MARINE CORPS LOGISTICS BASE ALBANY, Ga. -- In the brightly-decorated Grand Ballroom here, co-workers, family, friends and community partners filled the room as Pamela Character Bryant, director, Workforce Development Office, Marine Corps Logistics Command, retired, Aug. 24.
Bryant, a native of Barnesville, Ga., and graduate of Lamar County High School said she arrived in Albany, Ga., in the fall of 1975 to attend then-Albany State College. While a sophomore and majoring in Business Administration, she was hired by the Department of the Navy as a GS-3/4 Cooperative Education Program student.
Those early beginnings launched a 35-year career with the federal government that began as an acquisition logistics intern with the Naval Electronic Systems Command in Washington, D.C. Later, concerned with graduating on time, Bryant requested a transfer to Marine Corps Logistics Base Albany.
Since being hired here full-time in 1979, Bryant has held several jobs including inventory management specialist; integrated logistics support specialist; acquisitions logistician; supply systems analyst; head, Systems Management Branch; project director for Logistics Operations Center and director, Supply Chain Planning Department.
Dr. Everette Freeman, president, Albany State University, Albany, Ga., said Bryant has given her full professional life to the mastery of her duties and responsibilities in the old fashioned tradition of hard work and dedication.
“It was indeed an honor for me as president of her alma mater, Albany State University, to salute her on behalf of the entire ASU family,” Freeman said. “In every respect, Pamela Character Bryant is potential realized.”
One of the college students who began work at MCLC as an intern and was eventually hired under the Student Career Education Program, formerly Co-op, credits Bryant for a career she loves.
Deondra Dukes, management analyst, Workforce Development Office, MCLC, who started her career as an intern in July 2007, said it has been a great opportunity to work with Bryant because she was very dedicated to what she did, and in turn, motivated her office to find passion in what they do.
“She embodies many styles of leadership, but I would have to say her most prominent style is transformational leadership because she has the vision and the charisma to make change happen and her tenure in this office has been her testimony of that,” Dukes said.
Dukes added Bryant always took the time to get to know people professionally and personally and made it her business to assist them in getting to the next step in their lives.
“She has truly made an impact in my life, my career and to this command as well,” Dukes said. “I am very proud of her and wish her continued success in her future endeavors.”
Bryant said she really enjoyed her service to the Navy and Marine Corps, but her favorite job was the one she was retiring from because she has always had a passion for education.
“With more than 30 years working in supply and logistics, coupled with my personal passion for education and learning, I accepted a new position as director, MCLC Workforce Development Office in April 2007,” Bryant said. “This also led to launching and facilitating MCLC’s Logistics Command Academy, which is designed to help personnel connect the dots between the functions, roles and responsibilities of the command’s structure and mission.”
Bryant noted she was able to take what she learned over the years from supply and logistics, bring it over to workforce development and help people get better at what they were doing in their current jobs.
“It was kind of a ‘give-back’ job for me,” she said. “In all of our careers, I believe we must pick a time to give something back to the organization we work for, so workforce development gave me an opportunity to give back to the command. I figured after more than 30 years of working here, I could help someone else. I just hope all I have done was a benefit to the command and employees.”
Bryant said she will miss the people she has worked with and gotten to know over the years, but she is not limited by geographical boundaries.
“Technology will make it easier to keep in touch with friends,” she said. “What I will not miss is getting up every morning and coming to work at 8 a.m. In my ideal world, I will get up and get where I am going when I feel like it. After 35 years of working non-stop and at the expense of not knowing how to relax and enjoy life, I’m looking forward to plenty of rest, relaxation and vacations.”