Chandra Johnson, supervisor, Accounting Branch, Comptroller Office, Marine Corps Logistics Base Albany, and Ashlyn Mullen, management analyst, Manpower Division, MCLB Albany, were recently recognized as the installation’s Supervisor of the Year and Civilian of the Year for 2020, respectively.
Johnson proved to be an exemplary professional aboard the base whose leadership, advice and counsel many sought out during the year.
“I am honored to have been nominated and selected for the Supervisor of the Year for MCLB Albany,” Johnson said. “I don’t perform any of my duties for recognition. Everything I do for the installation is simply because I love my job and the people I get to work with every day.”
The citation for Johnson’s recognition notes she has demonstrated a lifetime of dedication and commitment to the Marine Corps. She utilized her analytical skills often in order to help find and implement solutions to numerous financial issues and problems.
Johnson constantly communicated with her counterparts both externally and internally to find solutions for almost 7,000 hard-to-solve transactions for a total of more than $110,000. She also managed and performed functional support for all systems interfacing with the standard accounting budgeting reporting system for the command.
“Mrs. Chandra Johnson is an exceptional employee and an extremely worthy candidate to receive Supervisor of the Year award for MCLB,” Phillip Millerd, comptroller, Comptroller Office, MCLB Albany, said. “She has brought an abundance of motivation, initiative and professionalism to the Accounting Branch of the Office of the Comptroller. Mrs. Johnson has a powerful work ethic and constantly identifies ways of improving our business practices.”
Millerd said that, as a supervisor, Johnson sets clear guidelines and expectations for her staff. She is dedicated to ensure tasks are understood and completed, ensures roles and responsibilities are established for all employees and clearly communicates the strategic vision of the command to her staff.
“Mrs. Johnson works diligently to ensure the necessary statistical data required is provided with strong justification for all Statement of Budgetary Resources Audit requirements,” Millerd stated. “She continuously provides outstanding customer to external customers and to fellow employees within the Office of Comptroller.”
“Mrs. Johnson is known as one of the key Marine Corps accounting experts,” he continued. “She is always willing to do anything that is asked of her and she readily shares her accounting knowledge. Eager to hone her customer service skills, she welcomes all challenges head-on. She is very knowledgeable with all the automated systems in the Comptroller Office such as PRbuilder, Standard Accounting Budget Reporting Systems and ReportNet, Wide Area Work Flow and always willing to assist anyone who needs help with these systems. She also assisted some of the financial personnel and guided them through obtaining their mandatory Financial Certification.”
Millerd expanded on Johnson’s dedication by mentioning that, 17 years after graduating from high school, she completed her education by obtaining a bachelor’s degree in 2018. She earned master’s degrees in 2019 and in 2020.
She is currently working on her doctoral degree.
“Mrs. Johnson is the type of employee every manager wishes to have on their team,” Millerd added. “Her contributions to the command have been real and measureable. It is indeed a pleasure to work alongside an employee with such strong work and personnel ethics. She embodies those personality skills to make every interaction satisfying and productive.”
She planned, developed and conducted financial training for the fund managers within MCLB Albany. She monitored the base’s utilities, refuse and communication bills and successfully recouped reimbursable dollars back to the command in the amount of $3.3 million from 15 customers.
Johnson successfully managed the Defense Travel System program as well as all financial assist visits and audits, the citation further notes.
Mullen was recognized as Civilian of the Year for performing her demanding duties in an exemplary and highly professional manner.
“Being selected as MCLB Albany’s Civilian of the Year is an absolute honor and I am incredibly grateful,” Mullen said. “Although I began my journey here over 12 years ago, MCLB Albany has been a special part of my life for 36 years. My mother served as a civilian-Marine here for 35 years and I have many childhood memories aboard this installation.
“The true honor comes in working alongside an amazing team and supportive command leadership,” she added. “Although 2020 was quite different, it posed many opportunities to adapt, improvise and overcome; but my motivation continued to lie in the warfighter. Their selfless act to defend our freedom is unwavering and I consider it a privilege to have a career that provides support to them.”
Mullen’s professionalism, insight and team player mindset was the key asset to her division and the organization. She effortlessly managed her workload and often took on additional tasks willingly and without hestitation. Her accuracy, attention to detail and focus led to her being recognized by division leadership and peers, the citation for her recognition states.
Her willingness and can-do attitude distinquished herself when she assumed responsibilities for Marine Online through collaboration and developing products that streamlined the process for onboarding of new employees and ensured accuracy of employee records. As part of the onboarding process, it reduced the number of days for an employee to acquire their CAC and access to the systems.
“Mrs. Mullen’s professionalism, insight and team player mindset is key to her success,” Sendy Potts, director, Manpower Division, MCLB Albany, said. “She is focused on taking the initiative to provide dependable and accurate information, paying great attention to all details of any task she performs and providing outstanding customer service.”
“She constantly strives for perfection and is always looking for ways to make things better all while taking care of people,” Potts continued.
Concurrently with a multitude of duties, she leaned forward to asssist other divisions, such as the Comptroller Office, for their financial audit short-fused tasker using unparalleled analysis, efficiency and acumen. She goes above and beyond her duties and responsibilities and is an exceptional performer maintaining high standards.
Her dedication to mission and her exceptional customer service support during COVID-19 was nothing short of extraordinary, and is a shining example for all to emulate, the citation adds.