders and more.
What key achievements did your team have in 2020/2021?
Over the past year, the FBI at Redstone team celebrated several significant milestones for the Department of Justice and the FBI. We welcomed our 1000th employee to Redstone Arsenal, further solidifying the FBI’s commitment to improving our capabilities in North Alabama.
As we expanded our workforce, the Redstone Construction team also delivered on the FBI’s promise to provide state-of-the-art facilities to enhance national security, law enforcement and intelligence operations by completing multiple key buildings on Redstone Arsenal, thereby providing modern, state-of-the-art workspaces to enhance critical FBI operations, including:
- North Campus Central Utility Plant at Redstone: This facility provides centralized HVAC services to numerous facilities on the North Campus.
- Laboratory Substitution Building: This 21,000-square-foot facility supports the Terrorist Explosive Device Analytical Center’s Explosives Unit.
- Multipurpose Building: This 10,000-square-foot facility provides a 300-person capacity multi-use space for training and conference needs.
- Parking Deck: The 500,000-square-foot, five-level parking deck with approximately 1,400 spaces, includes 24 solar energy-powered electric vehicle charging ports.
- Weapons Management Facility: This 26,000-square-foot facility provides Training Division with gunsmith workstations, shop space for all necessary machining and equipment cleaning, a weapons storage and ammunition vault, and a 50-meter indoor firing range.
- Hazardous Devices School Fuselage Shelter: The 3,200-square-foot facility houses a Boeing 757 fuselage. This training site affords HDS the ability to train realistic scenario-based training on a 757 airframe in all-weather climates.
We also worked with over 15 divisions, and led the creation and execution of detailed transition plans for all of the functions and personnel already slated to move to Redstone.
We launched the Program of Requirements development process for the next three major construction projects on Redstone (Technology Building 2, Technology Building 3 and South Campus Academic Zone) which will ultimately lead to construction contract awards in fiscal year 2022. And we developed other government agency partnerships to support Redstone South Campus planning.
What has made you successful in your current role?
The complexity of accomplishing the FBI director’s vision of FBI at Redstone requires a coordinated “Team of Teams” approach. It requires FBI federal employees supporting contract staff and numerous general contractors with a common goal and desire to deliver incredible operational capabilities to our nation.
Everyone is value added and it is important to include everyone as a part of the FBI at Redstone team. Along with inclusivity, transparency is a key to building trust and building and empowering strong teams.
Managing a complex program such as this one, things never go according to plan, so recognizing these challenges and being transparent as a leader sets the environment for the team to address these challenges, discuss them openly and formulate innovative solutions to move the team forward.
What are your primary focus areas going forward, and why are those so important to the future of the nation?
Over the next year, the focus is on completing two major construction projects: Operations Building 1 and Technology Building 1. Operations Building 1 will be a world-class operational facility with a strong headquarters posture that will focus on producing actionable intelligence for field investigations. Technology Building 1 will provide computer network defense through 24×7 monitoring of the FBI’s enterprise networks plus selected high-risk assets.
By mid-summer 2022, both buildings are scheduled be open — providing over 1,600 additional seats on the campus.
For the future investment strategy, the FBI is focusing on enterprise and applied technology and advanced and specialized training. A large part of the FBI’s Redstone expansion strategy is centered on how we can best position the bureau to manage and apply an increasingly broad range of technology throughout the next decade and beyond.
The buildout at Redstone will result in a Technology District that will become the epicenter of the FBI’s technology infrastructure and tool development — allowing the FBI to centralize technology talent and tools in a connected campus environment.
Leveraging new facilities and new training environments, the FBI is also planning the Redstone Academy. Redstone Academy will be the FBI’s advanced training, graduate-level school that builds on the basic training that has occurred for decades at the Quantico Academy.
The establishment of Redstone Academy will significantly enhance the FBI’s technical capabilities and provide FBI partners with the opportunity to train and collaborate on new tools and techniques. Overall, the FBI is leveraging the opportunity at Redstone to develop next-generation technology and analytics capability, while at the same time building skills and talents, to address emerging threats.
How do you help shape the next generation of government leaders/industry leaders?
Mentoring the next generations of leaders is the most rewarding aspect of my current position and one of my most important responsibilities. As a seasoned leader within the FBI, I help shape these leaders by being approachable and listening intently so I can provide guidance regarding challenges and opportunities they seek.
I also assign young leaders with difficult and complex projects to push them outside their comfort zone, expanding their minds while increasing rapid professional growth. The key to my approach is to ensure I address their mistakes and provide continuous positive feedback to them individually and as a team.
Which rules do you think you should break more as a government/industry leader?
Always challenge the status quo! As a government leader, we often hear, “That’s the way we have always done it.” This does not always mean that it is better, more efficient or the right thing to do. Leaders should always challenge the status quo and question if existing processes are good for the organization.
What’s your best career advice for those who want to follow in your footsteps?
Don’t worry about your next job… do well in your current assignment and take on projects outside of your comfort zone.
Answer the mail — don’t selectively choose those things you want to answer from your boss. If your supervisor asks or sends you a note, always answer the mail
Enjoy the people you work with every day. Our connection with people whom we work with will make any position/job more enjoyable.