DAWN M. VAILLANCOURT, head of the Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division Newport Strategic Planning Office, received the Department of the Navy Meritorious Civilian Service Award during a virtual ceremony in July for her strategic planning achievements from June 2011 to January 2020. The third-highest honorary civilian award bestowed by the U.S. Navy, it is given to civilian Navy employees for meritorious service or contributions resulting in high value or benefits for the Navy. Vaillancourt started at NUWC in 1985 as a clerk typist, prior to earning a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering in 1993 and a Master of Science in mechanical engineering in 2000 from the University of Rhode Island.
What are your thoughts about being awarded the Department of the Navy’s Meritorious Civilian Service Award? I am extremely honored to have received this prestigious award and to receive recognition amongst my peers for work that I am very proud of. I cannot take credit for all of this work myself, as I lead a very small team of highly performing individuals that contribute to our group’s success, and together we work collaboratively with all of our business and technical departments to get the job done.
What inspired you to become an engineer, and how did you end up working at NUWC? I applied to work at NUWC at the request of my mom, who worked at NUWC in the protocol office. My mom has been the most amazing role model to me and my three sisters, instilling in all of us her determination, work ethic and compassion. As I learned more about the organization … I became interested in the exciting and challenging work the engineers were doing in support of our undersea warfare mission, and I knew that becoming an engineer was something I wanted to do. Over the next several years, I was successful in competitively applying for, and being selected into, several NUWC training programs, including an upward mobility program, which allowed me to complete my bachelor’s degree.
How has the coronavirus impacted your life personally and professionally? I have been fortunate to be able to telework throughout the pandemic, going into the office when needed. I miss face-to-face interactions at work, lunches with co-workers, people stopping by my office to chat. On a personal front, I am thankful my family has continued to stay healthy.
How important is mentorship to you and what role do you play in providing direction to newly engaged engineers at NUWC? Mentoring, both formal and informal, has played such an integral part of my journey. I have been fortunate to have some amazing mentors throughout my career. These mentors were at all levels of the organization: my husband, who also works at NUWC and who has been my rock through the years; my co-workers; my supervisors; and leaders in the organization. I have also had the opportunity to mentor many individuals throughout my career and pay it forward to others that are looking for guidance and direction in their own journeys.
