DeCA honors L.A. store director

FORT LEE, Va. The Defense Commissary Agency has given Alfredo Alferez, store director for Los Angeles Air Force Base Commissary, the Blackwell Leadership Award for 2009. The award is presented each year to recognize the DeCA employee who has demonstrated exceptional leadership, courage and integrity in the performance of his or her duties, according to DeCA. Alferez received the award June 9 at the agency’s training conference in Atlanta.

“Great leaders inspire people to perform at a higher level, and Al has demonstrated time and again his ability to turn his vision into reality by engaging those around him,” said Keith Hagenbuch, DeCA West director. “As an agency, we have given Al some tough assignments, and he has taken on each one with magnificent results.”

The Blackwell Leadership Award is named in honor of the late Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Michael W. Blackwell, who served as DeCA’s senior enlisted advisor to the director from March 1994 to March 1995.

On receiving the award, Alferez said, “This is a great distinction to be personified in the leadership traits of Chief Master Sgt. Michael Blackwell. I have received commissary awards in the past, but this one is the best … to be recognized for the leadership qualities I have exemplified throughout my career. I will treasure this award that I proudly receive in his honor. I don’t expect to be recognized or rewarded for what I do; I just do it, because I care and love what I do.”