STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss.——Recently, a U.S. Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command (Naval Oceanography) employee completed a first-of-its-kind Department of Defense (DOD) program—the Navigation Leadership Development Program (NLDP)— designated for the Navy’s  Information Warfare Community (IWC).
 
Mr. Kevin LaCroix, Weather Services Technical Lead and Numerical Weather Prediction Models at Naval Oceanography, completed the three-year commitment designed to develop high-performing IWC employees.
 
NDLP allows senior-level DOD employees a chance to navigate their individual career journey, realize strengths, and position themselves for future IWC leadership positions. 
 
“I really loved being part the Naval Intelligence (NAVINTEL) NDLP, from the connections made with other NAVINTEL professionals in a similar positions at upper-middle management, to the unique access the program gave,” said LaCroix.
 
According to LaCroix, NDLP helped program-participants develop a deeper knowledge and respect for the NAVINTEL Enterprise through peer and senior-leader participation in the program.
 
“I learned valuable leadership perspectives and gained an appreciation for the hard work and tough decisions that senior leaders make every day,” LaCroix said.
 
Program-participants, like LaCroix, benefited from one-on-one coaching sessions, teambuilding activities, tours, briefs and opportunities for team projects.
 
NDLP was designed around the Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs), which are required for advancement to Senior Executive Service positions.
 
“The program helped us [NDLP participants] realize what pieces and parts we already mastered in our careers, then how to optimize our learning and experiences to fulfill remaining parts of the ECQs going forward,” LaCroix said.
 
The program started simultaneously as the COVID-19 global pandemic, but LaCroix’s completion of the program is a true testament the Navy’s spirit of resilience.
 
“For most of the first two years, our [NDLP] class was limited to Microsoft Teams meetings; which while more difficult and lacked the in-person interactions and after-work networking, did provide opportunity to show our kids and pets which loved to interrupt our all-day sessions,” said LaCroix.
 
Naval Oceanography has approximately 2,900 globally distributed military and civilian personnel, who collect, process and exploit environmental information to assist Fleet and Joint Commanders in all warfare areas to guarantee the U.S. Navy’s freedom of action in the physical battlespace from the depths of the ocean to the stars.