Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Here’s a beginning list…. And this doesn’t even touch on everything that is being done at the Division/Branch
level! Everything that each staff member does every day matters. This is not just the work of management or the
Engagement Team! This is OUR work. We all contribute to the culture, let’s make it better each day!
Communication
Swarnali Haldar communicated with staff the reorganization details in January’s All Hands meeting, after
receiving approval from Human Capital and the Union.
All Hands Meetings: 10/21/15, 1/13/16, and 2/17/16
CIO Informals have continued this year.
Directors and Branch Chiefs are having regular staff meetings and cascading information to staff.
Employee Engagement monthly newsletter continues this year.
News You Can Use updates to all staff (when needed) containing informative information.
Managers and Supervisors communicated their feedback on the recent Employee Engagement Report-
Out including their activities toward each action.
Training
Kudos to You!
This is the place where we say thank you to our staff! If you would like to give kudos to an Information Services’
staff member, email us at: employee_viewpoints_empowered@nara.gov.
If you are at Archives II, stop by Suite 4400 and take a look at our kudos board. Just another way to brighten
someone’s day. Post your kudos today!
I want to thank Helen Love’s outstanding contribution to ensuring the move of Information
Services’ staff from suite 4400 to the temporary swing space in the basement of Archives II was
smooth and timely. As many of you know, suite 4400 was re-cabled during 3/16/16 – 4/7/16.
Helen communicated frequently to the suite staff regarding moving belongings and files;
coordinated with building staff about the move; arranged carts and other transportation of
equipment; and ensured the move back to suite 4400 was efficient and with the least disruption
to staff and operations. Helen clearly went above and beyond in making sure the temporary stay
in the basement was tolerable and workable, and I just wanted to make sure we had a chance to
say THANK YOU for the smooth stay in the temporary space!
~~Steve Heaps (I-C)
Kudos to Janice Cobb and Elena Dosnkaia for helping with the Configuration Management
(CM) brown bag presentation.
~~Seema Dheman (IQ)
I would like to thank Greg Mouchyn for creating a comprehensive install document for the field
site switch refresh project. This document will help ensure that FOSAs properly and efficiently
install and neatly cable the new network infrastructure switches that they are installing. Greg’s
diligence in this regard is one of the reasons that auditors refer to his site (Bush 41 Library) as
an ideal model for cable management.
~~Taha Sadeghi (IOO)
Page 4 Employee Engagement New sletter
More Kudos!
Thanks to Brian Connor for Cloud Contract Coordination, support and logistics
with business customers. This is very time intensive and requires juggling several business
skills at the same time. He makes the process manageable.
Thanks to Earl Stevens for his management and logistics support for customers. His
customer focus and support is an asset to the agency.
Thanks to Bernie Coletta for his security input in engineering designs for customers and
the PACs system.
Thanks to Jimi Joseph and Varun Yempalla for engineering support for the PAC's, cabling
projects.
Thanks to Greg Mouchyn for the Obama Presidential Library site preparation and regional
site support.
Thanks to Taha Sadeghi for his ICN input and customer focus on issues raised by staff.
Kudos to Tom Kee, Joe Falcione, Nageswarrao Gopanapalli, and Amar Singh for participating
in the Peer Review of the ECAB SOP.
~~Seema Dheman (IQ)
I’d like to give a shout out to Helen Love. If it were not for her help, I would have gone crazy long
ago doing all of the supervisor stuff on my own. She has been a great resource. Thanks Helen!
~~Tom McAndrew (IPJ)
Page 5 Employee Engagement New sletter
Fond Farewells
We have had a few Information Services staff leave in FY16. Some for retirement and some for exciting new jobs.
Here we recap the folks we had to say goodbye to.
Scott Birckhead
Management & Program Analyst, IT Project Management Branch (IPJ)
Scott is still with NARA, but he took a position with Business Support Services’ Project Assistance
Division.
Wanda Curry
IT Specialist, Digital Preservation Operations Branch (IXO)
Wanda retired from NARA in December 2015. Wanda had 38 years of federal service, 27 of those years
with NARA.
Lorraine Herbert
Project Manager, IT Support Services Branch (IMS)
Lorraine retired with 30 years of service to NARA.
