2025 SESDA Peer Awards

Team ADNET is pleased to announce the

19th Annual Peer Awards Nominations

The annual SESDA Peer Awards give you the opportunity to nominate your colleagues on the SESDA V contract for extraordinary or exceptional performance. Winners will receive monetary compensation ranging from $500 to $1000, and awards will be chosen based on the justifications you submit with your nominations. The award ceremony will be held at the Chesapeake Baysox Stadium on July 12th.

Nominations must be received by no later than C.O.B. Friday, June 20, 2025. If you nominate someone, your name will be automatically entered into a drawing to receive a PRIZE. There will be two drawings this year. The first drawing will draw two entries by COB, Friday, June 13th, for a $50 Amazon gift card each. The second drawing will draw two entries at the end of nomination period, June 20^th, for a $25 Amazon gift card each. The first drawing winners are not eligible to win the second drawing.

Who:

Your currently employed peers and co-workers from Team ADNET member companies (ADNET, KBR, Telophase, Element 84, Hexagon, STC) are eligible. You may nominate as many people as you like and can even nominate someone from a different team company. People awarded in 2024 including the current peer committee are not eligible.  Group Managers and their Deputies are also not eligible, nor can they make nominations (see below for a list of Managers, Deputies, awardees and committee members).

Managers & Deputies: Steve Fantasia, Mara Cordova-Fuentes, Phil Durbin, Mo Khayat,  Binita KC, Alex Resutle, Divya Pereira, Herman Williams, Jennifer Brennan, Thomas Gaeng, Khuram Maqbool, Mike Greason, Tom Northcutt,  Monte Kaelberer, Ed Bell, Lisa Scaffardi,Tami Kovalick, Jamee Pedrick.

2024 Peer Award Winners:  Wendy Jantz, Zhi “John” Tu, Mike Arida, Ben Pelletier, Faith Mayer, Brendan Perry, Dieu My Nguyen, Elaine Owens, Greg Factor, Clearance Doe, Katie Smith.

How:

To nominate, go to https://sesda.com/peerawards/. Here you will find the Award categories and description along with the on-line nomination form. Please fill out this form on-line. If you cannot access the form, or experience difficulties, please contact the committee at:

peerawards2025@sesda.com

When:

The nominations begin today and last date for nominations will be C.O.B. June 20, 2025.

Where:

SESDA Awards Picnic, Chesapeake Baysox Stadium, Saturday, July 12th.

This year the committee will select winners based on the justifications you submit. They do not have to be long or exhibit exceptional writing, just try to provide some specifics on why you are nominating the person.

Please read this year’s categories carefully.

Peer Award Categories:

1. Team Player: Someone who fosters communication within a team, is a good mentor, maximizes team goals, and seeks out opportunities that benefit the task, lab, or larger NASA community.

A team player is someone who:

• Helps co-workers
• Encourages participation of other team members
• Assists in keeping team focused and moving forward toward reaching a common goal
• Shares ideas and can be a catalyst for creativity and team effectiveness

2. Innovator: This individual is someone who introduces a new, creative, unique, idea or process that improves performance, adds value, or otherwise provides a positive impact in some way. This procedure or idea increases value to the customer, team, task and/or project.

Examples of positive impacts may include:

• Increase in efficiency and/or productivity (e.g. cost or time savings)
• Improves performance
• Spurs new business growth
• Streamlines existing practices/methods
• Enhances quality of work life

3. Unsung Hero:  This individual is someone whose work is conducted “behind the scenes.” He/she possesses a “can-do” attitude and will go above and beyond in ensuring that a task is completed from beginning to end, never expecting recognition in return. This person may be in a support role, or occasionally acts as a “Jack-of-all-trades.”

4. Security: This individual has made important contributions towards improving the security of computer systems or the workplace. This employee is a champion for improvements in security practices, going beyond his/her job description to take an active role in making systems less vulnerable while keeping them user friendly.

5. Leadership: This individual demonstrates initiative and vision that inspires others to take action and perform at a higher level. The candidate is a motivating force who provides encouragement and energy to his/her peers, subordinates and/or superiors. This award is not limited to individuals in a formal lead position.

Examples of leadership qualities/behaviors include:

• Possesses strong work ethics
• Builds consensus
• Solution oriented, positive thinker
• Will advocate on behalf of team or others when needed
• Actively solicits participation, and objectively evaluates feedback, ideas and perspectives drawn from a diverse workforce, harnessing strengths and shoring up weaknesses of the team.

6. Technical Excellence:  This award recognizes individuals who consistently demonstrate outstanding proficiency in their technical fields. These individuals are passionate about technology, and that is reflected in the quality of their work.

Examples of excellent technical contributions may include:

• Developing and applying new and existing technologies
• Transferring knowledge and skills to improve the technical ability of their entire team
• Consistently delivering high quality and correct technical solutions to difficult problems
• Investing time and energy in furthering their own technical skills.

7. Wildcard:  This award is for that exceptional individual whose accomplishments do not fit neatly into one of the other award categories. This is an opportunity to give special attention to an individual whose unique role or achievements positively impacts their working environment, business practices, co-workers, etc.  If you have a more fitting name to describe category that your nominee falls in, please feel free to provide it in the justification and we will list it instead of Wildcard.