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Message: Here's a great article I found at www.northwestnavigator.com: -- The Naval Air Station Whidbey Island (NASWI) Visiting Quarters staff received the Adm. Elmo Zumwalt Plaque, Feb. 9, for winning a five-star rating for superior visitor quarters operations. The award was presented by Rear. Adm. William French, commander Navy Region Northwest. “This award is indicative of a great organization,” said French. “The success of Whidbey Island rubs off on the rest of the region.” The Zumwalt Award is given to bases that initiated positive changes in visitor’s quarters (VQ) and bachelor housing (BH). “We won this award due to the staff’s pride in their job and the facility from the top down,” said Betty Jo Shaddy-Brown, housing director for the North and East Sound. “This visitor’s quarter provides excellent service and our customer’s positive comments attest to that.” “The people that work here makes this facility great,” said Peggy McClary, VQ/BH manager of North and East Sound. “It’s an awesome crew. We care about each other like a family.” Several major upgrades were completed in the past 18 months in the visitor quarters’ 212 rooms, which include three distinguished visitor and 39 suites. “It’s a good feeling to see all our hard work pay off,” said Storekeeper Seaman Ericolis Kelley. The five-star rating is the highest level of accreditation. CNRNW was the only Navy region in the 2006 grading cycle to earn the score for all of the Region’s Visiting Quarters. “To receive this award for one facility is a significant accomplishment, but to receive this award for every facility in the region is phenomenal,” said Lee Thomas, housing manager for Navy Region Northwest. Each room in the visitors quarters was painted, the tile replaced, bathrooms caulked and renovations made to the floors, and reworked landscaping. A highlight of the renovations was building a centralized customer service area responsible for one-stop shopping for visitors quarters, bachelor housing and family housing “Teamwork, attention to detail and quality customer service is the trademark of Whidbey Island’s visiting quarters,” said Ron Espiritu, room division manager of North and East Sound. “We start working right now to compete for the 2008 Zumwalt Award.” A five-star rating, such as the Zumwalt, means that the operation provides facilities and services equal to those found in commercial hotels. “I meet people from all around the world working here and they can’t wait to come back,” said Culinary Specialist 2nd Class (AW) Mundrick Imbuido. “They comment that our services are more like a resort than visitors quarters.” http://www.northwestnavigator.com/index.php/navigator/regionalnews/nas_visitor_quarters_receives_zumwalt_award/
