2020 AWAR D W I N N ER S
CAREER ACHIEVEMENT IN GOVERNMENT AWARD
CAREER ACHIEVEMENT IN GOVERNMENT AWARD
CAREER ACHIEVEMENT IN INDUSTRY AWARD
COL Antoinette Gant
Chavonda Jacobs-Young, Ph.D
Mrs. Tonya M. Noble
Commander, Louisville District
USDA Agricultural Research Service Administrator and USDA Acting Chief Scientist
Director, International Defense Training
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Colonel Antoinette Gant serves as the commander of the Louisville District, Great Lakes and Ohio River Division, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), a command she assumed in July 2017, responsible for providing strategic direction, command and control, and the management of a yearly budget of over $1 billion. Currently, she is the senior African-American female officer in the Engineer Regiment. Gant’s career over the years has included positions such as the engineer for the 4-star Headquarters, Kabul, Afghanistan; military assistant to the assistant secretary of the Army—Civil Works; district commander of the Albuquerque District, USACE; brigade engineer for the 4th Infantry Division, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team and executive officer, Special Troops Battalion; and the chief of operations, Engineering Directorate of Army South in Fort Sam Houston, Texas. She is a committed role model, mentor, and advocate for young people, including those interested and involved in STEM. Throughout her career she has worked to develop partnerships with agencies and organizations to promote STEM initiatives, particularly during her time as commander of both the Albuquerque and Louisville districts. “It is my observation that Col. Gant is destined for higher levels of service to the Army and our nation.” — Linda R. Murphy, P.E. Deputy District Engineer
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United States Department of Agriculture Dr. Jacobs-Young is the administrator of the USDA Agricultural Research Service and the Acting USDA chief scientist. Dr. Jacobs-Young is the first woman and person of color to lead the billion-dollar research agency. Dr. Jacobs-Young is a 2016 recipient of the Presidential Rank Award and an elected fellow in both the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and the National Academy of Public Administration. In her commitment to giving back, she serves as an AAAS IF/ THEN ambassador to actively engage in outreach and serve as a scientific role model to attract middle school girls to the STEM professions. Her role as an influential woman in science was recognized in the book Black Stars: African American Scientists and Inventors and the AAAS IF/THEN statue exhibit highlighting women scientists. Dr. Jacobs-Young is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. “Chavonda is unique in her vision for educating and empowering the next generation of innovators and entrepreneurs who will make breakthrough discoveries, develop the disruptive technologies, and launch startups that will lead to global change.” — Keegan Autzky, Director of Global Programs and Partnerships, The World Food Prize Foundation.
The Boeing Company Tonya Noble has total responsibility for program management activities for a global portfolio of defense training programs, bringing in significant revenue in contracts. Examples of the products and services her team handles include developing and delivering flight simulators to international customers, providing instructional training for aircrew and maintenance training to customers of military platforms, as well as sustaining and operating customer flight simulators and training devices. Prior, she served as the director responsible for sustainment services in Southeast Asia, India, and Australia. Noble has served as T-45/AV-8B program manager for the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps and all F/A-18 International Sustainment Programs. In this role, she captured more than $10 million in cost savings. She has also held leadership and technical roles for military and space support programs including the Commercial Crew Transportation System for NASA. In her community, Noble is a shining role model to young girls from minority backgrounds, who might otherwise not see people like themselves in engineering and leadership positions. “She is an outstanding engineering leader who demonstrates her commitment to sharing the magic of STEM with youth, as well as mentoring fellow employees on their career paths.” — Nicole Graves, Boeing WOC Executive Focal
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