Ben McElyea
Supervisory IT Specialist, IT Security Management Division (IS)
Ben’s last day with NARA was April 30th. Ben had been located at ABL in West Virginia. He had been a
NARA employee for six years.
Clarence McMorris
Support Services Specialist, IT Support Services Branch (IMS)
Clarence retired from NARA in December 2015. He had been with NARA for 30 years, and had worked
for many NARA offices.
Queenie Ogden
Management & Program Analyst, Project Management Branch (ISSP)
Queenie retired in December 2015. She had been with NARA for 28 years.
Kim Scates
Archives Specialist, Configuration Management Branch (IQC)
Kim is still at NARA but she is working in Facilities. She left Information Services in February.
Judith Wight
IT Project Manager, IT Project Management Branch (IPJ)
Judy joined NARA in July, 2015. She left NARA for a position closer to her home. Judy’s last day at
NARA was April 30th.
Page 6 Employee Engagement New sletter
Please reach out to Marlon and thank him for volunteering to be on the team!
Want to know more about Marlon? Check out the article on page 9 of the November 2015
Employee Engagement Newsletter: https://icn.nara.gov/docs/DOC-23775
“Focusing on what we
don’t have is a waste
of time and energy. To
really make a
difference, let’s instead
focus our energy on
succeeding within the
box.”
NARA-versaries
In the next few issues of the Employee Engagement Newsletter, we will spotlight activities that
staff like to do in the nice summer and fall months.
Sheep Shearing
Page 9 Employee Engagement New sletter
The dog
doing the
work of
rounding
up those
sheep.
Page 10 Employee Engagement New sletter
One of my favorite activities is geocaching. It is very similar to a treasure hunt, but with no real treasure.
ge·o·cach·ing
ˈjēōˌkaSHiNG/
The recreational activity of hunting for and finding a hidden object
by means of GPS coordinates posted on a website.
I started “caching” when my daughter was young. One of my friends introduced me to it. At that time, it was a
very small investment of buying a GPS and then getting the coordinates for the hidden geocache off of the free
website (www.geocaching.com). Now, there are probably GPS phone applications out there that take away the
need for a hand-held GPS unit.
It was a way to do something outside and have a purpose/destination for walking and getting out there. Basically
a free activity that you could do, with fitness involved, and for the overachiever in me -- the goal of getting a certain
number of caches or a certain number of states that you have cached in.
What I found though, was that I was introduced to areas that I would never have known existed. Some very close
to where I lived. Some in areas of my state that I’ve never been in or heard of. We soon incorporated geocaching
into every vacation we took.
Geocaching has different types of finds. A traditional cache is an actual box-like container that you are looking for.
The size of a traditional geocache can differ. Some are large enough for trade items, but some are very small
called “micro”. All have a logbook or a piece of paper for logging your find. Logging your find is signing your
geocache “name” on the logbook with a date. You would then come home and log your find on the geocaching
website as well. Usually people write more about their experience on the website, but without giving away the
actual location.
Virtual geocaches are my favorite. They are now considered “waymarking” (I’ll explain in a different newsletter).
When I first started geocaching, I enjoyed these the best. They are usually historical areas that you would have to
go to the spot and answer questions about the location (that you could not find on the internet). Usually you would
have to take a picture of yourself with the coordinates at the location to be able to log this type of find. One of
these virtual caches is actually across the street of Archives I. It is called “The Lone Sailor”.
Once I was vacationing in Connecticut. There was (and still is) a cache there that is hidden in a park in the middle
of the town of Bethel. The small park was right smack-dab in the middle of a triangular crossroads. Getting that
one was a serious challenge. We looked and looked. Finally we found it in the most creative of spots. Right when
we were signing the logbook, someone honked at us and asked if we found it. He was the “owner” of the cache
(the one who hid it). He had been eating a donut and coffee from his car watching us try and find it.
A micro cache hidden in a tree. The container was an old film container.
They have an annual event in Maryland in the spring, Geocaching Across Maryland (CAM) event. My daughter
and some friends of mine did the event in 2012. You had to find 10 caches that were specially hidden for the event
across the state of Maryland in about a month’s time. And I mean from one end of the state to the next! Each of
the caches has a hint that will help you to get to the final award – an event picnic. Only those people who have
successfully found each of the 10 caches gets to attend the picnic at the “hidden” location. It was so much fun.
