MSgt Lashanda Cleveland, Altus AFB Award Winner!

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Jennifer Seidl
  • 97th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs
ALTUS AIR FORCE BASE, Okla --  Master Sgt. Lashanda Cleveland is the 2009 AETC Outstanding Aviation Resource Management SNCO of the Year.

The award recognizes individuals who excelled in providing outstanding logistics readiness support for the command.

"This award recognizes her as one of the Air Force's true subject matter experts in the realm of aviation resource management and will only open doors for her in the future," said Capt Jesse Newberry, 97th Operations Support Squadron Current Operations flight commander and Sergeant Cleveland's supervisor. This places her at a level few get to in terms of expertise, knowledge and leadership in the aviation resource management career field."

Sergeant Cleveland, 97th Air Mobility Wing, aviation resource management chief, saved the Air Force $42,520 last year by overseeing a suspension and disqualification program and reducing student temporary duty days by authorizing a pre-out processing process.. As chief host aviation resource manager, she corrected the CHARM database to create no double billets for the first time ever within her section. She also developed new paperless pay action procedures that cut the processing time by 30 percent and processing errors by 100 percent.

Additionally, Sergeant Cleveland is working towards a Doctorate of Management in Organizational Leadership. She has also used her skills and experience to set the foundation and communicate the vision for the 1C0 Air Force specialty code at Altus AFB.
Out of 26 bullets on her nomination for award, there are only six items detailing her accomplishments in 2009.

"Sergeant Cleveland's achievements are a direct result of her hard work, dedication, and sense of ownership of her Air Force experience," said Captain Newberry. "She's never satisfied with being average and always strives to reach that next level of ability, proficiency, and expertise."

In her regular duties, she is responsible for monitoring over $2.4 million in annual entitlements for aviation career and hazardous duty incentive pays, as well as managing military pay and aeronautical order processing and instructing on flight management policy, operations and command directives.

Sergeant Cleveland hails from Charleston, S.C., and holds an Associate of Science in Airport Resource Management from the Community College of the Air Force, an Associate of Arts in Business Administration and a Bachelor of Science in Business Management from University of Maryland, and a Master of Business Administration in Human Resource Management from the University of Phoenix.

To those who want to rise to a similar level of recognition, Captain Newberry recommends rising to a similar level of effort.

"I would highlight the common thread of 'extras' that usually accompany (Airmen) like Sergeant Cleveland," he said. "She's where she is because of a developed pattern of going above and beyond in all facets of her life; for instance, she's a regular Salvation Army volunteer, Gymnastics team mom, African American Heritage Committee member, Top 3 vice president, Order of the Flaming Spear committee member, PHD student, and the list goes on. None of these are directly CHARM- related but they speak to a trend of excellence and commitment to everything she does, which then shines in her primary duties."

Sergeant Cleveland, along with the winners from all other major commands, will compete for the Air Force level Aviation Resource Management Awards.