AFNIC civilian supervisor stands out

  • Published
  • By Tom Korte
  • Air Force Network Integration Center
SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. --  Ms. Angie Nettleton stands out in the Air Force Network Integration Center.

A career civilian, Nettleton serves as a division chief in AFNIC's Network Engineering Directorate. She and her team are focused on integrating systems and products smoothly onto the Air Force Network to ensure they perform as intended and are interoperable with the network, ultimately assuring mission success. In recent years her team also has designed AFNet-compliant networks for many critical Air Force operational facilities around the world, including air operations centers and remotely piloted aircraft control facilities to name a few.

Throughout her career, Nettleton has taken great pride in recognizing the accomplishments of her people. When writing award packages, she often states that the awards are "hers to lose" if she doesn't do a good job of translating "Action--Impact--Result" to paper. The combination of her team's technical achievements, with her talent and drive to convey their impact, have helped her engineers earn numerous decorations and awards up to Air Force and federal levels.

She further volunteers on quarterly and annual award review boards, and serves on the base-level review board where she not only judges the best of the best, but volunteers her feedback to all nominating supervisors.

Beyond the confines of Scott Air Force Base, Ill., Nettleton offers her time to the Gateway Federal Executive Board planning the annual awards banquet and annual conferences that provide relevant topics to government leaders delivered by today's top professional speakers. She also has served as an officer for the Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association, conducting events and conferences and raising money for college scholarships.

"Angie is passionate about recognizing the great efforts of her people and seeks outside-the-box opportunities do so," said Col. Brian Wilkey, Director of AFNIC's Network Engineering directorate and Nettleton's supervisor. "I'm fortunate to have her among my supervisory team."

Nettleton has also served as AFNIC's Palace Acquire engineering intern mentor for more than 10 years. In this role she supports the Air Force Personnel Center and the AFNIC commander in recruiting, interviewing and hiring new engineering talent. She mentors interns throughout their assignments and permanently places them based on the needs of the organization and the interests of the engineer with a goal of upward advancement.

Selecting new talent for an organization is not only Nettleton's passion, but the highest indication of organizational trust.

"Angie is a great mentor to our engineering interns," said Rob Beutel, a former employee of Nettleton who now serves as Director of U.S. Transportation Command's Enterprise Integration Lab. "Being a former intern myself, I'm directly familiar with the value of her guidance and greatly appreciate her willingness to choose and groom the next generation of Air Force civilian leaders."

Beyond her job, Ms. Nettleton is active in the community. She promoted science and engineering to grade-school students during National Engineers Week in late February. She volunteers for Mind's Eye Information Service at the National Shrine for Our Lady of the Snows. This service provides closed-circuit audio broadcasts for the visually-impaired that bring programs to residents in homes, hospitals, nursing homes, and retirement centers. In the summer, she will lead middle school students during "Mad Scientist Week."

"I enjoy leading hands-on activities that require the students to find a solution to a problem" Nettleton said. It might be building an I-beam out of cardboard, then testing its strength, or writing a program for a robot to make a sandwich. My goal is to entice them to consider careers in the areas of science or engineering, particularly the engineering field."

"Whether in the office, around Scott Air Force Base or throughout the community, Nettleton is an asset to all those she leads and serves," said Wilkey. "She is a role model AFNIC supervisor."