Next year, I hope to do it again.
I’ve found geocaches in 12 states – Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania,
Georgia, West Virginia, Tennessee, Arkansas, Texas, and New Jersey - and in the District of Columbia.
Another trackable.
A trackable. This was a sticker on a car.
Typing in the code on the website gives
you the “find”.
I can’t recommend it enough. Geocaches are everywhere in the world! Take a look at the site and see if you can
find what is hidden right in front of your face!
Bush 41 is Rolling
Two more cars have arrived for the Driven to Drive exhibit at Bush 41.
The George Bush Presidential Library and Museum and The Houston
Automobile & Transportation Museum Present:
Just gorgeous!
Page 15 Employee Engagement New sletter
Topic Information
Relationships June 8, 2016
1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. ET
Topic Highlights:
o Positive versus negative relationships
o Relationship misconceptions
o The meaning of fulfillment
o Defining happiness
o Getting help with relationship issues
Click here to Register
Topic Highlights:
o Overview and definitions of substance abuse
o Recognizing addictive behavior (habit versus addiction)
o Resources for help and more information
Click here to Register
Page 16 Employee Engagement New sletter
SCRUM: The Art of Doing Twice the Work in Half the Time
Jeff Sutherland (2014)
Audio Book: 6 Hours, 30 Minutes
This audio edition takes a brilliantly discursive, thought-provoking look at the management process that is
changing the way we live.
Conversational Intelligence: How Great Leaders Build Trust and Get Extraordinary Results
Judith E. Glaser (2014)
Audio Book: 6 Hours, 33 Minutes
This book presents a framework for knowing what kind of conversations trigger the lower, more primitive brain;
and what activates higher-level intelligences such as trust, integrity, empathy, and good judgment.
The Power of Being Yourself: A Game Plan for Success by Putting Passion into Your Life and Work
Joe Plumeri (2015)
Audio Book: 4 Hours, 48 Minutes
Renowned business leader, Joe Plumeri, offers simple yet profound guidance on how to stay positive, motivate
yourself and others, and achieve success in your life and work.
Acquisitions
Telework
Training
Travel
Supervisors will coordinate with Corporate Records Management to report any loss of
information in accordance with federal regulations.
* 36 CFR 1230.10
22
11
Permanent/dossier
Permanent/dossier
33
Innovation Fair
In March, the Office of Innovation held an Innovation Fair at Archives II. The lecture rooms were divided into a
booth area and an area for the speaker sessions. There were three speaker sessions:
Meg Hacker, Ft. Worth Archival Director – Topic: American Indian Affairs finding aids
Cary Moriarty, John Slaughter, and Larry Woten from the Clinton Presidential Library – Topic: Digitization
to support FOIA and online access
David Naffis, Presidential Innovation Fellow – Topic: Automated cataloging pilot and prototype
The booths covered the different Innovation groups and projects. They had some interesting handouts that are
shared via Google Drive.
https://icn.nara.gov/people/pwright/blog/2016/03/09/innovation-fair-the-pics?sr=stream&ru=6353
“Ownership: A
commitment
of the head,
heart, and
hands to fix
the problem
and never
again affix the
blame.”
~John G. Miller, QBQ!
The Question Behind the
Question: Practicing
Personal Accountability
at Work and In Life
Page 21 Employee Engagement New sletter
Training Opportunities
Information Services’ Training Resource Center:
Come to Suite 4400 at Archives II and use our new Training Resource Center. The
Employee Engagement Team is collecting training catalogs. Come take a look at all the
options!
https://icn.nara.gov/groups/information-services-employee-viewpoint-
survey-evs-group/projects/train-your-brain
If you would like to use this service, have your supervisor send an email to James Atwater
(james.atwater@nara.gov) for access to the site. Once you have access, the website is
http://www.infotech.com/.
If you have any training opportunities to share with your co-workers, reach
out to us at employee_viewpoints_empowered@nara.gov.
https://icn.nara.gov/thread/18753?sr=stream
Page 22 Employee Engagement New sletter